Archive of Our Own ^beta

Brennan Mejia as Tyler Navarro
Michael Taber as Riley Griffin
Camille Hyde as Shelby Watkins
Yoshi Sudarso as Koda
Claire Backwelder as Kendall Morgan

Rest of the cast as their respective characters

• HEATHER •

"The world was teeming with life, but asteroids hit the planet and the dinosaurs went extinct. That was sixty-five million years ago." The tourists listened intently to me, their tour guide, as I explained this.

My name tag read 'Eliott' under a black silhouette of a dilophosaurus.

I had moved to America less than a month ago, and would be staying a year with my uncle Nathan in Amber Beach away from my parents. I had applied for a job at the Amber Beach dinosaur museum and was invited for an interview with the manager, Kendall Morgan, or Ms Morgan as she was known by the staff.

Ms Morgan was very impressed with my resume an my extensive knowledge of dinosaurs, I was practically handed the job on the spot, not that there were many people to compete with.

I was soon introduced to some of my new coworkers. Shelby was clumsy and naïve but very intelligent. Koda was strong and kind but slow in the brain department.

Then... there was Chase. He was the definition of a "ladies' man", always flirting with customers and tourists.

Truthfully, I have had a huge crush on Chase ever since I started working here, but would never dare tell him how I felt. I rarely spoke to him on my own because each time I sought the courage to approach him, I panicked and chickened out.

Chase was so obviously straight, but my sorry ass couldn't help but fancy him.

I lead the tour group away from the T-Rex skeleton, explaining how the meteor shower had caused the dinosaurs to become extinct.

We pass Chase wheeling along a cart of tools and I subconsciously hold my breath for a moment before continuing the tour, but not without sparing a longing glance at the man.

I spot him chatting with another guy that looked about our age.

I draw my attention back to the group when a young girl points out that I was staring into space, I quickly apologise and move on with the tour.

The tour finishes soon after that and I hastily make my way to the loading dock behind the museum, where I see Koda and Chase loading a truck as Shelby tries to convince them to let her go on the dig.

She sits on a crate grumpily and sighs, "Man, i'm never gonna get to go!" she complains before Koda lifts her and the box into the truck, prompting a yelp out of her.

Koda spots me approaching, "Eliott, hey!" He grins, waving animatedly.

"Hey Koda" I mumble, giving a small nervous wave to Chase.

"Miss Morgan!" Shelby suddenly exclaims, jumping off the box. Great, boss is here.

"I think your party in booth four is missing a dinner roll. And no, you can't come-"

"-museum policy" Shelby mirrors Ms Morgan, following her around the truck when she walks away.

"Triceratops' head grew to be seven feet long. Only two of the horns were really bone, one was just ligament...give me a shot Ms Morgan, please? I know as much about dinosaurs as anyone on your crew" Shelby rants matter-of-factly.

"Well, that's a bit presumptuous innit?" I chime in.

The girls glance at me for a second, their glares making me wind my neck in before they kill me.

"For your information, Chase and Koda are very highly trained museum personnel" she comments, resuming their conversation.

Shelby turns slowly and pointedly to where Chase is trying to balance his skateboard on his head and Koda licks his fingers to get the burger grease off of them.

"They hide it well." She retorts.

"You have no idea." Ms Morgan replies as Koda belches loudly. My own stomach wretches as the noise goes straight through me.

"You do have a job to get back to right?" She questiones rhetorically and struts off.

I follow her, being her assistant and all.

A firm hand came to my shoulder as I attempt to get into the truck. "Sorry, Eliott, you can't come." I look at her, shocked.

"Wha- Why?"

"I need you here to keep an eye on things while I'm gone. I'm sure you understand." She pats me on the back before climbing into the truck.

I dejectedly walk away, not noticing Shelby sneak into the back of the truck as it drives off.

• HEATHER •

For the next two hours or so, I fill in for Ms Morgan the best I can, keeping tabs on the cafe and the exhibits in case anything goes wrong.

Shelby is also oddly missing and it's honestly becoming concerning at this point. I brush off the though however and walk into Ms Morgan's office to see what else needed to be done by the end of the day, but notice that she had left her phone at her desk, something I knew she would need on that trip.

I sigh and make my way back to the loading dock after pocketing it, ready to drive all the way to the site to give it back to her.

When I reach the loading dock, however, I take notice of a big red car in the lot that hadn't been there before. Confused, I step up to the car and spy on what's inside.

"A Café uniform?" I mutter in disbelief.

A waiter's hat and apron for the Dino Bite Cafe lay in the passenger seat. 'I guess Shelby found her way back from wherever she disappeared to after all, although she hasn't come back to work' I think. As annoying as Shelby can be sometimes, she's never ditched work for no reason.

"That's weird" I mumble to no one in particular.

I notice that the truck Ms Morgan had left in is back too, which, is also weird by the way. I hear voices approaching and instinctively hide behind a pile of boxes nearby.

I peek around the corner and see Shelby, Koda and Chase coming out of an old T-Rex statue's mouth.

"What the hell?" I whisper, confusion settling into my words.

They are soon joined by two strangers, one in a green shirt and the other in a red one. The small group exchanges a few words i'm too far out of earshot to hear before they run off, not noticing my presence.

I come out of hiding as they leave, wondering why they were in such a hurry and why they came out of a T-Rex trapdoor.

Admittedly, my curiosity gets the better of me and I deftly approach the statue, tracing my hand over it for a moment, before jumping into the mouth and expecting something to happen.

When nothing happens, I furrow my brows and start messing with the mouth, looking for a switch or something.

"Come on, surely there's some sort of-"

My hand knocked into a tooth that twisted, resulting in the wood below me opening up and me being swallowed by a trapdoor. I jump out of my skin and let out a noise of surprise.

I stumble after an abrupt end to the tunnel/slide. Standing up, I take note of the fact that I seem to be in some sort of lab, like the ones you see in superhero movies.

"Woah..." I gape at the sight.

There's a huge circular table in the middle of the room with various types of lab apparatus dotted around.

An open space in the wall covered in white crystals draws my gaze, resembling a geode. More importantly, there are six pillars that look like they are designed to hold something, five of the six slots being empty.

The only slot left is filled with a small, orange, crystalline object. It emits an amber hue, drawing me in like it is calling out to me.

"What is this?" I whisper as I reach out my hand. The second my fingers touch the object, a rush of adrenaline fills my body and an orange aura surrounds me. I see a split-second vision of a dilophosaurus in my mind appear.

"Eliott..." Speaks a hoarse voice from behind me.

I whip around to face its owner and am met with an alien-like being, donning a red, velvety cloak.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I back up towards the wall, hiding the stone in my sleeve.

"I assure you, I mean no harm" the being claims, his voice gives away nothing but honesty and sincerity.

"My name is Keeper. I am a guardian of the energems, it seems as though the orange energem has decided to bond with your spirit." Keeper explains.

"Bonded?" I repeat incredulously, "What do you mean?"

"It means, that you are now a power ranger, Eliott Slater" Keeper answers.

'A...A Power Ranger? What!?' My jaw hits the floor as someone walks into my view and stands by Keeper.

"Miss Morgan!?" I excalim.

"The orange energem bonded with you because it recognised your curiosity and intuition. This was a curveball sure, but I planned on bringing this up to you sooner or later anyway." Ms Morgan reveals, sounding like a motivational speaker.

I take a moment to process the information i've had thrust upon me. "I'm a power ranger? Is this a joke?" I wonder out loud suspiciously.

"This is not a joke. I can promise you that." Keeper speaks up again.

"Now go, the other rangers need you"

I stare at them for a moment, hesitating to believe it.

"Shelby. Is she a ranger? Chase and Koda too?" I inquire. Keeper nods his head.

"Before you go-" Ms Morgan takes three little objects from an orange stand and gives them to me. "-take these. They're dino chargers, I created them to contain the power of each energem. When a dino charger runs out of power we recharge it here. It will energize your weapons and morph you into battle mode." she tells me.

"Wow. This is..." I pause, not knowing how to respond, "sick."

"Sick?" Keeper asks, confused.

"Cool, awesome, synonyms." I unhelpfully add.

"Good luck Eliott" Ms Morgan smiles at me.

I nod back and thank her before rushing out of the base.

"What is a synonym?"

"Oh boy."

• HEATHER •

The other rangers are fighting against Iceage and his Vivix.

"There's so many of them!" Shelby shouts, knowing the whole team could hear her.

"Shelby! Behind you!" Riley alerts.

She turns right as a Vivix prepares to hit her. Right before the Vivix' attack connects however, it gets mowed down by a skillfully placed shot.

The Vivix falls into a few other Vivix and explodes, taking out the group it fell into with it.

All four unoccupied rangers turn to the source of the shot and there are a few audible sounds of shock as I lower my long-barrelled, scoped blaster.

"Eliott!!??" Chase, Koda and Shelby simultaneously yell, shocked.

"Another one?!" Iceage shouts, looking away from his fight with the red ranger for a moment.

"It's morphin' time! Dino charger, ready!" I announce, clicking the dino charger Ms Morgan gave me, which transforms into a smaller, handheld morphing blaster.

"Dilo charger, engaged!"

"Energize! Unleash the power!" I shoot the blaster into the air and morph into the Orange Dino Charge Ranger.

"This is amazing!" I exclaim, touching the new suit and armour. The other rangers cheer for the new addition.

"Let's finish what you started guys!" I suggest and quickly hear sounds of agreement.

With that, we promptly resume battle as I take on my own group of Vivix, evening the numbers out. I jump straight into fighting the Vivix, utilizing fighting skills I had no idea I had. I pull out my second dino charger and slot it into the blaster, eager to try out my new toys.

"Dino ricochet blast!" I announce and shoot a blast that bounced between both Vivix and objects, eliminating most of the surrounding enemies.

The number of Vivix quickly diminishes and with the rangers all working together we wiped the floor with our opponents. The last Vivix falls and we all regroup to watch as the red ranger delivers the final blow to Iceage.

"That's how it's done, red guy!" I cheer, as does the rest of the group, despite not knowing the red (or green) ranger(s) yet.

"We did great!" Shelby supplies.

"You too Rexy" The red ranger praises the zord, eventually turning to the group. "No one's going to believe this!"

• HEATHER •

"Hey, we're back" Chase announces.as the team entered the lab. I still find myself staring at the room, marvelled by the surrealism of it all.

"I can't believe you just wandered in here and became a ranger." Shelby chuckles recalling my explanation moments ago.

"Can you show me how to handle a sword like that?" The red ranger - who I now know as Tyler - asked the green ranger - who I now know as Riley.

"You took out that giant monster how about you show me" Riley responds.

Shelby and Koda also share some banter about Koda's Bronto Burgers.

"Oh gosh, wait till my brother hears about this-"

"Incorrect" Ms Morgan interrupts Riley, making her presence known. "No one must know about what we're doing. Understood?" she warns with a serious tone.

I nod my head curtly and Tyler agrees, "you got it"

Chase turns away from the conversation and crouches next to Keeper, who is sat nearby, and questions him about there being new monsters on Earth.

"Keeper? That monster we fought was not Fury. You said there weren't any other monsters on Earth?" I glance at him for a second, longingly staring at his handsome face before tuning in to what Keeper has to say.

"That monster belongs to Sledge, a ruthless bounty hunter. 65 million years ago he drove me to hide all the energems, which Kendall's been helping me search for. Somehow, Sledge has returned, he'll destroy anything to get the energems. Including you."

• HEATHER •

I take a deep breath outside the entrance to the lab, steadying my nerves as much as I can.

I peeked down at the scribbles on my palm, running over what I planned to say to Chase when I walk in.

"You got this Eliott, you got this" I mutter, pumpin myself up.

Finally, I turn the corner, instantly spotting him on a vacant table tinkering with his skateboard. I narrowly dodge a tennis ball that flew past my head and this causes Chase to look up at the disturbance.

He smiles, "Well don't you look sharp" I pause for a second, questioning if I heard him correctly. 'Did Chase just flirt with me? Surely not, right?' I think to myself.

I open my mouth to respond, "It is such a relief to finally come to the museum and not have to look- like that" I crane my neck around at the voice. My face falls as I realise Chase was in fact just complimenting Shelby, who I hadn't even noticed was there at all.

'Idiot' I berate myself for thinking so hopefully. Of course, Chase wouldn't flirt with me, he's straight.

The three of us turn to the newly arrived Tyler, in his own Dino Bite Cafe uniform, which is what Shelby had been talking about.

"Isn't it great? I get to be a buzz boy at the cafe?" Tyler shows off his name tag cheerfully. He's what I would call 'disturbingly delightful', it was a scarily accurate description.

"Good for you buddy" I respond patting him on the shoulder before Kendall marched in.

"You're late Shelby. Please, Chase, this is a sterile laboratory, not a Garage. Eliott, I need you upstairs we have a school field trip that needs a safety talk." She lists off as she strides past.

"On it boss." I unenthusiastically salute before escaping the lab, secretly grateful for the excuse to leave.

*3rd person pov

"Why is Tyler dressed to work in the Cafe? And why is Eliott off talking to kids about why they shouldn't ride the skeletons? We are rangers now, you know busy saving the world?" Shelby shoots question after question.

"Sometimes you are busy saving the world and other times you're busy flipping burgers. Today, it's burgers. That's how you blend in. No one will suspect you're rangers" is Kendall's reply.

Before Shelby can respond, Koda walks out of his cave, shirtless and yawning, "Someone say, mmm burgers?"

"Koda, wait do you like sleep in that cave?" Tyler asks pointing at the mouth.

"Yes. My home." Koda smiles as he talks about his cave.

"Koda found the blue energem a hundred thousand years ago, during the Pleistocene era." Kendall supplies  in response to the confused expressions around the room.

"So you mean, Koda's a-" Shelby starts.

"Caveman!?" the others exclaim in tandem. Koda flexes his muscles to emphasise their point.

"Awesome"

"Really, he's a hundred thousand years old? That's impossible." Riley dismisses them.

"Once he bonded to an energem he stopped ageing. None of you will age when you're bonded to an energem." Kendall reveales, eliciting a gasp from Shelby and a disbelieving brow raise from Riley.

"So I'll stay 18 forever? This job's got some great benefits!" She practically cheers.

"And I will always look like this" Chase boasts from behind her.

"So there are some negatives too." She rolls her eyes.

In the cave, Koda explains how good his spears were for hunting to Tyler, who notices markings across the walls, "you write on the walls?" he inquires.

"Petroglyphs! It's a prehistoric form of writing!" Shelby awes as she walks in.

"Yes, I write, my story. Here." Tyler traces his fingers over a red feline/humanoid silhouette.

"That one, who is that?" he asks.

"That is fury," came Koda's reply. Tyler's eyes shoot up, and he hurries out of the cave in search of something. "Very bad. He fight, to steal, energem." Koda continued.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah he tried to take my energem" Riley informs, agreeing with Koda.

Footsteps come in from behind them as Tyler returns, "Guys look at this. Is that him?" He shows the drawing of fury in his journal to Koda, who confirms that it is in fact him.

"The one that was after your dad" Shelby adds right before the alarm begins wailing, signalling a monster presence in Amber Beach.

"That doesn't sound good."

"Several objects entering Earth's atmosphere" Kendall states as they enter the main room of the lab.

"Sledge?" Tyler guesses.

"Let's go find out" Chase suggests, prompting them to check it out.

"I'll get Eliott to meet you there!" Kendall calls after them.

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

"Oh look. It's the rangers." A heart-themed monster jeered.

"What are you? A walking lollipop?" Tyler quipps.

"Well, it's lo-"

I interrupt her mid-sentence wearing my uniform, causing the monster (poisandra) to pause at the new addition.

"Excuse me!" she angrily whins.

"Shut your cake hole!" I snap at her. "Sorry I'm late guys" Tyler nods at me and refocuses on the monsters.

"As I was saying- It's lovely to meet you too. Not. Allow me to introduce the most magnificent, intergalactic bounty hunter in the universe!!!" On cue, a much larger monster lands before them.

"The one the only. My future husband, Sledge!" Poisandra introduces.

"Well, we can cross 'taste' off of the list of things monsters have." I comment.

"Hah! This is a joke, right? You're the rangers who destroyed my monster?!" Sledge sneers.

"Power Rangers" Shelby corrects, but the monsters all laugh at her.

Koda taps Tyler's shoulder and points at a bushy hill. "Fury. Up there." Tyler's features twist into an expression of recognition.

I notice the subtle signals that are passed between Sledge and Fury and it unsettles me, they were obviously planning something.

"As I was saying. You're the troublemakers that stole my energems!" A red mist materializes as Keeper appears in front of them.

"Keeper...It's you" Sledge growls, disgust etched into his words.

"The energems belong to no one. Especially not to you"

"My dear old friend...you thought that blowing up my ship could stop me? I waited in deep space for millions of years for a comet to pass. I caught it with my electronet and rode it all the way to Earth. But it was worth it because finally, I will destroy you! And then I'll leave here with the energems" Sledge narrates his entire life story.

"The rangers possess the powers of the energems and the strength of ancient dinosaurs, if you try to take the energems, you will be the one who is destroyed." Keeper warns.

Sledge growls in anger, and seconds later, Keeper vanishes in a cloud of maroon fog.

"Did he just piss off our enemy and just leave?" I stand shocked at his gall.

"uh, Keeper?" Riley calls out nervously.

"No prob. We got this. I guess." Shelby adds unhelpfully.

"Looks like they're gonna cry" A whiny crying robot mocks us. "Bring it on weaklings!"

"Dino charger!-"

...

Everyone looks at Tyler, who's eyes are glued to Fury still, while Koda and Chase try to talk to him. I shake my head nervously as Shelby finally gets his attention.

"Ready!"

We activate our chargers as Sledge and his crew open fire, Poisandra giggles and claps in twisted glee at the sight of us being 'destroyed'.

"Better get your eyes checked. Let's do this!" Tyler yells in response to her praising Sledge for "destroying them".

"Yikes! This isn't any fun!" Poisandra squeals as we charge and flees like a coward.

Chase pulls off some flashy moves and dispatches of a group of Vivix, but he is quickly demorphed by Scrapper.

"Bye-bye, black ranger" he mocks getting ready to shoot Chase. The blaster flew from its hands as I quickly come to my teammate's aid.

"Stay away from him!" I demand and begin fighting Scrapper after putting my sniper into lance mode.

"ohh these two sound funny" The monster giggles at mine and Chase's accents.

"Cheeky git" I say under my breath, rushing him down.

"Eliott behind you!" Chase warns. I turn and destroy the Vivix sneaking up on me, but it leaves me open and I get demorphed by an attack from Scrapper.

Koda gets demorphed next as he's also caught off guard by Scrapper.

"Let's see how you like the power of the Triceratops!" Shelby shouts as she fought Wrench. She too is overpowered however, and gets demorphed too.

Riley is jumped mid-fight by Wrench and he demorphs just as we were before him.

Finally, Tyler takes Sledge head-on and makes a few snarky comments about his odour in the process, but ultimately follows his team in being demorphed as Sledge hits him with a powerful punch to the ribs.

"Grrr, I'm getting too old for this!" Sledge complains after knocking him back to us.

"One last warning rangers. Hand over the energems in an hour or I'll blast this planet to pieces! One hour!" Sledge orders before he and his crew teleport back to wherever they came from.

"One hour. How long is that?" Koda asks the team.

"Not long. How do we stop him?" Shelby looks at the boys hopefully.

"We-we need to come up with a plan to beat him together" Riley suggests, winded.

I spot Tyler staring off into the brush again, where an uncharacteristically quiet Fury lurks on the same hill, before wandering away.

"Something's going on. I'm gonna follow him" Tyler gets held up by Shelby.

"Tyler, I know you want answers about your dad but-"

"It's not about my dad. Fury was signalling him, I've got a hunch." He tries to leave again but is this time stopped by Chase.

"Forget your hunch mate. We're a team now we have to work together or we don't stand a chance."

"We don't always have to be together to work together. Don't worry, I'll see you guys back in-" He sudenly starts to run after Fury.

"Tyler!-" Shelby attempts to call after him but Chase grabs her by the wrist.

"Just let him go. We'll just have to solve this without him eh?"

I look back at where Tyler had run off to, wondering if he might be on to something, but resign myself to simply follow the team.

• HEATHER •

When we arrive at the museum, we start piling into the secret entrance one by one, myself being the last to catch up.

I climb into the mouth and am about to slide in, when a panicked voice stops me.

"Chase! Eliott!" I turn to see Tyler waving wildly at me. At first I'm confused, but then I catch sight of Scrapper spying on us, swiftly realising how right Tyler's hunch was.

"Too late rangers. Secrets out! Oh, I can't wait to get back and tell Sledge the news!"

"Oh no! Tyler  get him!" I jump out of the slide entrance and race after Scrapper, who turns into a claw and attaches himself to a passing vehicle. I pause and pant for air, when a honk of a car comes from behind me.

"Get in!" Tyler yells. I catch his outstretched hand and hop into his truck as it passes by, clambering into the passenger seat and pulling my communicator out.

"Guys! Tyler was right, Scrapper followed us to the base! We need to stop him!"

"On our way!" Comes Chase's voice after a moment.

I pocketed my comm and pull out the Dilo-Sniper, using it's enhanced scope to track the vehicle up ahead. I spot Scrapper jump off the truck just a ways down the road and into an empty lot by a building.

"There! Just up ahead!"

Scrapper's ship pulls out just in time for us to crash into it and send him flying. The two of us leapt out of the truck as soon as we come to a halt.

"You'll pay for that!" Scrapper cries.

"Should've thought about that before trying to give away the location of our base, binbag!" I spit.

"Vivix rise!" He commands.

"Dino Charger!-" I begin.

"Ready!" Tyler finishes for me.

We both did frontflips as we morphed. "You take Scrapper, I got the Vivix!" I tell him, recieving a curt nod in return.

I turn my sniper to lance mode and begin fighting the Vivix. I spin it around myself like a double-edged scythe and eliminate the surrounding Vivix.

The remaining Vivix try to swarm me, so I pull out one of my chargers and insert it into the lance. "Dilo Charger, engaged!"

"Dilo-lance power charge!" I charge at them, sliding across the floor and clotheslining them all with my energised lance.

I hurriedly join Tyler in fighting Scrapper as we very easily outgunned and outfought him, together we forced him back with a double dropkick.

"Time to melt down this heap of junk!" Tyler places a T-Rex charger into his blaster."Energize! Dino Morpher blast!"

Suddenly, Wrench drops in and deflects the hit. "Surprise! Ow, ow, ouch! Oh man, that stings!" He flails his singed hand, letting out jets of water from his eyes that resembled tears.

"Huh?" We side-eye each other in confusion.

"You two should've stuck with your friends. You've messed up everything!" Wrench whines.

"I'm just getting started!"

"What he said!"

We proceed to fight Wrench and attempt to tag team him, but his moves are far too fast and he knocks Tyler into a fence with a slash and then threw me into a concrete wall.

We both demorphed.

"I was almost to the ship, you're gonna regret getting in my way rangers!" Scrapper rages.

"Say goodbye" Wrench cackles, getting ready to strike us. However, the monsters are interrupted by an array of blasts, throwing them back and announcing the arrival of the other rangers.

"Eliott! Tyler!" Chase calls. He and Koda help us up while Shelby asked if we were ok.

"Yep, I'm good. I think so."

I just nod, clinging to Chase as he brings me to my feet.

"Fighting alone, you could have been destroyed. That's why you don't follow hunches" Chase scolds us, and my cheeks burn furiously from his tone.

"You're right. But so was my hunch." Tyler contests.

"If you hadn't followed Fury-"

"And if not for Eliott's quick thinking-"

"Then Sledge would be marching his way into our base right now destroying everything and everyone" Riley finishes Tyler and Shelby's thoughts.

I perk up a little at Tyler's comment, it feels good to be recognised for something for once.

"I am confused. Is hunch, bad, or good?" Koda asks.

"Right now, it's good." He pats Tyler's back and nods in my direction.

"Let's do this, together"

"Together" Chase parrots. "With a little help from Kendall. She's developed a new armour mode for us." Chase holds up two new chargers as the realisation dawned on me.

"So that's what she wanted to borrow my chargers for!" I take the charger and examine it, smirking to myself.

"Come on! Let's go. I've still gotta tell Sledge where their base is!" Scrapper bugs Wrench.

"I wouldn't count on it" Tyler cuts him off as we got into position to morph.

"It's morphin' time! Dino Charger!"

"Ready! Energize, ha!" We shouted as we insert our chargers and spin the Morpher.

"Unleash the power! Power Rangers Dino Charge!" We all yell in unison.

"Alright guys, let's check out our new armour mode" Tyler brought up.

"Cheers to that" I agree.

"T-Rex Charger, engaged!"

"Dino Steel, armour on!"

We all start trying out our new weapons in battle. Chase uses his Para Chopper on the Vivizords, Shelby uses her Tricera Drill on a group of Vivix, Riley uses his Raptor Claw to fend off Wrench, and Koda uses his Stego Shield to flip Scrapper.

"Let's see what this Dilo Chakram can do shall we?" I brandish my new weapon.



A/N: like this but the Dilo frills make up the serrated edge :)

"Who wants some then?" several Vivix come racing at me, but I easily cut them down with my chakram.

I sling it at an angle and it curves around the area, sweeping Vivix as it goes and destroys them. I skillfully catch it and look up in time to see Shelby's Tricera zord rip through the Vivizords.

I catch up with Tyler, who had been fighting Scrapper with his new T-Rex Smasher. "Tyler! If we combine our powers we can finally finish this rustbucket once and for all" I pull out my dino charger and hand it to him.

"Combining our powers? Great idea Eliott!" He places the Dilo Charger into his blaster and spins the energiser.

"Double dino Morpher blast!" Tyler fires at Scrapper and hits him dead on.

"I'm crushed!" Scrapper cries before combusting. We don't have time to celebrate, however, as a giant beam comes from the sky and increases Scrapper's size to giant.

"I'm gonna flatten you all!" he booms.

"He big, like mammoth!" Koda points out.

"Then he falls like mammoth too." I retort.

"We can take care of that! Dino Charger, ready! Summon T-Rex zord!"

"T-Rex Charger engaged"

"Woah, nice entrance Rexy!" Tyler praises his zord.

The zord knocks back Scrapper but it didn't seem like enough, there had to be something they could do.

My comm unit suddenly starts buzzing, "Eliott, summon your Dilo zord. I think I've found a way to combine your zords" Kendall instructs through the comms system.

"You got it, boss!"

I pull out my zord charger and click it, "Dino Charger ready, summon Dilo zord!". The Dilo zord emerges out of a swampy environment, making quite the entrance.

Scrapper is quickly blinded by the acid spit of my Dilo zord when he attempts to attack Rexy.

"Look at him go! I think I'll call him Dillon!"

"You can't name a zord can you?" Chase questions.

"Tyler did." I shrug.

"Woah, our zords are awesome!" Tyler exclaims happily.

"Sick! Kendall said we should combine them!" I agree.

"That's the plan! Dino Charge Megazord, Dilo-tricera formation!"

The zords combine together and all us rangers are transported into the cockpit.

"Dino Charge Megazord?!" Riley checks out the cockpit in awe.

"Pretty cool, eh?" Chase speaks up.

"Cool, yes" Koda mirrors his words.

"Look at this! We're inside the Megazord!" Tyler points around at the large cockpit of the Megazord.

"I bloody love my job sometimes" I comment whistfully.

We insert our morphing blasters into the consoles and the Megazord went into battle mode.

"I'll smash you!"

We easily dodge his attacks, "Time to take out the trash!"

"You'll never defeat me!" Scrapper swears as he stumbles backwards.

"That's a bit presumptuous innit?" I jest, recycling my joke from before.

We use the Tricera zord's drill to attack Scrapper and the Dilo zords frill shield to defend. He tries to barrage the megazord with lasers but we dodge by jumping from a radio tower.

"The results are in Scrapper! You're garbage!"

"Ready! T-Rex zord final strike!" We yell in unison.

"Unleash the power!"

"I'm headed for the scrap heap!" Scrapper cries out as he's destroyed.

"Monster extinct!" Tyler announces.

• HEATHER •

I've decided I want to visit my team at the diner during my lunch break. I slipped into the kitchen, intent on helping out as I see Tyler and Chase taking notice of me, clearly halfway through a conversation.

I flush in embarrassment and opt to help Koda with the burgers instead.

Chase stops me, "Eliott. Good work out there today mate." he pats my shoulder and a moment later, Shelby struts in.

"It doesn't seem right, we saved the world in the morning! And serve them lunch in the afternoon"

"You're crazy" Tyler replies.

"Finally! Someone said it!" I laugh, getting a flick from Shelby.

"But yeah, it's a blast. Look, what I learned" he balances a burger on his spatula and flips it in the air, however it doesn't come back down.

"Don't look at me?" Riley says.

Tyler side-eyes the only other person next to him, turning comically slow to level Koda with an accusatory glare.

Koda, who holds his mouth shut tight to resist laughing. Koda, who gives in and spits the contents of his mouth all over everyone.

"Sorry" he apologises innocently.

"Koda!" Tyler laughs.

"Dude!"

"Ugh!"

"That's mank!"

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

I walk into work feeling utterly shattered. I spent the late hours of the previous night finishing off a project me and Miss Morgan were working on.

Finally done, I'm eager to finally show it to the other rangers. I help Kendall wheel it into the base less than an hour before the others are due to arrive at work.

"Eliott can you help me cover it up with this tarp real quick?" Miss Morgan requests.

"Yeah, of course! I mean it's part of the job isn't it? I'd probably be a pretty awful assistaint if I didn't you know, assist you. You would probably have to fire me otherwise and i'd have to go back to England-" I rant as we cover their project with the cedar tarp.

"Slow down Eliott, you're talking a mile a minute." Kendall smirks despite her tone.

"Sorry, just tired. I get garrulous when i'm tired." I apologise.

Kendall pauses, "garrulous?"

"Excessively talkative" I clarify.

She chuckles, "I knew there was a reason I hired you"

"What other option did you have?" I querie, leaning against the table. She ignores me.

The sound of the door to the lab opening makes us both turn to Tyler, Riley and Shelby waltzing in.

"Where's Chase?" I notice.

Shelby goes to respond, "Good question

Suddenly, Chase comes falling out of the slide head first and hits the ground with a resounding 'thud'.

"Chase. You're on time!" I tease playfully.

"Ow, my beautiful face." Chase whines.

Miss Morgan sighs, "Well, the main reason I asked you to come was to show you-"

She unveils the project by pulling away the tarp, revealing our brand new dino cycles.

"-this!" she finishes.

"Woah, sick ride mate! Is that for us?!" Chase awes, the others gape in shock and excitement. He climbs ontop of the vehicle and revs the engine a few times.

As I admire our work, there's a grunt of confusion from behind us. Miss Morgan quickly turned to find Koda, who comes walking out of his cave and holding a large branch.

"Sorry! We didn't know you were sleeping!"

"Kendall-" Shelby pauses to correct herself, "-Miss Morgan was just showing us our new dino cycles!"

"Come on over, take a squiz" Chase adds.

All of the americans tilted their heads to stare at Chase in confusion, "A squiz?" they repeat in unanimous bewilderment.

"A squiz? You know, a look?" Chase explained, surprise evident in his voice.

When met with blank stares, he groans loudly at the ceiling exclaiming, "Sometimes I wonder if i'm speaking english!"

"Me too" chuckles Riley.

"I'm gonna side with Chase on this one. You americans have some very strange slang." I chime in.

"Like what?" Riley challenges me.

"I mean, hypebeast? Finna? Steeze? I can go on-"

"-There's no need for that mate. Come take a look Koda. It's got everything from, lazer blasters, to energy scanners, and most importantly-" Chase jumps onto the dino cycle, "-I look really good on it" he beams before roaring the engine and doing a wheelie, startling Koda in the process and resulting in him attempting to beat it with a stick.

"RELAX!"

"EASY!" The rest of us try to settle him down.

Tyler and Shelby finally calm Koda down, with Riley chipping in to echo Tyler's words.

"I- sorry, my insticts, say, danger" Koda quickly apologises.

"No apologies, I totally get it. Where you're from, anything that makes a strange sound is a threat." Shelby smiles.

Bzzzz, bzzz!

Koda spins immediately at the sound of ringing and smashes Shelby's phone with his branch. Gasps echoel throughout the room and she lets out a high pitch gasp of horror.

"I- i'm sorry Shelby, I-"

"No apologies mate, she totally gets it" Shelby scowls venomously at Chase's mocking words.

Miss Morgan swiftly steps in, "He's grown accustomed to morphing into a ranger but-"

"Some modern things still give me... nervous?" Koda looks at Miss Morgan to check if he was saying the right thing.

Chase pulls a face with his cheeks puffed out and approaches Koda, slinging his arm around his shoulder. "Look, you just need a few pointers. I've ridden everything from rollercoasters, to Kangaroos. If anybody can teach you how to ride, it's me."

"Hey, woah, woah, woah, wait a second! There aren't any kangaroos in New Zealand, those are in Australia." Riley quickly corrects him.

"Either that or an alarmingly oversized wallaby" I add.

"Agh! Details! Let's give it a go." Chase scoffs and leads Koda out of the lab.

• HEATHER •

"Meowwww!"

I look up from my book and am met with a golden brown kitty sprinting into the base, appearing to be alarmed by something. It races up to hme and put it's paws upon my leg.

I cooed at the fluffy cat, "What's up puss? What's wrong mate?" I can't help but notice it's resemblance to Puss in Boots, hence the nickname.

"Meowwwww!" it mewls at me and runs away, returning with something in it's mouth.

It jumps up to the table and drops it on my book. I pick it up gently and study it.

"Hey isn't this... Chase's watch?" I glance at the cat, who stares back with it's almost-orange eyes expectantly. 'That's suspicious...' I think.

Furrowinh my brows, I fish out my dino comm, "Chase, you there man?" But my message remains unanswered, a barely audible noise hums from it. I press it to my ear and hear soft static, indicating that the signal is blocked.

My eyes widen in realisation, "bollocks", the cat meows loudly before running off, and I give chase to it. I follow the cat all the way through town and ended up at the park, where  I stop. I arrive just in time to see Koda and a young boy disappear from sight, a blue cage along with them.

"HAHAHAHA, two rangers! Sledge is gonna blow his cork when he hears about this." cackles a jailer-themed monster.

"Hey, what did you do to my friends!" I shout, getting its attention.

"Oh goodie, another ranger. Is this a ranger round-up day or what?" It cackles before swinging a chain and lobbing it towards me. I scoop up the cat (because priorities) and narrowly dodge out of the way of the cage.

"Time to shut your trap!" I mock, before running at it and beginning to fight.

I get in a few hits and counter a few punches before I'm caught off guard and knocked back. I struggle to pick myself back up, reaching for my dino comm but the signal was blocked, assumably by the monster.

It rears up it chain and begins swinging it around, "Hello mouse, meet ca-" he gets interrupted by a furry mass jumping at his face which claws at him and throws his aim off, making him miss.

I quickly slip away as soon as I can behind a bush while it's distracted by the cat.

"Stupid beast, even when he's not here fury gets in the way!" Slammer growls as the cat jumps off and darts off.

I hold my breath as the monster ran past my hiding spot. "Aw drat! Two rangers will have to do!" He grumbles before teleporting away.

After a moment, I come out of my hiding spot, seeing the cat run back to me as I stare at where the monster once was.

"We have to warn the others!" I speak to the cat, wrapping my arms around it and start running back to the museum with it perched against my chest to find the other rangers.

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

Miss Morgan walks up to her employees at the Dino Bite Cafe. "Chase and Koda are late, I can't find Eliott anywhere either" she whispers to the rangers.

"Chase is always late." Shelby retorts.

"Koda doesn't even know what time is." Riley adds.

"Eliott's probably got his nose in a book somewhere, I walked in on him reading at the lab in the middle of the night." Tyler recalls.

"True, but they aren't answering their dino comms" she informs, gaining worried looks all around.

"Tyler, Riley, take the dino cycles, their scanners will allow you to cover more ground." the boys nod and almost leave as someone comes barrelling around the corner.

*Eliott pov

I burst into the cafe with a large cat in my arms, looking roughed up and apologising to the customers as I power walk to the others.

"Guys, there's a monster in town, he captured Koda and Chase but I managed to escape. He cut off our dino comms somehow and made them disappear into thin air-" Miss Morgan blinks as she tries to take everything in. "They're in trouble" I simplify.

"Tyler, Riley, dino cycles. Find them. Shelby, Eliott, with me." I nod, while Tyler and Riley actually leave this time.

• a few minutes later •

"I'm picking up a magnetic field, do you see it?" Tyler asks through comms.

"I see it too, strange readings." Miss Morgan responds.

"That field must be keeping them from communicating with us" Shelby deduces.

"Or maybe even from morphing" I add worryingly.

Miss Morgan looks alarmed at that, "They've got to get outside. Riley, i'm sending coordinates, meet us at the mountain."

"Right i'm on my way" he replies through comms.

Shelby pauses.

"Wait, Eliott, why do you have a cat?"

• HEATHER •

"Any sign of them?!" Shelby asks as her, Miss Morgan and I exit the truck we followed Tyler and Riley in.

"There's a cave over-"

"Koda?"

Koda comes running from the mouth of the cave, dirty and carrying a young blonde child by the looks of it, the same one I caught a climpse of earlier.

"He need, hospital" Koda told them, handing the boy to Miss Morgan.

"I'll get him to a doctor."

"Koda, where's Chase?" Riley questions.

"Still trapped. In mountain."

"By the cage monster?" I guess.

"You know, cage monster? How?" Koda seems puzzled by this.

"We had a run-in. Where is he?" I ask.

"There."

"Hey rangers, thanks for coming, how about you stay a while? Or in this case, forever! Cage time!" Slammer swings a cage at us, but Koda catches it and throws it aside, dragging the monster from the cliff with it.

"It's, morphing time."

"Dino charger, ready!"

We morphed and started the roll call.

"Tyrannosaurus Rex, power ranger, red!"

"Stegosaurus, power ranger, blue!"

"Dilophosaurus, power ranger, orange!"

"Velociraptor, power ranger, green!"

"Triceratops, power ranger, pink!"

"Dinosaur might, ready to fight! Power Rangers, Dino Charge!"

"Vivix, destroy those technicolour twits!" Slammer orders his group of minions.

"Hang on, it's about to get wild!" Tyler leads the attack on the vivix.

"Come on! Try me!" I taunt. vivix runs at him put I dodge and trip it up, causing it to fall into another few vivix. I destroy them with my dino blaster quickly afterwards. "Oops, my foot slipped."

Riley and Tyler use the dino cycles to destroy Slammer and we regroup.

"We need, go back in cave, save Chase" Koda suggests.

Tyler doesn't get to respond as Slammer very suddenly grows in size until he towers over us.

"He's blocking the cave entrane!" Shelby exclaims worriedly.

"Then we've got to destroy him first. Dino charger, ready! Dino charge megazord, tristego formation!"

When the megazord was fully formed, Tyler contacted us through comms. "Riley, it's time to try out your zord!"

"Ohhh, i've been waiting for this!" He chuckles in glee. "Dino charger, ready! Summon raptor zord!"

The raptor zord bounds onto the battlefield with a slash at Slammer, earning whoops of appraisal from the rangers.

"Awesome! Dino charge megazord, stego-raptor formation!" yells Tyler.

I stay down on the beach, "I'm going after Chase guys, keep chain brain busy!" I say into my communicator.

"Roger that, Eliott!" replies Tyler. With that, I make a break for the mouth of the cave.

"Oh no you don't!" Slammer yells, bringing his titanic foot down on my position, but he gets interrupted before he could do so by the megazord, charging head on into him and sending him reeling.

I make it into the cave and removed my helmet, coughing at the dust. "CHASE!!!" I call into the cavern, hearing the echo bouncing back a few times.

"...-LIOTT!? I'M HERE!!!" Comes the echo of Chase's distinguishable voice.

I break into a sprint in the direction of the sound and weave my way through the nooks and crannies of the cave walls.

"CHASE! KEEP MAKING NOISE, I'M COMING!" I yell, continuing to follow Chase's shouts until I find myself in a large empty chamber, two cages sitiuated in the centre of the room, Chase being trapped in one of them.

"Chase!" I gasp, rushing up to my stuck friend and teammate.

"Eli! I'm so happy to see you right now mate!" he grins, and my heart stutters at his voice. 'Focus Eliott' I remind myself.

"Chase, stand back, ok? I'm gonna get you out, I promise." Chase nods and presses himself to the back of the cage. I activate my dino charger and summond my dilo-chakram, slicing the bars of the cage into a square shape. The bars fall to the ground and Chase steps out, hugging me with one arm in thanks.

I blush and pat him on the back, before he allows himself to be walked with his arm over my shoulder out of the cave.

"Guys, I found Chase, you can finish this!" I radio them, holding Chase by his waist.

"Chase free!" Koda cheers.

"Now, lets finish this!" Tyler commands.

"Raptor zord! Final blade, strike! HAH!"

"Oh no, i'm going away for good!" Slammer combusted after his last words.

• HEATHER •

Later, while the rangers were watching from afar as Koda reunites with the kid he saved, a soft nudge against my leg draws my attention.

I look down, smiling as the same cat from earlier nudges my legs.

"Hey there Puss!" I pick him up and pet his thick fur as he purrs softly.

"Who's this little fellow then?" Chase wonders.

"He's the guy that led me to you and Koda in the first place, and saved me from getting caught too. His name is... Puss. Like Puss in Boots." Chase and the others laugh lightly, only laughing harder as Koda is forced onto a bike by the kid.

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

"Morning Eliott"

I mumble a vagueley coherent response to my boss as I walk into the room, having decided to spend my first break having lunch at the cafe.

Ms Morgan pauses breifly, noting my unenthusiastic tone, before shaking it off and walking away.

I order a burger and fries before trying to relax in my seat. My exhaustion quickly catches up to me however, as I drift away and fall asleep in my seat.

I jump awake minutes later when I hear a panicked shout. I shoot out of my chair and got into fighting stance, ready for an attack.

I awkwardly dropped it once I see the confused and concerned looks on the other customers faces. I spot Chase running into the kitchen right as the scent of smoke fills my nostrils. Sighing, I flop back down into my seat, embarassed and waiting sleepily for my order, which i'm sure will be delayed now.

Minutes later, after the fire was put out and the customers had mostly left, our boss comes storming in looking like a disappointed mother. I and the other rangers gather in the centre of the cafe, expecting an oncoming lecture.

Chase leans back in his seat nonchalantly, despite setting a fire minutes prior. "Come on, one little fire!"

"That could have burned down the entire museum." Ms Morgan scolds.

"And exposed our base." Shelby adds.

Chase stands unwavered, "okay, I get it, I promise to pay more attention to- Moana!" he beelines past them and greets a dark haired lady dressed in a black dress, printed cardigan and a feathered hat.

"How are you? It's been a long time." Chase laughs and smiled at the woman and by the way he grins from ear to ear, I can tell that he has a strong relationship with her.

It's then that he also notices a beautiful young lady accompanying her. Her dark and wavy curls fall past her shoulders on either side. She has a simple white t shirt with pastel pink patterned pants set with a matching fabric belt looped into a bow around the waist.

"Oh my god, you must be Heather! It's awesome to finally meet you!" Chase's eyes light up, hugging both of them.

"The pleasure is mine Chase, really. My mom won't stop telling me about you, it's all good things though." Heather and Chase laugh.

"Quit it, you" Moana teases.

I suddenly feel sick, Chase looks so happy talking to them. Why does the world like to torture me? I bury my depressive thoughts under a kilometre of solid rock and chastise myself under my breath.

"Chase, we need your help." Moana speaks, suddenly sounding serious. "I've had a vision, and- and someone is going to steal from me. Something of great value." she informs.

"Moana's a matakite. A maori fortune teller from New Zealand." Chase explains to the rest of the group.

"I need you to guard my shop." Moana declars, holding onto his arms gently.

"Really? Chase is gonna guard it?" Shelby jokes.

Ms Morgan follows up with "I hope you have a fire extinguisher."

"Not to seem rude," Chase turns back to Heather and Moana. "but why do you need me to guard it? Where are you two going to be?"

"We have a family gathering to go to, all of our maori relatives are coming together to celebrate my grandma's 70th birthday. It's a family tradition that we celebrate together whenever someone hits another decade." Heather helpfully explains, gaining a wide smile from Chase.

"That's sweet. But what about the police?" Heather scoffs.

"They all think i'm crazy!" Moana laughs bashfully. "You have special strengths Chase." she whispers, avoiding Heather overhearing.

Us rangers, however, hear everything and exchange looks of surprise. Chase traces his energem pensively through his shirt, "Only you can help us." she tells him.

"Well...okay." She starts pulling him out by his hand. "I can handle this." he promises to the rest of us.

"It was nice meeting you guys by the way. Bye!" Heather blows a kiss at the group and waves before following after her mother and Chase.

"Moana knows?" Riley asks after a moments silence.

"Moana knows, but not Heather." I grumble, feeling a bit ill.

"Hey what's up with you today?" Ms Morgan asks, concerned.

"I think I just need to go to the bathroom." I get up from his seat on the table and beeline out.

• HEATHER •

I check myself in the mirror, desperate to know how bad I look after puking a bucket-full into the toilet. My eyes flush red from a mix of tiredness and crying, dark circles frame the rosy hue and the little make up i'd stolen from Shelby to hide them had come off. My hair looks messy and I'm still hungry, as I never got my lunch in the end.

I splash my face with water a few times, trying to wash the exhaustion away and leave the bathroom, I still have work to do.

Hours later, I still felt tired but at least being active keeps me awake, alongside a cup of coffee. I sit down during my second break, ready to get a bite to eat in before finishing my work.

I pause right as I go to bite my sandwich, interrupted by my dino comm going off. "Hello?" I groan.

"Chase is in trouble, monster activity. The others are on their way." Ms Morgan informs him. I jump out of my seat, throwing the rest of my sandwich away after snagging a bite and begin the run to the coordinates I was sent.

'Hopefully this'll shake it off' I hope.

I morph minutes later as I arrive before a small warehouse, already hearing fighting going on. I get there at the same time as the other rangers, seeing Chase hurt on the floor.

"Chase!" Tyler calls out in concern.

"Monster, you may be tough one-on-one, but your odds just got a whole lot worse!" Tyler leads us as we activate dino steel, all of our signature weapons materialising.

We fight the bird-like monster, but he's very fast and even Shelby or Riley can't keep up, despite being the quickest rangers.

His cape seems oddly solid, having completely deflected Shelby's tricera-drill and my dilo-chakram. It isn't long before the team loses steam.

"He's so fast!" states Shelby.

"His cape hard like rock!" Koda adds.

"We've got to get through it!"

Chase finally gets up, "Good thing i'm the hotshot. That's right Spellbinder, i'm not gonna miss this time." he charges at him with his blaster aimed at the medallion on the monster's chest.

Tyler attacks Spellbinder from behind, but he's countered and used as a human shield.

"Time to change your target black ranger."

"Take the shot Chase. I trust you." Tyler orderes.

"Gotta be careful, it's so risky..."

"Shoot your friend black ranger. I command you!" Spellbinder demands. Chase freezes, his blaster ever so slightly quivering in his hands. He groans in strain as he teeters between aiming at Tyler and Spellbinder.

"What's happening to me?" he questions himself.

"Chase, what are you doing?" yells Tyler.

"I- I don't know!"

We call out to him and warn him not to take the shot, "I can't control myself! What's happening!?" he panicks, his blaster slipping out of his hands seconds later. Suddenly, he drips his helmet, growling in pain.

"Chase!?"

"What's wrong?" Koda and Riley worry over our friend.

"There's something wrong with my head." Chase falls to his knees and groans in pain again, his head pounding like a hammer beating against his skull.

"Koda, let's get him!" Shelby and Koda perform a team attack that forced
s Spellbinder to release Tyler.

"You'll never stop me! Soon, you'll all be under my control!"

"Not if I can help it! Let's see how you deal with my dino charge morpher. Energize! Dino morpher blast!" Riley's green morpher blast hits the monster dead on, but as the smoke clears, he's nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, where'd he go?!"

"What does he mean, 'under his control'?" Riley questions.

"What happened to Chase?" I also ask, failing to wrap my head around it.

"Chase, what went on back there?" Tyler out his hand on his shoulder, but he gets shoved off quickly.

"Hey! Just give me some space mate." Chase storms off without explaination.

"Chase! Something's not right."

"It's almost like he's been possessed..." I comment, nervous for him.

• HEATHER •

"He blocked every shot with that cape."

"None of our weapons could break through it."

Riley and Shelby fill Kendall in on the monster's capabilities as she works in the lab.

"And that is why you have me." Kendall fishes a blue dino charger from a scientific contraption and hands it to Tyler. "I give you the dino spike charger. It should harness the power of all six of your energems."

"All six?" I nod along, impressed. There's good at tech and then there's Ms Morgan.

"Dino spike? Perfect." Tyler inspects it closely.

"Just know, it takes all six rangers to activate the dino spike."

I draw my attention to where Keeper is inspecting Chase with his staff. I look on sadly, sympathising with him in the moment. His eyes are red and puffy, he looks incredibly stressed, even more so than me.

I walk over to them, the three other rangers following behind me. "Whatever he hit me with, it seemed to go away when I was on my skateboard." I hear Chase say as I come within earshot.

"The spell will grow stronger until it controls you completely. Perhaps if you knew the origin of the pendant?"

"Moana-" Chase pushes himself off the ground but I force him gently back down. "Your not gonna do much in this state, you should stay here. We'll talk to Moana."

"She'll know where it came from." Chase reinforces his thoughts.

"Then we find out and break the spell." I nod at Tyler, who ushers the group out of the base, leaving Chase behind with Keeper and Kendall.

• HEATHER •

Moana flips through the pages of her book, finally coming across a pendant the rangers recognised and the very one that Spellbinder had attached to his chest. She gasps loudly.

"This...is the pendant that was stolen? It was forged from an evil heart in the darkest corner of New Zealand. Destroy it, or soon Chase will forget he's your friend and turn against you." she warns.

"We have a weapon that might be strong enough. But it won't work without Chase" Tyler said.

"If he can focus, Chase can push the spell from his mind long enough to use your weapon." Moana tells us.

"Hm, I doubt it." Riley jokes mockingly.

"Chase has the attention span of a flea." says Shelby.

"He's also just as dedicated to this team as the rest of us, even if he may not seem like it outside of the battlefield. I think we have a shot." I stand up for him, looking at Moana to see her agree with a nod.

"Long ago, your friend Chase proved to me that he can focus very deeply, even in the most dire of situations. It happened one day, just as I was closing my shop." Moana continues to tell the story of how Chase had risked his life and almost gotten hit by a truck in order to save her cat Tabitha.

She reveals that she gave him the black energem as a reward for his bravery.

"So that's how Chase got his energem." Riley realises.

"It so easy for him. I was froze in glacier for thousands of years" Koda explains casually. Tyler slips away from the group as his dino comm goes off, speaking to whoever was on the other end for a few moments.

"When he's on his skateboard, Chase can push everything else from his mind." Moana reminds us.

"That's right, he said the spell went away when he was on his board." Shelby concludes.

Seconds later, Tyler returns worried, "Kendall said Spellbinder's returned and Chase...he's disappeared." the group exchanges looks of concern. "Thanks Moana but we gotta go." with that, we exit the shop and make our way to save our friend.

• HEATHER •

"You told Sledge the black ranger was under your control!" whines the teardrop-coloured tin man monster, Wrench.

"Relax, he's going to join us soon." Spellbinder assures.

"Wrong on both accounts." Tyler argues as he and the other four of us arrive at the scene.

"Chase never join you!" Koda exclaims.

"It's too late for your friend. Your time is up!" Spellbinder attacks them, blast after blast from the pendant, amd fortunately none connect.

I pair off with Shelby to battle Curio, Koda and Riley attack Wrench while Tyler goes one-on-one with Spellbinder. After a few minutes of fighting unmorphed, we are forced back and need to regroup.

"We need to try the dino spike." Tyler insists.

"But, need Chase." Koda recalls.

"Your turn!" Spellbinder's pendant grows bright purple for a second.

"Look out!" I tackle the closest person out of the way of the attacks, who happened to be Shelby. Tyler, Riley and Koda, being the slowest to react, are hit by the blasts and cry in pain.

"That's right rangers, your mine now. Just like your friend." Spellbinder mocks as me and Shelby dive behind a large wooden crate and Chase strolls into the room, eyes glimmering gold.

"Chase?" Shelby questions.

"What is your command?" he asks Spellbinder.

"Destroy them." the monster chuckles. Chase cranes his neck to stare into our souls, before initiating a slow, threatening march towards us.

I look around for anything of use as Shelby begs Chase to fight it. My eyes spy a glimpse of a wooden board, wheels attached to the underside, sparking an idea.

I break for the board but seconds later feel an impact against my side, white and hot, making me double over in pain."Eliott!" Screams Shelby.

I reach out and grab the edge of the board, rolling it to my feet and kicking it at Chase. The black ranger's feet instinctively step onto the board and he rolls forward, losing the golden hue to his eyes.

A disgruntled Spellbinder yells back at him, "Destroy them, I command you!"

Chase stops himself less than a metre away from Shelby, spinning on the board and pointing his blaster at his former puppet-master. "Command this." He quips before nailing a blast right in the centre of Spellibinder's chest, destroying the pendant in the process.

"Good on you guys, quick thinking." Chase helps Shelby stand, then notices me on the floor.

"Sorry man." he apologises guiltily, helping me up.

"It's fine, seriously" I reply, looking at the floor and wincing slightly when Chase brushes my side.

"That's gonna bruise for sure" I chuckle, 'At least i'll have a day or two off work'.

"You don't look too ready to fight mate." Chase observes.

"Well, that's a bit presumptuous innit?" I joke lightly, receiving an eyeroll as we rejoin the group.

"I may not be able to control you, but i'll still destroy you!" Spellbinder yells maniacally.

Chase shuts him up, "Sorry, but your time is up. It's morpin' time! Dino charger-"

"Ready!"

We all morph and activate dino steel, jumping into battle riding on a second wind. We pair off once again to fight the three monsters, Riley and Koda, Shelby and I, along with Chase and Tyler.

Shelby maneuvers her way onto Curio's hat, "Hey where are you!" She cries out.

"She's not who you should worry about, that'd be me!" I slash Curio with my dilo-chakram as I flank her from behind, prompting Shelby to dive down and slash at her with her tricera drill.

Curio and Wrench quickly retreat like cowards. The six rangers regrouped as I mutter obscenities at them. Tyler complains about Spellbinder's cape once again, the thing was hard as steel.

"Guys, let's use the dino-spike." Riley suggests.

"Kendall said we had to have all six of us together, right?" Tyler checks.

"I'm ready if you are." Chase agrees.

"Haha, that's what I like to hear! Dino charger, ready. Weapons combine!" We form the dino spike, the tricera-drill forms the tip, the raptor-claw, stego-shield and para-chopper form the middle, the t-rex-chomper forms the base and the dilo-chakram forms the hilt (its handle becoming the grip and blades becoming the rain-guard).

"Red ranger, launch!" We call as we thrust Tyler into the air.

"Dino spike, final strike!" he yells and lauches it. The spike rips through Spellbinder and destroys him.

Moments later, a blue beam from the sky supersizes Spellbinder. "Oh he just won't stay down will he?!" I groan, over it already.

"I handle this!" Koda insists.

"Wait, i've got a score to settle with this crow" Chase summons the para zord and attacks Spellbinder. The attack fails and the t-rex zord catches the thrown-back para zord.

Tyler insists that he, Riley and Chase form a megazord using the para zord. Chase happily agrees, ready to dispatch of the bird for good and they form the para-raptor megazord with Riley.

Spellbinder is rapidly overwhelmed by a barrage of laser blasts and gets caught off guard when the megazord rushes him up close with the raptor claw, effectively incapacitating him. The three of them use the para zord's final strike to finish off Spellbinder for good.

• HEATHER •

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused you. Telling the future can be a messy business."

"No worries, at least I proved to everybody that I can focus when I need to eh?" Chase assures Moana, pulling her into a hug. As Chase says his goodbyes, I sneak away from the others and slip out of the museum.

I sit down on a bench outside the museum and sigh, putting my face in my hands. 'What a headache today has been' I think. A soft head brushes against my leg, and I break into a soft smile at the purr that follows.

Unfolding my hands, I ruffle the fur behind Puss' ears with a smile.

"You not gonna go anywhere soon are you?" With a meow in response.

I chuckled, scooping the cat up in my arms. "Then I guess it's time you get a permanent residency then, what do you say?" Puss meows loudly. "Its settled then, welcome to the family Puss."

With that, I begin the walk home.

• HEATHER •

 

• HEATHER •

"I sure hope Kendall's right about the gold energem." Tyler comments as he, Koda, Riley and Chase enter the cafe.

"You and me both." I respond, turning the corner and joining them.

The five sat around a large table in their excavation uniforms. "Kendall said we should check the south west creek beds." Tyler informs.

"Okay we're looking for pteradactyl fossil. That's the dinosaur that bonded with the gold energem." Riley says.

"Actually, pteradactyl-us was a large flying reptile, not a dinosaur." I correct him nonchalantly.

Shelby approaches the table with a giant tray. "Free samples. Chef's trying a new recipe." She tells us. Immediately everyone vyes for a slice of the cake she presented.

"Awesome!" Tyler says excitedly but the slice was knocked from his hands by Riley. "Hm, a bit tasteless." He eyes said green ranger.

"Nobody touch it." Riley orders.

"No cake?" Koda questions, mouth agape.

"Chill bro, a little cake never hurt anyone." Chase scolds him.

"Yeah, tell that to them." Riley points at a few customers who are groaning in pain and holding their jaws. Sinister laughing rings from the kitchen and Tyler points out a monster behind the counter.

"You guys take the front, we'll go through the kitchen." He orders to Chase, Riley and I.

"We'll cut him off!" Chase calls back.

Once we're outside, our comms beep, "He escaped out the back."

"Got it. Closing in now." I respond.

"We got a visual." Riley notes, spotting the monster fleeing.

"Energise, unleash the power." We announce as we morph, with black, green and orange auras surrounding us. We take chase, blasting at the monster with our dino blasters.

"Out of the frying pan and into the firing zone!" The monster cries.

"He's getting away!"

"Take the shot Chase!" I encourage.

A finely placed shot knocks the monster down and allows the three of us to catch up with him. We flip over him and cut him off. "Ugh, someone needs a dental plan!" Chase mocks.

"I'm going to rot more than just your teeth!" the monster's teeth emit a purple glow and a matching blast of energy fired at us, but we dodge out of the way as it hits a tree, rotting the whole thing.

"The tree's decaying!"

"This guy's serious!"

"Don't let him escape! He'll rot the entire city!" Tyler yells as he races towards us.

"Vivix, attack!" The monster demands, they begin occupying Tyler.

"I'll beat you like eggs!"

"I can take him." Riley arrogantly assumes.

"Haha, be my guest. Let's just hope he shoots tennis balls at you." Chase jokes mean-spiritedly.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Guys!" I interrupt them, jumping in front of Riley to block a shot from hitting him with my Dilo-Chakram. Riley starts paying attention again and deflects multiple hits with his sabre.

"Nice job Riley, now let me show you what my training can do." Chase lightly shoves him to the side, but Riley grabs him.

"Stop goofing off, I had him!"

"GUYS!" I shout, separating them.

"Bickering bankies!" the monster attacked us with his whisk arm and hits me smack-dab in the chest because of me being in the middle, demorphing me.

"Eliott!" Chase and Riley call. Their distraction causes them to be hit and thrown back by the monster.

"Tyler!" Chase calls for help.

"Hold on guys! I'm coming!" Tyler replies, running to our aid.

"Until next time!" The monster retreats.

"Woah that monster was crazy fast! Ugh, he got away!" Tyler groans in annoyance. Koda and Shelby also catch up and help Chase and Riley to their feet, who then pick me up together.

"Are you ok?" Shelby asks.

"I'll be fine." I assure her, breathing heavily.

"What happened guys!?" Tyler questions.

Riley dusts himself off and then shoves Chase's shoulder. "You need to stop goofing off, one of us could have gotten hurt!"

"One of us did get hurt." Shelby snaps, shutting them both up.

They whip around to see me clutching my chest. Both sport looks of guilt and embarrassment, leading to Riley run away in anger and shame.

"Man, what's going on with you two?" Shelby interrogates. I appreciate her being so protective of me, reminds me of my aunt.

"He just doesn't get me." Chase the edgelord mutters before leaving too.

• HEATHER •

"These are the leftover pieces of poisoned cake." Kendall starts.

"Okay, we need to record how much cake was eaten by each person and then wether it was the cake or the frosting." Riley finishes.

"And we can hopefully come up with an antidote."

Riley moves the first few samples to an empty counter. "Victim number one." Kendall points the the first boat of cake.

"Okay two cake bites, one frosting..." Chase walks into the cafe as Riley begins inspecting the cakes. He notices that there were lots of half eaten boats of cake on the middle table, so he sweeps them into a bin.

A disgruntled Riley starts raising his voice, "Wait woah woah stop stop stop, what are you doing!?"

"I'm cleaning up, that's what i'm supposed to be doing right?" Chase responds, baffled.

"No, not these. We need to figure out what's going on first!" Riley complains.

"My insticts tell me that what's going on, is that if you eat the cake, you get a toothache." he explains like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"I- It's not that simple!"

"It is that simple!"

"We need to analyse it first!"

"Grrrr, you always love to analyse things!"

"Yes!"

"Look-" Chase dumps the entire bin of waste onto the table in frustration. "Analyse that." He spits.

"Oh, enough! Both of you, out of here! And don't come back until you sort this out!" Kendall finally snaps. Chase storms off and jumps onto his skateboard, slamming it down harder than necessary.

"You can't skate in here!" Riley yells after him.

I watch from the kitchen, shaking my head at their antics. "El, you agree with me right? You're my closest friend." Riley asks him.

I glanced at him and take a step closer, "I think you're too hard on him, you should widen your perspective." With that, I pat his shoulder and walk out. "I'm gonna go talk to him." I announce on my way out.

Riley makes an exasperated gesture and sighs loudly in irritation.

• HEATHER •

(A/N: ☟︎︎︎ Happens while Keeper talks to Riley)

I head out looking for Chase, despite my chest still hurting. Luckily, I catch him skating down the street, "Chase!"

He stops in his tracks and swivels around as i'm jogging up to him. "Eliott, what's up bro?" He asks quickly.

"Look, this thing between you and Riley-" Chase groans and begins turning. "Hey just hear me out!" I beg, putting a hand on the black ranger's shoulder. "Please?"

"Okay, fine."

"I understand that you and Riley may not see eye to eye on everything-"

"Understatement of the year." He interrupts, earning a flat scowl. "Sorry."

"But Riley's a great guy, and so are you." I emphasise with a finger to Chase's chest as I speak. "You both want the best for this team, you both want the best for everyone. Riley, he likes to think about every little detail no matter how small it may seem to us. You, you prefer to think direct and you don't overcomplicate things. Either way, you both end up in the same place, I think you should be more open to each others methods to reach that place. You and Riley are more similar than you think, Chase." Chase stays silent throughout the speech, contemplative even.

"Riley thinks I don't care about this team, but I do. Goofing off is just who I am, and I take things just as seriously as he does when it matters." He responds after a few moments.

"Then prove that to him, show him you can be serious when it's needed."

"...You're right. Let's find this bloody monster and put an end to this." I smile softly at Chase's words.

He drops his skateboard to the floor, presenting his hand, "Taxi anyone?" I step onto the board and hold onto Chase, resisting a blush as I do so.

"If I was that rotten creep, i'd go where I could cause the most decay." Chase mutters after a few minutes. Suddenly, cries of fear can be heard nearby.

"I guess that gut of yours was right." I comment. We come to a stop upon spotting the monster causing a racket.

"Anyone there? We found our hidden cake-maker, and he's ruining more than teeth. Better hurry!" Chase reports. I proceed to chase the monster on foot, with Chase speeding ahead, "Hold right there pastry face!" he jeers, "We could smell your decay from a mile away."

"Only a mile?" The monster races at Chase.

He gets stopped as a powerful blast hit him and I caught up, my Dilo-Sniper in hand. I then drop to a knee and aim it again, "This'll be a cakewalk!" I blast him back with another well-placed shot.

"Nice one, Elio!" Chase praises as I join him. "Dino charger-" he starts.

"Ready!" I finish.

"Energise, unleash the power!" We say in unison, fully morphed a moment later.

"It's time your teeth matched your coloured suits!" The foul monster threatens non-menacingly.

"I reckon that'll be tough mate, I floss!"

"...And i'm from bloody Birmingham!"

"Yah!" both rangers dodge the multiple blasts launched our way.

"You're just too slow!" Chase mocks, charging him.

"Impossible!"

"Time to take out those teeth!" he aims his weapon at the monster's teeth and fired, but the shot deflects and sent him flying back.

"Chase!" I charge at the monster while he's hurt, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, but my concern for Chase throws me off and it easily overpowers me and knocks me into a railing. I tumble over and hit the concrete below with a heavy thud.

"Eliott!" Chase grunts in pain, standing and trying to attack the monster again.

"Not even close!" he's dodged and demorphed with a heavy punch, then shot with a purple blast. His teeth begin to throb intesely, mouth glowing purple.

"How does it feel ranger?!"

"Argh, my teeth" Chase struggles to say with the pulsing ache in his jaw.

"Ahahaha, just what Sledge ordered. Now for the icing on the cake, say goodbye black ranger!" The monster raises it's whisk-hand, poised to strike.

It brings down it's weapon, but is stopped by Riley's sabre. "Riley." Chase breaths, relieved.

"Eggcellent, another ranger to destroy!" the monster cheers.

He shoves the monster away and Chase punches it in the gut, but he then immediately clutches his jaw in pain.

"I'll protect you!" Riley assures.

"Don't even try!" The monster interjects. "If you hold still it'll hurt less!"

Riley evades each of the monsters attacks and kicks him back with a dropkick. "Riley duck!" Yells a voice.

He obeys and an orange blast hits the monster in the chest. He turns as I push myself off a wall.

"What?!" The monster seeths. He was then hit by a rainbow of blasts as the other rangers appeared.

"I thought you were at the skate park?" Riley asks Chase, shifting over to help him up.

"Why would I be messing around when that chef is still on the loose? I was with Eliott the whole time." Chase responds.

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be."

"Trust me, even though we do things differently, we fight for the same thing." Chase assures him.

Riley helps him up as his teeth begin aching again, saying, "I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it, just destroy those rotten teeth of his." to this, Riley nods.

"Good find guys, now let's destroy this chef." Tyler says as we all fall into a line.

"It's morphin' time." Riley says excitedly. "Dino chargers-"

"Argh!" Chase lets out a groan of pain as his teeth ache again.

"You good?" I mumble with a hand on his shoulder.

"Go." he nods.

"-Ready! Energise, hah! Unleash the power!" We finally morph into our suits.

"Power rangers charged. Tyrannosaurus Rex, power ranger red!" Tyler calls.

"Parasaur, power ranger- Argh! Arh!"

"Hey don't force it hotshot." speaks Riley.

"Ugh, thanks."

"Next!"

"Stegosaurus, power ranger blue!" Koda follows.

Next is Riley, "Velociraptor, power ranger green."

"Triceratops, power ranger pink!" Announces Shelby.

"Dilophosaurus, power ranger orange!" I finally join in.

"Dinosaur might, ready to fight! Power rangers, dino charge!" We shout in unison, all but Chase who cringes at his toothache again.

"Hang in there Chase." Tyler reassures him.

"I'll rot all your teeth this time!" The monster claims boldly. "Vivix, destroy those rangers!" It orderes.

"Put a bite in these guys!" Tyler leads the charge.

I use my ricochet dino charger on my morphing blaster, "Let's see you dodge this! Ricochet shot!" I shoot a blast that goes clean through a number of vivix and deflects off of the walls, colliding with several more foot soldiers.

I notice Chase not being able to fight very well but I have too many vivix to deal with to help. "Riley, Chase is in trouble!"

"I'm on it!" comes the reply, moments later, said green ranger comes to the rescue of black.

"Not bad, now who's the hotshot?" Chase jokes.

"Just till you see a dentist." Riley jokes back.

"Haha, thanks bro." Chase claps him on the shoulder in thanks.

Meanwhile, I regroup with Koda, Shelby and Tyler. "Focus the blast on his teeth." Tyler suggests.

"Wait-" I try to warn them.

"Energise, dino morpher blast!" The three fire their morphers but the shots deflect just like before and backfired into them.

"This isn't good." Riley notes as he and Chase catch up.

"The blasters just aren't strong enough." the latter deduces.

"Let's try your para charger in my dino sabre." Riley proposes.

"Together, that just might work." Chase agrees with a considerate hum.

"Yeah, I'm adapting to the situation. Dino charger ready. Dino sabre!"

"He needs to try some of his own medicine."

"You got it."

Riley charges at the monster, slashing and swiping at each oncoming blast, not missing one. "Here's a taste of green and black. Power slash!" The slash isn't enough to destroy his teeth, but Riley isn't done. He slashes twice, three times, four times, and with the fifth, the monster's teeth are gone.

"My teeth, my beautiful teeth!" It cried.

"Now it's your turn for a new combo Chase!" Riley tosses him his raptor charger.

"Ha, sweet bro. Dino charger, ready." Chase clutches his mouth and readies his shot. "Dino morpher blast, final strike!"

"This doesn't look good! Not another one!" It shouts in pain as it combusts into flames.

"Haha, now that's a hotshot!" Riley praises, snapping his fingers.

"Good on ya mate."

"That definitely isn't something you can train for, haha."

"Look sharp, a magna beam!" I point out.

"It's not over yet rangers!" The monster gloates as he grew to an immense size.

"Rotten teeth, are back?!" Koda asks, worried.

"Destroying you is going to make my smile even brighter!" It cackles.

"We need the dino charge megazord. Dino charge ready!" Tyler summons the zords and forms the megazord with Shelby and Koda.

The megazord fights the monster, but his teeth are even stronger than before. "Woah, that is one tough Cavity!" Chase says.

"We need to get in there and help!" Riley vocalises.

"But how?" I question.

"I think I have an idea. If we knock him back-"

"We'll have an opening to get into the cockpit!" Riley finishes after Chase.

"Tyler, how about using the dino blaze charger?" Chase suggests. "Deep fry that chef and we'll come help."

"Great idea, let's turn up the heat! Dino charger, ready!" Once the monster had been stunned, the remaining rangers teleport into the main cockpit.

"Let's see how he handles all six of us!" Tyler quips.

Together,  we turned the stego-shield into a stego-sabre and used it to slash out the monsters teeth again. Finally, the finish him off with a final strike.

"Extraction complete!"

"Monster extinct!" Tyler declares with a blithe voice.

• HEATHER •

Me and the other rangers walk onto the track and see Riley and Chase talking on the bench. They walk up to the two.

"Hey, we thought you were pretty awesome against Cavity." Tyler compliments.

"So we thought we would train with you." Shelby offers, bringing a cheery smile to Riley's face.

"Great! Well, the first rule...is no rules." He surprisingly says.

"Seriously?" Chase asks incredulously.

Riley shrugs.

"Well in that case, i'll ride." He states.

"If that's what we're doing-" I open my suspiciously large bag and pull something furry out. "-I think Puss here can be my partner." All the rangers seem shocked.

"Awwwwww, he's so adorable." Chase coos, scooping him from Eliott's arms. Puss however, wasn't having it, and jumps off his shoulder. "And moody too." he smirks and laughs.

"So no rule, how can that be rule?" Koda asks, confusion written all over his face.

"Just use your instincts, and adapt to whatever happens." Riley says, unzipping his jacket. Chase grabs his shoulder.

"Adapt? This could be dangerous." He smiles evilly.

"Just try to keep up hotshot." Riley pushes him back playfully and sprints off, before flipping over a bench.

The others cheer him on, and soon, everyone joins in.

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

"Sure is hot today." Riley sighs as he places an empty bucket down.

Chase notices Shelby hunched over a notebook beneath the makeshift sun shelter, "Eh? What's she up to?" He mutters. Shelby mumbles lowly to herself before throwing her pencil down.

"How 'bout lending a hand?" Chase pointedly suggests across the dig site in which we were hoping to find new energems. Me, Tyler, Koda and Riley turn with curiosity.

"Follow me for a sec." Chase squints through the sunlight and fiddles with his tools. I sneak a glance but avert my eyes when he smiles (still squinting) and waves back.

Shelby continues, "Keeper gave 13 different energems to 13 different dinosaurs."

"Of course!" Koda exclaims, "Wait- I- uh, what?"

"We've found 6 energems but 7 are still lost, those energems will only be found near the fossils of the Pterodactyl(us), Ankylosaurus, Pachycehalosaurus, Plesiosaurus, Titanosaurus, Cryolophosaurus and Iguanodon. We shouldn't dig here just because we found bones here before." She finishes.

After a pause, "Ok then, where should we dig?" Asks Tyler.

"I...don't know exactly but-" the boys chuckle.

"Well, we could go to where we know they've been known to be found, like England or Belgium for Iguanodon, but that'll cost money and time we don't have. Not while defending Amber Beach." I state, drawing surprised and questioning looks.

"Didn't take you for a palaeontologist, thought you were more into computers and stuff?" Chase questions.

"Well I- uh, may have...done some research-" I stammer, telling on myself.

"Look, I have an idea." Shelby desperately interrupts, pulling the group's focus back to her. She sits at her previous station with the other rangers gathering around, "Check this out. If we combine the known areas where each dinosaur lived with the energy signatures from each dinosaur's energem, then we can pinpoint more accurately where to look." She explains passionately.

"Ehh, energy...signature? What is Shelby say?" Koda innocently asks.

"She just doesn't like getting dirty." Chase accuses with snark.

"No, what I'm saying is, we need to work smarter, not harder."

"Yeah actually she might be right about that energy signature-" Riley agrees, "-but how would you track it?"

Tyler goes to take a sip of his drink, quickly annoyed by the discovery that it i, in fact, empty. "Hey!"

"You finished all our drinks." Chase deadpans, with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"What? It's really hot out here!" Shelby justifies, trying to defend herself.

"Yeah, we noticed." Comes Tyler's sarcastic reply.

"Shelby drink, like camel." Koda comments.

Said pink ranger sighs in annoyance, "Shouldn't we at least test my theory?" the silence that soon followed speaks for itself. "Fine then. I don't need anything from you guys anyway."

Shelby proceeds to stomp away, coming back briefly to request Tyler's keys.

"Was that a bit harsh?" I quietly address the group after she leaves. The others look at each other before resuming work, leaving me by the table. Just before I leave the sun shelter myself, I notice Shelby's open notebook on the table.

"She must have left...what's this?" I trace my finger over the Iguanodon sketch, an odd feeling of familiarity washing over me.

'Where have I seen this before...'

• HEATHER •

After a long day and one bus ride home later (courtesy of Tyler giving his only vehicle to Shelby earlier), we traipse back into the base.

"Welcome home gentlemen!" Shelby greets with an unnerving cheer. "Find anything?"

"I think I found, poison ivy." Koda replies, itching his back as his uniform slips off.

Ms Morgan joins Shelby's side, looking equally upbeat. "Well we had a very successful day." she ambiguously says.

Shelby then unveils what she has hidden in her hands to everyone else. "This, is the Ankylo-Charger. It's the brain that runs our new invention - the E-tracer."

She giddily shows off a medium-sized device, attached with a satellite dish, radar monitor and a multitude of buttons and switches. She inserts the Ankylo-Charger into the device and boots it up.

I quickly and curiously cross the room, "Can I have a squiz?" Chase flicks his brow at the use of the word, although I pay him no mind right now. I'm far too impressed with the machine, as is the rest of the team judging by the sounds of them fawning over it. A barely visible wavelength emits from the metal dish.

"You did it." I grin, pleasantly surprised if nothing else.

"It's using the satellite network, trying to find an energy signature." Shelby explains. "for traces of the aqua energem." A diagram of North America appears on screen.

In mere seconds, there's a bleeping notification. "It's locking on to something." Ms Morgan announces.

"That's definitely the right energy signature-" I let out a small 'oh wow' at this, "-but I can't say if it's an energem." another 'oh wow' comes but this time with a trace of disappointment.

"It might be a zord!" She speculates.

"That isn't too far away." Riley takes a glance himself.

"C'mon guys this time, we're going to dig in the right place." Shelby assures, and I force myself away from the machine to follow her as she leaves.

• HEATHER •

We make haste to the coordinates, although upon our arrival, we discovered a large dug-out hole, gaping in the ground.

"Holy moly." Chase gawks.

"Looks like someone beat us to it." Tyler states the obvious.

"I'll bet I know who." I comment, fisting my dino charger in my pocket.

As if summoned, an ugly creature followed by a swarm of Vivix erupts from the pit. "Surprise! Poisandra sends her regards! And now, I'll destroy you."

The team immediately jumps into action, taking on groups of vivix each. Chase briefly tussles with the monster but he's thrown on his ass. "Don't let him get away. He might have an energem!"

Riley pauses fighting to hurriedly scan the nearby radius with an energem detector, "no sign of an energem!"

"There may not be an energem, but I left a little something anyway!" The monster taunts, tossing Tyler like a ragdoll.

Koda goes for the monster next, he doesn't last too long and is hit by the monster mid-air, leaving him incapacitated.

"What did you do to him?!" Tyler demands.

Riley immediately rushes over to support Koda, "Koda, you ok?" Abruptly, he's thrown off with a threatening growl.

"Have fun fighting your friend!" It jeers, retreating.

"Koda! Riley!" I come to help, Tyler hot on my heels.

Koda swings at me, narrowly missing as I duck out of the way, however a hard kick to my abdomen knocks me back and pushes the wind from my lungs.

Tyler wrestles with him and fails but the rest of the group run back in to restrain Koda. "Get him on the ground!"

With effort, Tyler and Chase attempt to hold Koda down. "Something's on his back!" Chase notices as they're were thrown off again.

"That must be making him do this!" Tyler guesses.

Riley and I manage to hold him long enough for them to see what it is. "It's some kind of stinger, pull  it out!"

"Hold still!" Shelby directs, grabbing the object by its base and yanking it from the caveman's back.

Seconds after Koda returns to his usual self, a thundering quake resonates through the earth. An immense mechanical creature arises from the ditch.

"It's the Ankylo-Zord!" Shelby quickly realises.

"That's one angry zord." Tyler notes from the wild, erratic thrashing of its gargantuan tail club.

"It look powerful-"

"Look out!" I warn, leaping out of the way of the club as it decimates the ground on which we once stood. The zord then flees to its pit once more.

"Why would it attack us?" Shelby wonders out loud.

• HEATHER •

Back in the base, we discuss the nature of our encounter with Keeper.

"The Ankylo-Zord is awake." Riley starts, "That means that the aqua energem bonded to someone."

"You mean there's an aqua power ranger out there?" Comes Shelby's baffled question.

"That's correct, but he or she may not know we exist, or may have chosen for some reason not to join us yet. What is important is the Ankylo-Zord, it shares the aqua energem's power and would not normally attack us" Keeper explains.

"Maybe, monster sting zord, like it sting me?" Koda proposes.

"That would explain it." Tyler agrees thoughtfully.

"Well if so, we need to remove the stinger." Deduces Riley.

"Psh, good luck. Did you see the size of that thing?" A scoff from Chase.

Shelby suddenly raises out of her seat, "I'll do it."

Tyler immediately objects but Shleby reminds them it was her E-tracer that gave away the zord's location.

"Actually-" Ms Morgan stops her. She sighs, removing her glasses, "Sledge got the location of the zord because I didn't encrypt the E-tracer's code. It's my fault we lost control of the Ankylo-Zord. Somehow I'll find a solution."

"Kendall-" I try to stop her as she marches out of the base guiltily and frustratedly. After a moment, Shelby follows.

"Eliott, stay on communications, just in case there's trouble." She orders having noticed me get up to follow Kendall too.

• HEATHER •

"Guys?" I get the attention of my teammates, their heads craned curiously.

"We have monster energy signatures nearby. Wait- they're moving towards something, is that?- Oh no, they're closing in on Shelby and Kendall's signatures." Looks of worry pass around the room.

"We gotta help." Riley's already on his feet.

"I'll stay here till Kendall gets back." I inform them with nods in response. "Be careful."

"We will mate." Chase, Tyler and Koda promptly take after the green ranger.

A few minutes later, Kendall's voice comes through my communicator, "Eliott, Shelby's stuck in the hole with the Ankylo-Zord. I'll run an underground scan when I get to you, right now the team needs help."

After a moment, I finally grab my energem from the wall, "Okay, I'm on my way."

• HEATHER •

The first thing I hear is Poisandra's maniacal laugh and the explosion that sends my friends to the ground.

"Defenseless rangers, sting 'em all and they'll destroy each other" The overgrown lollipop commands.

"Not on my watch." I mutter, summoning my by-now signature weapon.

"You're finished rangers" Stingrage gloats, raising his staff ready the strike. Suddenly, a flash of orange light shatters the staff and burns the monster's hand.

'Bingo'

"What the- My Staff!" it cries.

"Huh?!' Poisandra glances to her right as I leap out of the foliage in my ranger suit. "Oh I forgot about you!" she stomps her feet childishly.

With perfect-timing, the Ankyko-Zord breaks out of its cavern, bearing the pink ranger who stands confidently on his head. "You're done Stingrage, you've stung your last victim!" She jumps from the zord, raining hell on the monsters from above. "I hope that stings."

"Shelby, you're ok!" Tyler runs up to her, "Thanks for the save, Eliott."

"No problem."

"I got the stinger out of the Ankylo-Zord." Shelby reveals.

"Really? You're awesome." Tyler laughs.

"Looks like you guys are still working too hard."

Koda pats her on the shoulder, "Next time, we work smarter."

"We were worried."

"You should have been, looks like it was a close call till I showed up. Now let's finish this." She returns her attention to the monster.

"You'll pay for that!" Stingrage threatens as he struggles to stand. Ignoring him, Tyler begins the roll call.

"Tyrannosaurus Rex. Power Ranger, Red!"

"Parasaurolophus. Power Ranger, Black!"

"Stegosaurus. Power Ranger, Blue!"

"Velociraptor. Power Ranger, Green!"

"Triceratops. Power Ranger, Pink!"

"Dilophosaurus. Power Ranger, Orange!"

"I'll take down Stingrage." Shelby leads the group into battle.

Poisandra sends her vivix on us and as per usual, we take groups down between us. Shelby finishes Stingrage with the Tricera-Drill, and we're allowed a brief moment to celebrate.

"Celebrations may be a little premature guys!" As pointed out by moi, a magna-beam rains from the sky and enlarges Stingrage to ridiculous proportions.

"These guys never give up!" Tyler, Shelby and Koda activate their dino chargers and summon their zords.

"We need, smash him." Koda suggests, and I resist a snicker.

"Ankylo-Zord can help with that."

"You think he'll listen to you?" Riley inquires.

"Sure. He owes me a favour. Dino-Charge Megazord, Tri-Ankylo formation!" The new Megazord is stacked with the all-new Ankylo-Club. "This combo sounds powerful!" Admires Shelby in the cockpit.

"That's what you're going to fight me with? This'll be easy!" Stingrage is met with the Tricera-Drill, followed by a devastating impact from the Ankylo-Club.

"Ankylo-Zord very strong."

Shelby agrees with Koda, "We've got this guy on the ropes!"

"Let's squash this insect."

"Final hammer punch!" the rangers spin the zord a couple of times to maximise velocity and launch the monster into the sky, where he becomes a living firework.

"Welcome to the family, Ankylo-Zord."

"Monster extinct."

• HEATHER •

We all sit at a table in the Dino Bites Cafe, discussing the events of the day.

"So...Kendall fixed the E-tracer. Sledge can't steal our data anymore." Riley informs them as he reclaims his seat next to Koda.

"Once we've found all the energems-" Chase pauses as Tyler coughs pointedly to the approaching waitress, who has their drinks.

"Thank you- oh- Heather! Since when did you work here?" Chase greets the girl happily.

"Hi! I actually only started today, my mother suggested I get a job around town, you know, get out and be a responsible adult more." She grins, saying a quick 'hi' to everyone.

If I could roll his eyes, I would. But it's not her fault Chase seems to like her so much. Still, it makes me feel weird.

"So I guess you'll be seeing more of me from now on. Hope that ain't a problem." She jokes, smiling infectiously before saying some goodbyes and walking away.

"yippee" I whisper. Almost inaudibly.

"Eliott, you ok man, just completely blanked there?" Riley waves his hand in front of my, concern woven into his features.

"Hm? Oh yeah, I'm good just zoned out there sorry."

Chase then continues, "-once we've found all the energems, I think I might head home, see my mum in New Zealand."

My heart tightens at the thought of Chase leaving, which I want to squash and punch my for. This little man-crush of mine is becoming borderline unhealthy.

My thoughts are thankfully interrupted by Shelby making her appearance, "Man, is it hot today." As she sits down, everyone not-so-subtly moves their drinks away from her. "Very funny." She snarks.

"No, but your invention is going to help our search a lot. I mean, it's genius." Riley admitts, which makes her smile, for once with no victorious undertone or smugness in it. 'Turns out she just wanted to feel more appreciated by the team.'

"My grandfather, famous caveman, he invent very complicated machine too." Koda begins drawing on his napkin.

"Really? Wow."

"Is called "Wheel"" Everyone laughs along jovially at his terrible rendition of a wheel.

Kendall finally makes her appearance too, large gift box in hand. Shelby notices first and offers her a fist bump, "We crushed it Kendall."

"Yes, we did "Crush it"," Shelby lowers her fist upon her fistbump not being reciprocated. "Because of your recent invention, the museum has a gift for you. A fossil of your favourite dinosaur-"

"A triceratops fossil!?" she gasps, rushing to unbox the fossil, however, her face falls at what she finds.

"Uh...I don't recognise this bone?" She trails off.

Koda giggles like a kid in a sweet shop, "That is, poop."

"Yes, Koda it's a very rare specimen." Kendall argues.

"Dino Dung?! Ew!" Shelby throws the poop in disgust and we watch on in shock as it shatters into dozens of poop fragments as it hits the floor.

"Now lots of rare specimens." Koda dryly observes, making everyone but a grossed-out Shelby, a disappointed Kendall and a bummed-out me chuckle uncontrollably.

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

"I'll set the E-Traceeeerr here." Riley drawls, settling it on a flattened stump. Shelby peers over his shoulder as they set it up together. Tyler and Koda sit on/in a tree, with Tyler journaling and Koda doing... something. Chase is plucking daisies and i'm sifting through my emails.

I tear my eyes from my phone as I hear Tyler gasp. Koda sniffs the air (?) as his dino comm bleeps. "Alien biosigns in your area." Ms Morgan informs us.

"Hey, shut down the E-Tracer." This gets Riley and Shelby on their feet, frantically closing it down and passing it off to Tyler to load into the truck. "We need to get it out of here now."

"Careful! That's irreplaceable." Shelby warns sternly.

Riley chimes in, "Ok, just start the jeep, we're right behind you." Tyler nods, jogging out of the clearing, "We'll keep watch while you load up!"

I pocket my phone, throwing my zip-up hoodie back on. "Energems?" Riley checks, receiving nods from us all around. "Good, let's go."

We run out of the clearing, "Alright Ty...ler..." Riley trails off, coming to a stop as our red ranger and his truck are nowhere to be seen.

"He left us? What-" Shelby calls him on her dino comm, demanding to know where he is. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"Shelby?!" He responds in disbelief.

"You just took off and left us!"

"What?" Tyler exclaims, "I'm looking right...at you-" his comm cuts off after that.

"That doesn't sound suspicious at all. Let's head back. Now." I suggest.

• HEATHER •

Back at base, we pile into the lab as Keeper and Ms Morgan pull up a map. "You, find Tyler?" Koda asks.

"No, he still isn't responding" Ms Morgan's answer pulls a stressed sigh out of me.

"I'm gonna scan this city for alien DNA." Riley wastes no time in manning the scanner consoles.

"When I talked to him," Shelby runs her fingers through her hair,"Tyler thought he was with us. Whoever he was with, they were fooling him."

Prrrp prrrp

"Alien biosigns detected in the city complex." Riley supplies, facing the group once more.

Koda responds with, "Then that's where we go, yes?"

"Maybe we should split up." Shelby addresses the room, "I could go back the woods and retrace our steps and see if I can find Tyler." She backs away from the table, alongside Riley who agrees to go with her.

"No," They halt, "Kendall and I will continue to search for Tyler. You must work together to find the E-Tracer before Sledge can locate the gold energem." Keeper advises, and I nod along with him.

"You're right," she admits, "we need to work as team. Let's get moving." She nods at us before leading us out.

• HEATHER •

Fully morphed, we regroup at the city complex. "This is where Kendall said she last detected an alien signal." Shelby says.

"It's a big area, we need to keep looking" Chase reminds her, with the rest of us agreeing before splitting up to cover more ground.

Minutes later, we regroup, our efforts inconclusive. "Koda did you see anything from that tree?" Shelby questions him.

"Just very angry squirrel." He shakes his head.

Footsteps alert me to something aproaching, I swivel my head and see-
"Hey, isn't that us?!"

Five identical clones of us come barrelling down the street. "Woah I look pretty sweet!" Chase comments.

Shelby gasps, "Of course! Clone rangers, that must be how they fooled Tyler!" Vivix abruptly cut her yapping short as they attack from behind, trying to catch us off guard.

We spring into action, fending off swathes of black, white and slimy green. I grapple one by the shoulders, using it as leverage to double kick the oncoming attacker behind me, before vaulting over it and defeating it with a twist of torso. "You need to take some acting classes, cuz you're not fooling me!" I hear Chase say.

Speaking of Chase, he expertly mows down the remaining Vivix and shoots down the false rangers with pinpoint precision. We all collectively double take trying to understand how he distinguished them from us.

"Chase? How did you know who was who?" Shelby asks what we're all thinking.

He gestures to the daisies in his belt "I slipped these into ya belts." And surely enough, I glance down and pluck a white flower from my suit.

"You're so clever!" Shleby praises.

"Careful now, don't inflate his ego too much." I warn her.

"Now we show what real rangers can do." Koda claps them on the shoulder.

Shelby agrees, "Right, let's finish these imposters!"

"Dino steel, armour on!"

"You can fake-"

"The look-"

"But you can't-"

"Fake-"

"The skills-"

"Of real rangers" We finish them together, watching as they dissipate away.

The monster, a cuboid-shaped can with gold fish decorating it's torso, whines out, "All my clones are gone!"

"Nothing left but the original!" Chase teases.

"So i'll destroy them!" It brandishes a weapon resembling a branding tool, firing fireballs at us. Koda steps up to the plate, blocking the flames with his stego-shield.

"It may not be strong enough!" He groans as wave after wave of searing fire beats against his shield. "But I think I can break- through!" He forces the barrage of fire to stop, surging forward with his shield. This allows Shleby and Riley to land a powerful strike on the monster.

"That's all ya got?!" It taunts, stumbling back.

"Try a Para-Chopper blast!" Chase blows it back with a well-placed shot.

"Argh, I need more clone rangers! Meet your match!" It orders five more Vivix, but I won't let it get away with that.

"That aint all!" I fling my Dilo-Chakram in an arc, slicing clean through the Vivix before circling back and delivering a nasty blow to its chest.

"We have to destroy him now, or he'll keep making clones" Shelby inists, but there is one problem.

"We need the dino-spike!" Chase claims.

"But we need all six of us!" Riley argues, and he isn't wrong.

"No time for that!" The monster interrupts, charging at us once more. We evade its attacks, all the while Chase tries to get Tyler to join us.

"We can't take much more of this!" Shelby says as we tag team it.

"She's right, he's far too tanky!" I agree, taking a punch to the gut.

The monster giggles, "Look at you! So weak without your leader. Let's end this!"

"Hold on guys!" I twist as Tyler finally joins us, dino steel on and all.

'Finally'

"You know what to do! Dino charger, ready?" He yells. "Weapons combine!"
With a supported lift into the air, Tyler forms the dino spike, at last bringing it down on the fish tin.

"Copy that." He mocks as it falls.

Shelby wraps Tyler in a hug, with Koda commenting on his timing. "We've got to stop Poisandra from tracking down the gold energem or its ptera zord."

A pink silhouette catches my eye from the top of one of the concrete staircases. "Hey guys, there she is!" I point out.

"Stop her!" Tyler commands.

I grab his wrist, "Tyler, magna beam incoming!" I warn as the blue laser comes crashing down, leaving a supersized monster in its wake.

Vivix suddenly shove past us, piling together like ants, molding into one enormous mass to form a godzilla-like creature. Said creature is turned into a giant Fury, which tries to bring its sword down on us.

We barely avoid it unscathed, with the T-Rex zord appearing to help out. "Nice entrance Rexy! Dino charger, ready. T-Rex zord!"

"Zords combine! Dino Charge megazord, Tri-Stego formation!"

For the first time in a minute, we all enter the megazord. Usually it's only three of us but Tri-Stego formation requires all of our rangers on deck.

"Take that!" The monster attacks us from the front with its weapon, and at the same time, the fake-Fury slashes at us from behind.

"W-uh oh!" I stumble, "That aint good."

"They're attacking from both sides!"

Ms Morgan appears on our dashboards, "Activate dino charger number 17. It will release the toxic gases of the dinos.

...

"Did she just say what I think she said?" Shelby, of all people, sounds a little kid on christmas at the prospect.

"You mean...fart gases?"

"That was NOT my idea by the way" I feel the need to clarify to the room. It was, in fact, my idea.

"Hey, let's try it." Tyler shrugs, "Dino gas charger, ready!" He activates the charger, causing a cloud of noxious gas to fly out of Rexy's tail on the left shoulder of the megazord, throwing the fake-Fury off target.

Before the other monster can react, we pivot 180 degrees and sprew gas in its face too. "My eyes! It's stinging my eyes!" It wails.

"That is one nasty move." Chase chuckles as Koda complains about the smell.

'Yeah, Amber Beach is gonna stink for a while'

"Alright, let's finish this!" By Shelby's insitance, we bring out the Anlylo zord, forming the Tri-Ankylo megazord and swiftly dispatching of the fake-Fury.

"Ankylo zord, final hammer punch!" We shout in unison, flinging the monster far into the air.

"I should have made a copy of me!" It roars, before exploding mid-flight.

"Monster extinct."

With the monster gone, we return to ground level and hurry back to where we last saw Poisandra. We return to see Fury steal the E-Tracer from Poisandra, Curio and Wrench.

"Fury's leaving with E-Tracer!" Koda observes.

"We can't let him take it!"

"And we won't." I assure them, drawing my dilo-sniper.

"You think you can hit that from this distance?" Chase studies me.

"I think so." I nod, steeling my nerves.

"But my E-Tracer." Shelby pleads, concerned that all her work will go to waster.

Tyler puts his arm on her shoulder as I kneel down to take aim, "Sorry Shleby but if Sledge gets it, he could find all the lost energems."

I exhale gently as I focus my sights down on the device, 'I can do this' I tell myself. "Clear shot." I say.

"Take it mate."

I pull the trigger, firing a streamline orange blast that connects and lights up Fury. The E-Tracer flies out of his hands, fried to a crisp as he roars in defeat.

"I got it!" I cheer, hugging the first person I can, which so happens to be Chase. I realise this after a second and distance myself, coughing awkwardly, "Sorry, got a bit excited."

"Don't be sorry mate, that was fantastic."

"Wait, what is he doing?" Tyler asks, making me turn as Fury steps up to the rail.

"You didn't destroy it all ranger, with this-" He shows off a golden ptera charger, "I will control the Ptera zord!" He cackles before retreating, leaving us alone in the street.

"Damn it!" I curse.

• HEATHER •

Feeling a little defeated, I follow the others back into the lab. "The E-Tracer may have given Fury the location of the Ptera zord. And he also got the Ptera charger." Shelby recalls to Ms Morgan, setting the fried device on the table.

"Even if he finds the zord, the Ptera charger shouldn't have enough power left to activate its battle mode." Kendall tries her best to reassure Shelby, "And they don't have the technology to charge it." She adds.

"I should have known those clone rangers were fakes. There's nobody like you guys" Tyler says to the rest of us as we sit down around a table.

"It's not your fault, maybe if I hit the charger too Fury wouldn't have it right now." I argue, resting my chin over my crossed arms as I slouch into the bench.

Keeper walks in, "The E-Tracer was destroyed but, you worked as a team. If you had not, then it would now be in Sledges hands."

"Keeper's right, we're united," I raise my eyes to meet Chase's as he speaks, before looking around the table. "Sledge, Fury, Poisandra...they are divided."

"That's why we'll win. Because of our teamwork. I mean maybe not today, but soon." Riley nudges me with his elbow as he finishes, making me feel a little less rubbish.

"I have something of yours." Shelby says to Tyler after a moment of content silence. She opens her hand, and there lay Tyler's black bracelet.

"You found my dad's bracelet" he smiles, eyes full of joy again.

"No problem." She grins back ear to ear.

"Aww." I coo under my breath, earning a gentle kick under the table from Riley.

"When I was fighting Fury today..." Tyler begins, replacing his bracelet back on his wrist, "He suddenly froze up. As if he kind of, lost control." The rest of the group exchange skeptical looks. "I swear it was like something was inside him, trying to break free."

"Maybe it's his fun side trying to get out eh?" Chase jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"Or just a really bad fart- ow!" I cry as Riley kicks me harder.

"Whatever it is, we take it on, together" Koda grins, extending his fist outwards. One by one we place our fists in the circle.

"That's right Koda-" I glance at Chase again, joining in as we all speak in unison.

"Together."

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

"You remember Uncle Nathan love?" Mom asks me out of the blue.

Finishing my mouthfull of beans and toast, I glance up at her, "uh, yeah? Why?"

She sets her cutlery down, "We've been thinking, your dad and I. And we think it may be a good idea for you to go and see him soon."

"I mean," I pause, wiping my lip clean, "that'd be cool. Didn't think you'd be able to afford..." My mom stares pointedly, making me trail off as I come to a realisation.

"You want me to go alone?" I scrunch up my brows in confusion.

My dad strolls back in from outside, noticing my face and my mom's serious expression. 'You spoke to him?' He mouths to her, recieving a nod.

"Look son, you know we've been...struggling, so to speak." He takes a seat to my left.

"The point we're trying to make," Mom continues, "is that we think it'd be good for you stay with someone who can properly provide for you at the moment." I let my forehead rest against my knuckles as she speaks.

"It would be a great opportunity son. You can spend a year with Nathan while we get back on our feet." He takes my hand as I lower them down again.

"You know I don't wanna leave you, not when Mom is at the hospital every other week and we can barely afford central heating." I force myself not to cry at the thought of something happening and not being able to be there.

"We'll be fine love. You could find some actual friends, a little job." Mom tries to cheer me up, "Maybe even a lad." That has me smirking through the sadness.

"Just think about it son. Now finish your breakfast, your beans are going cold." My dad orders, standing up and heading back out to clean the garden.

• HEATHER •

Pzzzzp! Pzzzzp! Pzz-

The sound of my phone alarm cut off as I blindly turn it off. Burying my face in the pillow, I groan and give up trying to move, slowly slipping back to sleep...

"ELIOTT!!" I jump, hitting my head against my bedside drawer as I scramble out of bed. The voice was gruff, with a faint english timbre.

"I'M UP!" I yawp, my forehead throbbing from the bump. I quickly shower and get dressed, throwing on my grey jeans and a button up shirt accented with ashy grey.

As I slip downstairs, I catch the smell of something smoky. "You aint burning nothing again are you?" I accuse my Uncle Nathan, who turns to me with an unamused look on his face.

"No." He huffs, "You're never gonna hush about that?"

"Nope." I say as he dishes it out, digging in as soon as I can. "Cheers."

Puss suddenly clambers onto the kitchen table, poking his nose around. "Oi." I glare at him, earning an unbothered stare.

"I can't believe I let you keep that thing." Nathan comments, shaking his head.

"Oh shush. You love him." My uncle rolls his eyes, picking the cat up with a discontent trill and shooing him away.

"So, am I gonna get to meet these friends of yours anytime soon?" He questions me as I put on my jacket.

"Uh, actually I'm gonna be late, gotta go, bye, love you!" I escape out the door, waving behind me as I hurry off to work.

• HEATHER •

I suck in a breath through my teeth as Ms Morgan pulls out the blackened wires of the E-Tracer.

"My beautiful E-Tracer...up in smoke." Shleby says disappointedly.

"At least-" i'm interrupted by a deep bellow coming from Koda's stomach. I slowly turn my head, slightly taken aback.

"Sorry," He pats his abdomen, "I very hungry."

"Don't worry Koda, I sent Chase to get Pizza." Kendall reassures him.

"You did?" I ask, earning a curt nod, "Aw, I could've skipped my Uncle's charred bacon."

Shelby tilts her head, "You live with your Uncle?" She asks.

"No." I immediately lie, "...maybe."

"Anyway...Fury knows where the Ptera zord is but will he tell Sledge?" the pink ranger now turns to our boss for an answer.

"Sledge doesn't care about the zord unless it leads Fury to the gold energem." She shakes her head dismissively.

Shelby, stubborn as ever, argues "But Fury betrayed Poisandra so Sledge can't trust him anymore-"

"Woah, woah, woah, I am so confused. What's our next step?" Tyler cuts them off, drawing their focus back to the actual topic at hand.

Koda pipes up, "Maybe, we eat." He suggests with a boyish grin.

"I think I solved it." Riley suddenly announces to the room, after having hovered at another table, messing around with his marble puzzle. He turns back to us, holding his closed hand near his face, "We need to look at the problen logically."

His hand drops from his face, opening up to reveal three marbles: one black; one purple; one grey. "Sledge, Poisandra, Fury. Now..." He lists off, holding up each marble individually as he does so. "They each take their own paths." He slots each marble into a different entrance to his puzzle. "Chasing after power, love, maybe revenge." He continues, "But, there's one thing that all of them need first-"

"The energems." Shelby deduces.

"Exactly! But their only chance of getting an energem is with a very powerful weapon - like the Ptera zord. Different paths..." Riley explains as the three marbles funnel back onto the same dish, "leading to one conclusion."

"So they've got to power up the Ptera charger?" Tyler asks.

"But there's only one lab like ours with equipment strong enough to energise a dino charger." Ms Morgan reveals.

'What?...'

"Then logically," Riley chimes back in, "that lab's where we start."

"Wait, if you knew a lab like ours existed, why not destroy it?" I interrupt them, gesturing with my hands as if it were obvious, because it is.

"We're power rangers, not demolitionists. Besides, it's very expensive and that building is still public property." Kendall responds, drawing a sigh of discontent out of me.

Meoaaaw! Meoaaaw!

We all whip around as Puss comes barrelling in, running around my legs in distress. "Woah, hey what's up, mate?" I crouch down low, and the cat runs around me a couple times before bounding towards the door.

"I think it want us to follow." Koda points out.

"Kendall, when did you send Chase to get pizza?" I glance back at her, watching her eyes go wide with alarm.

• HEATHER •

Puss leads us to an old building, decrepid and abandoned. "Wait a second, this is the lab!" Riley realises. Moments later, a yelp alerts us to Chase's presence.

Darting around the corner and into the courtyard, we see a green and yellow monster throw our black ranger to the ground.

"Hey!" I grab its attention, firing wildly at it with my morphing blaster. It cries out something about more rangers before retreating.

As we rally around Chase, I help him up, "Chase you, ok?" Koda asks.

Chase assures him he's fine, then pats my shoulder saying "thanks mate."

"Uh- sure no problem." I reply quickly, averting my eyes.

"Hate to breakup the bromance, but Fury must be in there with the Ptera charger." I'm thankful for Shelby's distraction as it draws attention, specifically Chase's, away from me.

"Well let's pay him a visit." We follow Tyler into the rundown building.

"Pizza?" Koda stops Chase, who gently apologises.

"Sorry bro." His stomach growls as he follows close behind.

I waft away the cobwebs and dust as we enter. The more I swat away, the more seem to appear in their place. "Doesn't look like anyone's been here in years." Shelby scrunches her nose at the state of it all.

"We have to find that lab, fast." Tyler states from my left.

Riley takes a couple steps forward, "Let's split up." He recommends, running off alone before I can object.

"Oh no, we are-" I trail off as the others run off in different directions. "This is a bad idea..." I mutter, considering who to follow. Eventually, I settle on following Chase, who didn't look all too good from his fistfight with the monster beforehand.

I jog after him, following the sound of his running all the way up the stairwell. "Chase?" I call, but I get no reply. Finally, I come to the top of the stairs, searching the area for him. It seems to be some kind of hallway, with a slanted roof indicative of the top floor.

Footsteps catch my attention as I look right and spot the man running out of a doorway, wresting open the next. My heart jumps as he stumbles, almost like he's about to fall.

"Chase!" I yell, sprinting over and clutching him by the back of his hoodie as he falls forward, my feet slide and I grasp the doorframe with my other hand as Chase dangles over the street dozens of stories below, with only his feet touching the bottom of the doorway.

I grit my teeth as I haul his weight back, trying to pull us back into the building. As my grip weakens, am idea pops into my head and Chase is just about close enough for it to work. "Chase! On three, i'm gonna pull you in! Ok!?"

"I trust you mate!" He screams back, 'come on Eliott you can do this' I say to my self.

"It's all about weight distribution you see? As long as you control your centre of mass, you can do things like this-" My dad demonstrates, hauling the plank back, using his own mass to lift it off my leg.

I fight back tears as he helps me up, "Thanks dad." I say, limping on my bruised leg.

I exhale gently, "One! Two! Three!-" I yank his hood back, quickly tucking my arm around his midsection and throwing my weight back, pulling us both back into the building. We fall back as Chase lands on me, quickly rolling off as I catch my breath.

"Jesus Christ, Eli! You saved me!" He offers his hand to help me stand, which I gladly take. "How'd you do that?"

"Weight distribution, my dad taught me how to use my centre of mass in situations like this." I explain, suddenly sheepish.

Suddenly, i'm pulled into a short hug. My nose presses against his shoulder, making my breath hitch. "Thanks man, I don't know what i'd have done if you didn't follow me." He lets go, punching my arm gently. "Let's find this lab then shall we?"

• HEATHER •

No matter where we go, we keep ending up in this exact same hallway, this same, cold, damp, rundown hallway, with barely any leg room.

"Something's wrong with this place..." I observe, opening another curtain to reveal a brick wall blocking it up.

"You think?" Chase snaps, making me do a double-take.

"What's up with you?" I inquire.

"Nothing! I'm fine Eli!" He slumps against a wall, holding his knees close to his chest with shaky hands.

Before I can say anything, our morphers blare, and Riley's voice rings out asking if we're here. "Guys, can you hear me? Guys? Tyler, Shelby?"

"I'm here..." Comes Tyler's shaky voice, "but I have no idea, where- where here is and... It is so cold." He breaths into the comm.

Shelby quickly agrees, "I keep running up the same stairway, trying to keep warm."

"We're stuck in a loop too." Chase shivers, his breath rolling out in bone-white clouds.

"Me and Chase are here together." I add on, holding my jacket close around my chest.

"I, still hungry!" Koda exclaims, presumeably stuck too.

Riley starts talking again, "Listen, I found a way out, you need to-" He doesn't finish before the comm-link dies, likely as a result of the cold.

"No, no-no. No!" I mutter, shaking and hitting my dino-comm. "It's gone, we're on our own." Chase however, doesn't respond. He's hunched over, covering his eyes. "Chase?"

I crouch down, noticing his shaky hands again and his stuttered breaths. "Hey, mate. Look at me." He forces himself to look forward. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing-"

"Chase. What's wrong?" I repeat.

He breathes in deep, then breathes out slowly. He's clearly putting on a brave face, but for what?

"It feels really cramped. I don't like it, at all." He admits, averting my gaze.

'He's claustrophobic. Of course...'

Sitting cross-legged a comfortable distance away, I talk in a gentle voice, "How about we play a game?"

"Yeah...ok" he shivers.

"Can I sit closer?" He nods in return. I shuffle in next to him, removing my jacket and draping it over our fronts. "Ok, first of all, tell me 5 things you can see."

He looks around the room, listing off things like 'door', 'window' and 'ceiling'.

"Great, what about 3 things you can touch?"

"Uhh...your jacket." He answers, "The floor and...my energem." His breathing settles a little bit as we play, although still frigid from the increasing cold.

After a couple minutes of playing, frost starts forming on the walls, spreading like icy roots through the concrete and plaster. The two of us lean into each other, shivering and trying our best to retain warmth.

"Chase? Do you...hear that?" I whisper, hearing a faint jangle nearby.

Before he gets to answer, something small and spherical falls onto the floor. Chase picks it up, "A grey marble..."

We look at each other for a moment, "Riley..." We mutter, glancing up at where the marble came out of. A vent.

"The vents...of course." I break into a smile, standing up and putting my jacket back on. I jump up, grabbing the edge of the vent and using my body weight, I pry it open.

Chase also gets to his feet, "I'm not too sure about this, Eli..." He mutters.

"Hey." I put my hand on his shoulder, "I'll be right behind you all the way."

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

"Ha! I win!" The monster exclaims, moving his last piece. "Now give me your energem!." It demands as Riley pulls a face.

"Oh I don't think so. You see, the game wasn't chess..." He reveals with a smug smirk.

*Eliott pov

"Surprise!" The monster jumps as all five of us appear.

"...The game was to escape the maze." Riley finishes. "Oh and that reminds me..." He swipes the monster's last game piece of the board, declaring him the winner, "checkmate."

"Inconceivable! What!? But how!?" It struggles to comprehend its loss as we group up and get ready to morph, with Riley leading.

"Dino charger-"

"Ready! Unleash the power!" As we morph into our suits, the monster flips the game board in frustration, claiming he's 'done playing games'.

"Check out my game pieces rangers!" It beckons forth a hoard of Vivix to fight with.

"It's gonna take a lot more than that. Tyrannosaurus Rex, Power Ranger, Red!"

"Power ranger, Black!"

"Power Ranger, Blue!"

"Power Ranger, Green!"

"Power Ranger, Pink!"

"Power Ranger, Orange!"

"Dinosaur might, ready to fight! Power Rangers, Dino Charge!"

"It's about to get wild." Tyler finishes the role call, and with that, we leap into battle. Koda takes Puzzler, and the rest of us fight Vivix.

I start off with an arm sweep into two Vivix, knocking them down and stomping on their heads to finish them. "I think i'll need a broomstick for this clean sweep."

It doesn't take long for us to clean house with the Vivix, so we rapidly rejoin Koda, who lands a well-placed series of blasts on the monster, sending it staggering backwards. "Guys I very hungry." He complains.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want to win this game!" The monster tosses its weapon in irritation.

"Tyler, combine powers?" Koda turns to the red ranger.

He nods, handing him his dino-charger "Right. Time for this game to be over. Finish him Koda!"

"Thanks. Dino-charger, energise." Koda aims down his sights as blue light bundles up at the head of the blaster, "Dino morpher blast!"

The monster wails as the blast connects, falling to its knees and blowing up seconds later. Although, there's no time to celebrate as a distinct screech rings through our ears.

"Oh no-" Chase says.

"The Ptera zord!" Shelby cries out as it soars in from the dark clouds creeping in overhead. "Fury must have control of it!"

"But we cannot hurt our friend!" Koda states.

"We don't have a choice, we have to fight it." Tyler summons the Para-Raptor megazord, prompting us to all teleport in. "Here we go!"

The Ptera zord wastes no time in laying its lightning bolt attack down on us. "Guys! Magna beam incoming!" I warn, before a beam of light rains down. A supersized Puzzler lays in its wake.

"Time to make my move!" It cackles, swiping at the megazord with its weapon as we turn around. The Ptera zord zaps us from behind too, "We're playing to win!"

"Who do we fight?" Koda questions, worried.

"I've got an idea." I say, pulling out my zord charger. "C'mon out Dillon!" My zord is summoned and upon my command, it starts firing projectiles at the Ptera-zord, keeping it busy. "Now we've got some time to finish this zero!"

"Nice work. Dino charge megazord, final attack!" Tyler instructs.

"Parazord, fireball finish!"

"Game over!" The monster screams, flying high into the air. The Ptera zord pauses mid-flight, using it's lightning bolt to blast the incoming monster out of the sky one last time.

"Woah!" Tyler exclaims as we all gasp or make sounds of shock, "The Ptera zord must have thought it was being attacked!" The Ptera zord finally retreats.

"We got 'em! Good work Dillon!" I shout at my zord.

• HEATHER •

"Going after Fury would have been the logical decision. But..." I hear Keep say as Koda, Chase and I enter the base.

"It wouldn't have been the right one." Kendall says to Riley, who's sitting on the bench.

"You save your tribe. Act with heart. Always good." Koda assures as we approach, patting Riley's chest. I glance to my side and find Chase also looking at me. Feeling my skin flush, I look away but can't seem to wipe the smirk from my lips.

"I agree, especially since i'm in that tribe." Chase agrees as Koda grapples him into a bro hug.

"Anybody hungry?" I hear, accompanied by the fragrant smell of pizza. Koda practically hounds Shelby as her and Tyler walk in, with me and Chase following close behind, ready to eat of course.

As I take my first bite, my phone buzzes. Pulling it out, I read a text that says, 'thx for earlier.'

I furrow my brow, looking straight up amd catching Chase glance up from his phone, before typing something else. 'Could you not tell the others tho? I find it kinda embarrassing :('

'Sure, but you shouldn't be embarrassed by it, it's just who you are :)' I throw a gentle smile across the room.

'Thanks man :)'

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

I'm running, heart thumping out of my chest. Dirt catches under my feet, with the undergrowth around me in flames. Someone's shouting at me, telling me I can't escape.

Searing, white-hot flushes of pain rips through my lower back as I'm knocked to the ground. With twigs and mud covering my clothes, and scorched leaf ashes forming a sheen over my skin, I double over to come face-to-face with my attacker.

"Well, mate , I did warn you eh?" Chase teases, a malicious sneer etched across his lips. "Look at you, pathetic little man." He spits, lowering down his weapon's sights.

As he does so, a vauguely familiar hand lands on his shoulder, "Go on Chase, shoot the freak." Encourages...Heather.

"Chase...please..." I beg with tears springing to my eyes, his expression cold and unmoving.

"You're nothing to the Power Rangers." He snarls, "and you're nothing to me." He pulls the trigger.

• HEATHER •

"Eliott!" I jolt up as I awaken, rattled. I find myself on the floor of the lab, with Kendall, Tyler and Koda all standing or crouching next to me.

"You alright buddy? Did you stay up all night working too?" Tyler questions.

"Yeah, sorry I...had a bad dream that's all." I say, not elaborating any further.

Suddenly, our comms bleep, with Chase's cheery voice sending chills down my spine as I recall my nightmare. "The Zandar treasures have arrived." He then shows off the giant crates, all branded with a Zandar insignia.

"We're on our way up to help unload." Tyler says before communication cuts.

"Not me," Kendall corrects. "Shelby needs me for something 'urgent' in the café."

"Must be, very important." Koda's quip pulles a chuckles out of her and Tyler.

• HEATHER •

Eventually, we head up to help unload the treasures, with Shelby joining us soon after.

Tyler immediately falls into step next to her, "So, does Julian get a show?" He asks, referring to Shelby's friend who came to hopefully get work with Kendall.

"No..." She huffs, "That guy lives and breathes for his art, he just needs a break."

I stand back and watch as Chase removes the wooden plank covering the Stone of Zandar poster. "Ey, look at this." He beckons the others closer.

"Wow, this exhibit has the Stone of Zandar!" Riley exclaims.

Shelby, confused, says "What's that?"

"Well, if you believe the legend, it all started when the knight, Sir Ivan of Zandar found the stone." He explains.

"So, what happened?" Koda begs to know.

"Well supposedly, hundreds of years ago, the young Prince of Zandar was being escorted by Sir Ivan." Riley begins, going on about the Prince demanding water.

However, he's cut off by Shelby. "Ugh, seriously!? Just because he's a prince, he can't say please?" She groans.

"Uh, that's not the point of the story." He reminds her before continuing, "Anyway, while they were stopped to get some water, the knight noticed something shimmering in the creek. Only to find-"

"Shhh-" Riley's lips are covered as Koda makes us listen carefully. "Sounds like, big eagle." He notes, worrying the rest of us. Another grating screech confirms our concerns and we promptly follow the sound.

Racing into the delivery driveway, we catch sight of the Ptera zord, raining violet lightning down on the city. "We need some firepower." Observes chase, as he and Koda step forward and summon their zords.

Both the Stego and Para zords hold up well but in a twist, the Ptera zord folds it wings, and in a flash of golden light, takes form of it's own megazord. It spurts legs, arms, and a mechanical head.

"It changed!" Tyler exclaims.

"Looks like-" I start.

"-The Ptera charge megazord!" Riley finishes.

The pilot, presumeably Fury, strikes the earth with bolts of lightning. Tyler finally steps up to the plate, summoning his own zord and having it combine with the others' to form the Para-Stego formation megazord.

We quickly morph and teleport into the cockpit of the megazord, "I don't like battling our own zords-" Tyler frets, but Kendall chimes in through our consoles.

"Tyler, we weren't expecting Fury to control a megazord. It's dangerous...but you have to try your new dino drive mode."

He nods, "Understood, we're willing to take the risk." He states, gaining words of agreement from the others. "Dino chargers, ready!"

"Dino drive, activate!"

Jamming our morphers into the consoles, a new chrome armour covers our torsos, framed by our individual dino chargers in the centre. "I can feel the charge of strength!" Shelby comments.

"You said it." I echo.

Everyone compliments the new forms, thanking or praising Kendall's work. "I just hope it gives you the edge you need." She says.

"Oh yeah, let's go!" Chase agrees. We fire at Fury with the Para zord, but he narrowly dodges it, countering with a lightning attack of his own, following by a powerful kick.

The arms of the Ptera charge megazord then unfurl into razor blades, which Fury tries to slash at us with. Fortunately, Koda's Stego shield blocks the blow. "Stego punch!" We force him back with said punch, and Chase quickly follows up with a barrage of blasts from the Para zord.

Fury, however, recovers from the attack quickly and once again dodges the blasts. He slashes down with his sabres.

"He's so strong!" Tyler yells.

"Our defences are down!" Shelby cries out as Fury charges an attack.

"We can't take another hit." Riley comments.

"Koda! Throw your shield!" Tyler orders. Koda does so and it withstands the initial blast, forcing us to brace as the shield holds back the continuous stream of energy.

"Sensors indicate Fury's megazord is running low on power!" Kendall announces, giving him an idea.

"That's our only hope, need you now hotshot!" He turns to Chase, who commands the para zord to fire at Fury. This time, it finally hits, dazing him and interrupting the attack.

As the Ptera charge megazord stumbles, Fury decides it's time to flee, and he along with the Ptera zord escape.

"Good job guys, but that cat has more lives. He'll be back."

• HEATHER •

Back at the museum, we discuss the fight while unpacking the treaures of Zandar. Koda gets his head stuck in a knight helmet.

"Our dino chargers last so long...why would Fury run out of power?" Tyler wonders.

"Well, the ghost-like being Fury's getting his energy from might be getting weak." Suggests Riley.

Kendall reminds them, "But even a small amount of power in the Ptera charger could still do a lot of damage."

Shelby, stuck in her own world as usual, ogles over the box contents. "Look at this tiara. It's worth a small fortune, do you know how many people that could feed? But some selfish princess keeps it in a box. JUST in case she wants to wear it to the grand ball." She rants, posing mockingly with the tiara over her head. "What a waste." The tiara then gets tossed back into the box.

I roll my eyes at her antics, prying the helmet from the caveman's head as Chase makes a comment about the Ptera charger. We group around a large crate, each of us grabbing it by the edge.

"Careful with the Stone of Zandar." Shelby warns, before we lift the box up.

Suddenly, a luminous glow emanates from the gaps in the wood, prompting us to quickly put it back down. The soft golden light intensifies, along with each of our energems gleam visibly through our shirts.

"What in the world-"

"Our energems! What going on?"

"No idea," Tyler says, "but it looks like it stopped." He notes the way the gilt glimmer from within the crate dies down.

Shelby reaches out once more, saying "Try lifting it again-" before the top of the box bursts off, covering the room in halycon light. My eyes snap shut for just a moment, forcing my pupils to adjust to the light as I crack my lids back open again. There, in the glass casing, was the stone of Zandar. The gold energem. "The Stone of Zandar is-"

"The gold energem." Riley awes.

• HEATHER •

"This is amazing...it's authentic!" Ms Morgan gasps, removing the energem from her machine.

"Welcome back my old friend." Keeper talks to the stone, 'weird but ok', "The gold energem is bonded to the spirit of the Pteradactylus."

"So how did it end up in Zandar?" Chase asks, face scrunched up in confusion.

I step in to explain, "Zandar's in the British Isles where, funnily enough-"

"Lots of Pterodactylus fossils have been found there." Shleby finishes my sentence, grinning bashfully as she realises that her theory was correct about them being near the fossil sights of these creatures.

Cutting up the geography lesson, Kendall speaks up, "If Fury were to get a hold of this he would have unlimited power over the ptera zord."

"Then, we hide it." Koda suggests.

"Or..." Tyler starts as he walks around to the head of the table. "we tell him exactly where it is."

I blink a couple times to make sure I hadn't misheard. 'Is he bloody insane?!' "Are you out of your mind? He doesn't even know it's on this continent!" I shake my head with exasperation.

"Hey hear me out- have you ever heard of 'Glitzworld'?" Tyler asks.

I pull a face, "what in the actual-"

• HEATHER •

"I cannot. Believe. I let him. Talk me into this!" I groan as I pull at the tight white collar of my driver-disguise. Just then, my door swings open, with my uncle stopping dead as he looks me up and down.

"Never in a million years-" he mutters, a slow, shit-eating grin growing on his face.

"Nathan-" I stammer, trying to think of an excuse.

"And who, might I ask, has got you dressin' like this?" He questions teasingly, folding his arms across his chest.

"No-one! I'm...i'm uh..." I pause, realising how close I was to talking about the energems and rangers. "Ffffine. Maybe there is." I force myself to say.

"Oooooooh! What's his name?" He pushes, obviously enjoying my suffering in this moment.

"I'm not telling you that!" I refuse, huffing indignantly.

"Then i'm 'fraid you ain't going. You could always do the cat's litterbox, and feed him, walk him-"

"Nathan, I need to go-" I try to dodge around him through the doorway but he blocks me.

"C'mon kid, just a name and i'll let you go see 'im." He grins victoriously when I sigh defeatedly.

"It's-" I rack my brain for random name, spurting out the first one I think of. "Uh, Chase! Now lemme go." I flush red as I realise what I said, despite him not even knowing Chase. I shove past him and bolt for the door.

"Call me if you need to ditch the date!" He yells humourously, but by the time he did so, the door slammed shut.

• HEATHER •

"Anything?" Riley asks through comms. I then hear Chase and Koda respond with no sign of Fury.

I park the limo just in front of the red carpet and keep my eyes peeled, for we have no idea when Fury will show up. Kendall exits the vehicle and moves to open the door. When Tyler and Shelby step out in their (fake) royal garbs, the crowd erupts, snapping pictures, pointing microphones and asking questions.

'At least their disguises are working'

Out of nowhere, Shelby rushes up to a young man with a stack of papers from what I could tell, exclaiming something undetectable from this distance to the crowd, who immediately start swarming the man as they back away.

"What's she doing!?" Riley whisper-yells into the comm.

"I don't know." Comes Chase's confused reply.

Oddly enough, Fury hasn't made an appearance yet, and as Tyler & Shelby reach the pedestal, it becomes clear they have nothing planned to say.

Stepping out of the car to hear better, I catch him say "Twas 800 years ago..." In the wildest accent I have ever heard. "The knight, Sir Ivan saved...Prince... Prince...Him!" He whips around, pointing his gloved finger at the poster of the Prince.

'This is tragic' I think to myself, cringing from second-hand embarrassment.

"-from an evil, hideous, vile beast-" Suddenly, Fury bursts onto the stage through the now shredded poster, raising his sword to Shelby.

Acting on my feet I pull out my blaster, shooting his sword as it clatters to the ground. However, the crowd is already in panic, not even noticing the shot. Fury recovers quickly and snatches the energem directly from 'the princess'' neck.

"With the zord, and now this energem! You rangers will be finished!" Fury picks his sword back up, casting lightning onto the ground as he summonds the Ptera zord. As he does so, I slide across the hood of the limo and run to join my friends, alongside Tyler who for some reason is carrying Shelby, bridal style. "Finally, endless gold energem power!" The cat cackles, teleporting to the zord a moment later.

"Did he take it?" Riley questions.

"He has the energem." Tyler responds, nodding. Just then our comms blare, indicating an incoming message from Ms Morgan.

"The program will activate in 3, 2, 1, now." On cue, the Ptera zord starts smoking, ejecting Fury, who falls like red and yellow meteor from the sky. "Fury's down, i'm sending you his position! Rangers, you have to get that Ptera charger."

"No problem boss." I say, taking off in a sprint.

As we catch up with Fury, along with two new, blue foot soldiers helping him up, he taunts us with the charger. "Looking for this? Your little charade nearly paid off, but now you'll pay the price."

"Trust me, i'm already paying it. These heels are killing me we've gotta morph. Dino charger!" Shelby bites back.

Tyler and Chase groan in pain as they rip their fake facial hair off. I pause, glancing over before commenting, "Shame. I think a beard looks nice on you."

With Chase replying, "Oh, uh...i mean that's cause everything looks good on me mate."

"Ready!" We shout, before morphing.

Each of us take on a mob of vivix each, dispatching of them pretty easily. Moving onto the spikeballs, Chase and Koda face off against one, while Tyler splits off to fight Fury.

As me, Riley and Shelby fight the other one, it's clear that it doesn't require three of us. "I'm gonna help Tyler, you guys don't need my help!" I gain nods of agreement from both pink and green.

The red ranger, after a short tussel, tanks a kick to the chest, sending him flying backwards and towards me. "Tyler, I got you!" I yell, jumping into the air, grabbing him by the hands and swinging him back around at Fury.

His rebound catches him off guard and the monster surges back from the impact of Tyler's kick, kicking up dirt as a result of his body dragging along the floor.

"Quick Tyler, while he's getting back up!" I toss him my Dilo-chakram, with which he combines it with the T-Rex-smasher and the Para-chopper.

"Thanks El! T-Rex-smasher, Para-chopper, Dilo-chakram, combine! DiloRex-chopper!" He aims down his sights as Fury finally gets to his feet. "Triple blast!" The blast rips straight through Fury, who didn't have time to react.

Unfortunately still alive, Fury writhes in pain as he falls.

I see Tyler run up to the monster, rearing his weapon in threat as he demands the charger back. Fury, with no other choice, extends his hand with the charger.

My shock turns to confusion as suddenly, Fury's hand grips closed again, right before Tyler can snatch the charger. A golden mass breaches Fury's chest, looking like it's fighting to escape.

The others finish the spikeballs and join us, right as Tyler backs off and demorphs. "Do it Tyler, destroy him!" Koda goads.

"Tyler! What are you waiting for!?" Shelby shouts as he hesitates, freezing on the spot.

I realise Tyler won't do anything, so I run as fast as I can, snatching my chakram back and charging at Fury. My arm raises high, bracing to slash down onto Fury - but as I start to swing, something hits the ground right next to me, creating a flash that forces me to look away and causes me to miss my hit.

"You will not escape me!" I hear Fury roar as I clutch my eyes, a deafening boom sending me soaring not a second later. Being so close to the blast radius, I catapult farther than the others, eventually hitting something rigid.

I demorph as I fall, hitting my head firmly as I touch the ground. My hearing distorts - I only faintly hear the sounds of jets and engines roar - and my vision swims when I open my eyes. But just as soon as they open, they close again as I pass out.

• HEATHER •

*Nathan pov

"Hello?" I say into the phone.

"This is Kendall Morgan of Amber Beach Museum how can I help?" Comes a lady's voice.

"Hi, i'm so sorry but i'm calling about my nephew, Eliott Slater? He hasn't come home all day and I'm just calling around to see if anyone knows where he is?" I rush my words, failing to hide my distressed tone.

The line goes silent for a moment and I begin to think I've been left on hold just as she speaks again. "Yes, i'm sorry for the confusion but he's doing some overtime work out of town, he'll be back in the next couple of days." She explains, and something about her delivery just seems...off.

I brush it off as just the connection. "Oh...well can you tell him to answer his damn phone? He ain't said nothing about this to me and I've been worrying all bloody day."

Another pause, "I do apologise, he's broken his phone but as soon as it's fixed he'll get back to you."

"But-" I can't finish as they line goes dead. She hung up.

'This is suspicious. There's something I ain't being told.'

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

*Chase pov

"His heart is beating, albeit slowly..." Ms Morgan sighs, removing her glasses and gently massaging the bridge of her nose. I bite my cheek, staring down at Eliott's body. Long, dark swathes of bruises litter his skin, enroaching upon his nape and jaw.

"This is all my fault." Tyler murmurs, unmoving as I look over to him.

"That isn't true mate. It's nobody's fault." I assure him. I couldn't possibly blame Tyler, but i'm still terrified that one of my closest friends might not wake up after all.

"No, if I hadn't hesitated, he wouldn't have had to step in and-" the red ranger pauses as if his throat is closing up before continuing, "If I hadn't stopped him he wouldn't be unconscious right now."

Keeper appears nearby, his hand falling to his shoulder, "Blaming oneself is pointless, Tyler. You can make mistakes, but the best thing you can do is learn from them and make it right." He wisely says.

"The best thing we can do right now is take Fury down and hopefully find a way to wake Eliott up." Comes Shelby's input.

I notice as the group discusses, Riley hasn't moved from his seat, covering his lower face with his threaded hands as he stares down at our friend, an intense, pensive look on his face. I choose to leave him be, as Ms Morgan pipes up once more.

"Regardless, we have an exhibit to open. So we'll have to put this all on hold for now." She gets a round of agreeable nods, ushering everyone except Keeper out of the room, who stays behind to watch over Eliott.

*3rd person pov

Keeper waits until the group has left before approaching Eliott, he hovers his staff over the ranger's head, humming a soothing song as he tries to exert his powers and soothe his body.

"You will wake ranger. I won't leave your side until you do." He promises solemnly.

• HEATHER •

"The Stone of Zandar was discovered 800 years ago," Ms Morgan opens her speech, engrossing the crowd. "When a young prince was being escorted by the King's knight, Sir Ivan of Zandar. While they were stopped for a drink, Sir Ivan found the gemstone in the creek."

She continues to tell the tale of the unknown creature that attacked he and the prince, and of the stone's, or rather the energem's origin.

"After saving the Prince, Sir Ivan and the monster mysteriously disappeared. The Prince found the gemstone, and named it after his country - The Stone of Zandar. It has been the most famous piece in Zandar's royal treasures ever since. Thank you very much and please enjoy the exhibit." The room then erupts in rapture, with Kendall stepping down from the stage as the applause starts.

The crowd soon disperses and begins to admire the exhibit. "I'll be glad when this exhibit is over. So we can lock up the Stone of Zandar safe and sound in the base." Chase comments to the other rangers, before adding on under his breath, "And so we can be there for Eliott."

Just as he finishes his sentence, a brigade of suits comes storming into the museum, "Collect the treasures." Barks the head honcho, a refined brunette seemingly in his late 20s.

"What's going on?" Tyler asks incredulously, mirroring the group's thoughts. Kendall spirals, watching powerlessly as the shady sunglasses raid the treasures, placing them into padded cases.

She struts up to the leader in a fluster, "Excuse me i'm the museum director, just what do you think you're doing?!" She demands.

"I'm taking what belongs to me." He bites back in a curt manner.

Riley steps in to question him, "Hey whatwhatno- that's impossible because these belong to the royal family-...ooooooooh..." He trails off, glancing concerningly at the group. This guy IS the royal family.

"Starting to get the picture are we?" The man mocks, his posh accent emphasising the cutting undertone of his words. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Prince Philip III of Zandar, the real prince-" he says as he unfurls a poster of Shelby and Tyler in disguise from his suit. "Unlike the imposters that had been masquerading around here."

The two realise and shrink in on themselves. "Wait a moment, this is you two isn't it? It's a wonder anyone mistook you for a Prince." The Prince digs, causing the already frustrated Tyler to snap.

"Well I don't know who you think you are, but no amount of royal blood gives you the right to speak to us like that-" he's then whisked away by Chase, pulling him by his jacket. "Let me go Chase!" He orders lowly.

"You need to chill the hell out mate, before you get us in more trouble." He shuts up after that.

Koda comes up and taps the Prince on the shoulder, "We mean no, disrespect." He assures.

To which the Prince replies, "And what would you know about respect?" He then plucks a stray leaf in Koda's unruly hair like a disappointed owner after his dog gets stuck in a tree. "Look at you, you're filthy, you're shoeless. Were you born in a cave?"

Unbothered, Koda responds in earnest "No, born on mammoth hunt. Mother could not make it home to cave. Want some?" He offers, extending a half-eaten apple, to Philip's utter digust that is.

Marching up to the display case, he snatches the energem from it's stand. "A knight's bravery is what makes this stone a legend...how dare you touch it!? None of you are worthy!" He spits one last time before he and his crew saunter out of the room.

After a moment of silence, the rangers and Kendall follow the entourage, catching the back of their wheels as the limo and jeep book it down the street. "There they go!" Kendall exclaims dejectedly.

"We can't just let them take the energem can we?" Shelby asks.

Not a moment later, green and white figures arise from the bushes, watching the cars leave. "Vivix." Koda notices, alerting them.

"This can't be good." Tyler mutters.

Alien ships circle over the black vehicles, starting to blast lasers that have the drivers swerving from the sudden beseiging. Both are forced to stop as a wall of monsters barricade the road. The bodyguards exit the vehicles, "Protect the Prince!" One yells.

"Look! They're all dressed up!" Poisandra giggles.

"Dressed for their own funerals!" Fury jokes, letting a malicious chuckle escape his maw.

Philip jumps out of the limo, trying to run yet he's cut off by Fury. "Good heavens! What are you!?" He questions shakily, backing up into the car until the cold framework touches his legs.

Fury grabs him by the shoulder, "Give me the energem!"

"Energem? I don't know w-"

"Don't play stupid with me! Hand it over!" He points his blade up to Philip's face, who searches his pockets looking for something he can bargain with. His fingers clasp the stone in his suit and he presents it out.

"Yes!" Fury reaches to snatch it, right as Koda leaps from over the limo and tackles the cat to the ground.

Philip immediately recognises him as the 'filthy' man from the museum. "You!" He exclaims, watching as Koda charges and fights to save him.

"Hold on Koda!"

"Vivix, attack!" Poisandra orders as the other rangers arrive. They dive right into defeating the foot soldiers, ripping through them with ease.

Koda backs away from an attack, forcing him back to the Prince's side. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting that energem!" The monster roars, lightning crackling along his sword.

"Koda stop you!" The caveman shouts.

Suddenly, a loud blare of a car horn interrupts as a black and yellow car rams into Fury, sending him flying off the road.

• HEATHER •

*Nathan pov

"What do you mean the museum's closed? I checked the time like 5 minutes ago! No, I wi- What on earth!?" I yell as I ram my palm into my horn, slamming my brakes in an effort to stop.

Suddenly, my car hits something, hard. I see a cat-like figure fly off the road as my car crashes into him. I narrowly avoid hitting my head on the wheel, staring ahead as I take in the scene. Two black vehicles, a bunch of young adults and a bunch of suited men under attack by seaweed monsters.

Clambering out of my car, a messy young man and a well-dressed gentleman look at me in complete shock. "What in the hell is goin' on out here!?" I yell at them.

"LOOK OUT!" Comes a screaming woman's voice, I whip my head as the...furry? Charges at me, with a serrated blade sparking with yellow lightning. I slimly dodge the swing, and watch in horror as the tarmac below where I stood shatters. My car's hood blows due to the lightning, which I promptly grab and raise as a shield when the creature attacks again.

"How dare you!" It roars, grunting as I shove it back with my impromptu shield.

The younger of the two men grabs my arm and tugs me along, "Run, now!" He orders.

I run along as the monster gains his bearings once more, firing lightning at our backs which creats a thrusting force strong enough to send us flying into the offroad. My body hits the ground with a thud, knocking the wind from my lungs too.

The blue guy lifts the other man to his feet, "Come, Fury after you!" He then pulls me up aswell, "You too! Uhhh...?"

"Nathan." I grit out.

'Wait he knows that thing?'

"You know that furry freak?" I ask, however my question unanswered as a nearby roar has the man ushering me along.

• HEATHER •

Sunlight beams through the canopy, resting on the roots of the old tree. The suit guy is set down against the bark, signalling that we can safely rest in this clearing. "Who are you anyhow?" I blurt, gaining the blue one's attention.

"I, Koda. Caveman." Koda flexes playfully as he says. I can't help but feel like I've heard the name before.

I curl my lip in confusion, glancing at the other guy...'wait, I know him.'

"And i'm-"

"I know who you are. You're that snotty Prince of Zandar." I interrupt.

"That's Prince Philip III of Zandar to you. You're a brit?" The Prince almost snarls. We hold a heated gaze for a moment before I reply.

"I am."

Eventually, the Prince turns back to Koda. "But you, why would you risk your life for me? After how I treated you, the insults?" He questions the youngest of us three.

The self-proclaimed caveman kneels before him, "Everyone has good on inside, even mean prince, like you." Philip recoils a little bit after that comment, surprised but not upset.

"Well I suppose I deserve that." He admits, and I roll my eyes.

Suddenly, there's a heavy thump, making the three of us turn and promptly stand up to investigate. 'Is that a bloody boulder!?' I realise as the stone comes barrelling at us.

Koda, without a second thought, shoves the Prince and I out of the way - leaving himself to be hit by it. "Koda!" I yell in concern.

Clambering to my feet, I observe the cat monster, Fury acquisitions a small golden stone from Philip's hands. "Finally, after 800 years, the gold energem is mine!"

"800 years?" The Prince questions, "You're the monster that attacked Prince Collin 800 years ago?"

"Yes, that Prince survived, but this energem is coming with me." 'Quick, I have to do something' I think, right as I spot a sharp branch in the grass. Grasping it, I charge the beast, yelling wildly to draw it's attention away from the Prince.

"Leave him!" I roar, attacking it a stabbing motion and dodging the following slash from it's blade when it dodges.

"How dare you, pest!" It seethes, kicking me in the stomach and throwing me off. A thump fills my ears as I land, dirty and sore - but i'm not going down yet.

Racing forward, I knee-slide as he swings once more, snatching the blade straight from his hand as I do so.

"Hey! My sword!"

Before it can react, I spin on the floor and slash at it's legs, causing it to cry out it pain. All of a sudden, coloured bolts of light come from the entry to the clearing and hit Fury dead-on and I drop the weapon to move out of the way of the blasts. He stumbles angrily as the four young adults from the road show up, each of them brandishing bulky yellow/black guns.

The monster retreats, not without snatching his sword from the grass, all while two lads help up Philip, and the girl rushes to Koda. "Hey, are you alright?" Says the last guy, the one wearing a red puffer-vest as he rushes up to me and places his hand on my shoulder

"I've been better, who are you kids anyway?" I querie.

"It doesn't matter right now," he replies, pulling a square-shaped device from his pocket which then bleeps like a phone. "Fury has the gold energem." He recalls to an unknown associate.

'What even is an energem anyway? Why does that thing want it? Wait, why the hell is thre a furry monster at all!?'

My thoughts are interrupted by a familiar feminine voice, "And he just summoned the Ptera-zord. If he installs the energem into the zord he will have infinite energy." She says.

'Is that the museum director?' I furrow my brows in puzzlement. I take another look at Koda, then it comes to me.

He's Eliott's work-friend! Meaning these lot must be the rest of them.'

My attention snaps back to the group as someone starts to talk. "We, stop him first." Koda speaks simply.

"Tyler, i've been developing a new dino charger that might finally give you and your zord the edge you need against the Ptera-zord." The director says, 'dino charger?'.

"I'm on it, you guys follow Fury, i'll catch up with you." The guy in red, Tyler, orders before running out of the clearing.

Koda finally turns to me and the Prince, "Go back to road, to safety." He instructs, and before either of us can get another word in, he and the other of Eliott's friend's leave.

"Wait- do you know my- aaaaaand they're gone." My shoulders slump as their figures disappear in the forest. As silence falls over the two of us left, I turn slowly to Philip. Straightening, I address him once more, "Look I don't care if you want to leave, but my nephew might be missing and those people are the only ones who might know if he's ok. So i'm following them."

I stare him down expectantly, and the royal deftly nods. "Righty then." I mutter, taking off after the young adults with Philip close behind.

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

Giggling like naughty children, Poisandra, Wrench, Curio and the spikeballs rummage the treasures of Zandar in search of the energem. They, however, are interrupted as a deep, snarky voice speaks out. "You won't find it." Fury growls.

"And why not?" Poisandra argues.

Raising his hand, the dawn-amber hue of the gold energem sparkles in the sunlight, "Because I've already got it."

"It's about time, Furball. Now, let's get it to Sledge so I can start planning my wedding!" She skips delightfully, only pausing as four sets of footsteps draw near.

"Cancel the invitations." Quips Shelby.

"It's, morphing time!" Koda calls, with the group following his example in drawing their dino chargers.

Out of sight, two men observe from behind a pile of rubble as the rangers finally morph.

"They're-"

"Power rangers." Nathan and Philip gasp in unison, glancing back at the other for confirmation as to what they're watching.

"The tide has turned rangers, prepare to suffer my wrath! Ptera zord!"

A deafening screech, followed by an arc of lightning crashing down near the rangers. The zord swoops in from the clouds like an osprey chasing its next meal.

"It's that thing! From the news!" Nathan's voices shakes as he speaks.

"AHAHAHA! Shocking isn't it? You can't outrun the Ptera-zord forever." Fury jeers as the team roll out of the way, barely escaping the blast radius.

Just then, the ground beneath everyone's feet quakes, and jets of fire force the Ptera-zord to weave out of range. The source of the attack being the T-Rex zord, with the red ranger perched upon her snout.

"Over there! The blast came from the T-Rex zord!" Chase points out.

"It Tyler!" Koda cheers, unfortunately overheard by both Nathan and the Prince. Tyler leaps from the zord, greeting his team again.

"The Ptera-zord's gonna come back!" Shelby frets.

Tyler assures her, "Don't worry, Kendall's new dino charger should solve that. Dino charger, ready!"

As the new device is activated, the T-Rex zord's neck suddenly grows exponentially longer than before, clamping its jaws down on the now immobilised Ptera-zord.

"No! They've taken out my Ptera-zord!"

"Did you really think you could beat us Fury? With courage and might, ready to fight!"

"Power Rangers, Dino Charge!" With that, the rangers armour up and dive straight into battle with the monsters. Shelby hands Riley her Tricera-drill, as she splits off to mow down the Vivix while Riley himself takes on Poisandra amd Curio.

Chase duels with Wrench, Koda battles the spikeballs and Tyler rematches Fury. "I'll finish you this time red ranger!" He roars.

"I'll destroy you, for hurting my friend!"

The other boys come out of their individual fights victorious, pushing the forementioned monsters back together. "Get up! You pile of scrap metal!" Poisandra orders as Wrench begrudgingly gets to his feet.

Riley, taking the lead, turns to his teammates, "I have an idea Koda, let's combine our weapons."

"Careful, it heavy." Koda replies as he hands over his weapon.

"Oh no, now what?" Wrench cries. Riley ignores him, snapping the three together into a spike.

"Tricera-Raptor-Stego, triple spike!" He then charges, as do the spikeballs. "Dino pierce!" He yells as he tears through them both and causes a minor explosion.

Meanwhile, Tyler relentlessly dukes it out with his nemesis. "I have you now!" Comes Fury's threat as Tyler scrambles to his feet, charging his crooked blade with golden electricity.

"Let's finish this!" Tyler goads.

"I'll finish you! Fury's roar!" As Fury twists his blade, a gilded light flashes from the tip, catching Tyler's attention.

"I can't mess up again." He mutters.

The sword hits the earth, fissuring the dirt and erputing a yellow blast in Tyler's direction. Tyler, however, expects it. Dodging to the side, he darts forward with smasher bared. "Nice try!"

"Impossible!"

"T-Rex smash!"

The attack connects, blasting Fury high in the air. He comes crashing down a second later, his body slamming into the dirt like a sack of spuds.

"It's over Fury. Give me the gold energem." Tyler demands, with a cutting tone previously unheard.

Forcing himself to stand, he grips the energem in his paw tightly. "Never! It's, mine!" A bright glow emanates from his fist and not a moment later, the same gold mass breaches his chest, fighting to escape. "No! Not now!"

"What's happening!?" Exclaims Shelby.

The mass molds into a vaguely humanoid silhouette, with distinct arms and a head. "Could it be?" Tyler wonders as he steps ever closer.

Before pausing.

"No, I'm not letting this happen again. Fury can't escape with the energem." He repeats to himself. "Raaagh!" He cries, baring his weapon as the figure sprouts legs and moves away from Fury, only connected by a band of light.

"T-Rex smash!" He slashes down on the band, breaking it off and creating a loud boom over the battlefield. He's lauched back by an immense force, but as he does so his hand is caught and he is dragged to the ground for cover.

He demorphs, as does the team. When he finally opens his eyes again, Koda is next to him, still gripping him as the blast subsides. "Tyler ok?" He asks breathily, to which Tyler nods appreciatively.

As they finally stand, a dark-haired man can be seen on the ground not too far from Fury - to whom Tyler rushes up to, still hopeful.

"Dad?" He questions, turning the man over. His face falls a little as the man doesn't resemble his father in the slightest.

He steps back as the man gathers himself, "You're not my dad. Who are you?" He asks.

Raising his head and standing straighter, "I am Sir Ivan, Knight of Zandar!" He announces.

"The knight of Zandar?" Chase blurts.

"Sir Ivan...that's impossible." Philip whispers next to Nathan.

Ivan moves his attention away from the group, focusing back in his captor once more. "Finally, it is my turn to morph." He unveils the gold energem, clutched within his clasped hand.

"That energem's mine!" Fury seethes as he comes back to his senses.

Wordlessly, Ivan lobs the stone into the air. "Gold Ptera-morpher!" He yells as it falls back down, landing perfectly in the open gauntlet on his left wrist. The withered exterior of the morpher crumbles away, leaving a modernised brace in its place.

"Unleash the power!" The knight booms, thrusting his morpher into the air as a light-pteradactylus emerges and turns into a ranger suit. "Still think the stone is yours?"

Nathan raises a brow, slightly puzzled. "I coulda sworn he looked more orange on the telly."

"Woah, a gold ranger?" Koda awes.

"Pteradactyl, Power Ranger, gold!" Fury orders his vivix to attack. Ivan, however, blasts them down with his morpher. "Leave these beasts to me, I have a score to settle."

He takes on the vivix, and despite being outnumbered, he decimates them. He even showcases an ability to take flight.

"He can fly!?" Chase exclaims, sounding more than a little jealous.

Once he's done with the vivix, he summons the Ptera-sabre - which allows him to electrify Poisandra and Curio, followed by Wrench. "Who's next?"

A spikeball step up to the plate, "My turn!"

"Feel the power of the storm!" Ivan shouts, twirling his sword in a purposeful pattern as he builds strength.

"Feel the power of this!" The spikeball mocks, but his attack is overwhelmed by Ivan's 'Zandar Thunder' and it is destroyed.

A magnabeam comes from the sky moments later, supersizing both spikeballs. "Your problems just got a lot bigger."

The five other rangers rally around the gold, offering to summon their zords. "No," Ivan stops them with a firm hand. "This quest is mine."

"The Ptera-charge megazord is evil!" Riley argues.

"Not for long." Comes Ivan's simple reply, before he teleports into the zord's cockpit. "Ptera-charge megazord, activate! Your evil spell is broken. Let our duel begin!"

With a technical precision only a knight could have, Ivan expertly combats the two monsters. He finishes them both off with the one-two punch of Ptera-lightning blitz followed by the Ptera-lightning slash. "Monster vanquished."

• HEATHER •

Upon demorphing, the knight is quickly approached by the rangers, giddy as can be. "Sir Ivan! Hi, i'm Shelby, welcome to our...century."

"You, will like it here. I will show you, burgers." Koda has the group chuckling at his antics.

The conversation is cut short however, as Prince Philip approaches the group, having left his hiding spot moments ago.

"Prince Philip!" Koda greets in surprise, whereas Ivan immediately kneels before him. "Why you still here?"

"Sire, I am at your service." Ivan interrupts, drawing his attention from the caveman. "This," he begins, presenting the energem to him, "belongs to the royal family."

Taking the stone from his hands, Philip's eyes flitter between the energem and the knight. "Do you know me?" He asks.

"I know the royal blood of Zandar when I see it. I've spent my entire life faithfully protecting your family."

"So you truly are Sir Ivan the knight of Zandar?" Muses Philip, to which Ivan nods dutifully. Commanding the man to his feet, Prince Philip questions him, "And the monster did not destroy you?"

"No, he captured me. For 800 long years. Only when aided by the power of that stone could I finally escape." Ivan answers.

"It isn't just a stone." Shelby corrects, pulling her own from her shirt. The others do so too, showing the pair their multicoloured gemstones. "It's an energem."

"They have more power than you can ever imagine." Reveals Riley.

Chase then continues to tell the story of the energems, "Millions of years ago, 13 energems were lost. We've only found 6 so far."

"The Stone of Zandar is the seventh." Says Tyler.

Philip pensively glances down at the stone before looking back up to meet the knight's eyes.

"The energem is yours," He states, holding it out for him, "to use as you will."

"Trust that I will use it to make the Kingdom proud." Ivan beams, accepting the energem back.

"However," Philip starts, turning back to the core group. "You said you had 6? I only see 5 of you?"

They glance between each other, brutally reminded of their injured sixth ranger. "Well-" Tyler starts to say, before the sound of wheels on dirt and a honk of a car horn cuts him off as a black limo drives into the dirt valley.

"Ah." Philip pats a hand on Koda's shoulder, completely forgetting about his own question. "I am humbled. By your bravery and courage, thank you. May you find the remaining 6 energems safely." He nods a final nod before leaving for his ride.

"Welcome to the-" Shelby pauses as Ivan starts to walk off too, "team..."

"Where are you going?" Riley asks.

"Where?" Ivan smirks, "I have been captured for 800 years. It matters not what path I take, so long as it is a path I have chosen."

A firm hand finds itself on Shelby's shoulder as she moves to follow, "Give him some space." Chase encourages.

"He's enjoying something he hasn't felt in a long, long time..." Riley informs.

To which, Koda slings his arms around both of their shoulders, "Freedom."

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

My head hurts. Everything smells like dirt. Come to think of it, everything feels like dirt.

I open my eyes, finding myself on my stomach, laying flat against the earth. I flatten my palms against the ground, hauling my torso off the floor and resting on my knees.

My entire body is sore. For a moment, I consider flopping over and going to sleep in the dirt, but my mind orders me to move.

'Why is it so humid?' I wonder. My neck twists as I look around, noting my surroundings.

No grass, it seems: the dirt is dry; the vegetation consists of mostly ferns, accompanied by a couple cycads and gaint trees and the air is sauna hot.

"This...this ain't Amber Beach." I mutter, my lip quivering.

Rrkkkkeeeeeggghhh

My blood runs cold as I hear the grating foreign sound. I gulp, slowly turning around - I go to grasp mt energem, only to find my bare necklace in its place.

I see it, and it sees me. Over 6ft tall, claw to brow. Wide, marmalade eyes divided by a distinct reptilian slit. A broad, striking marigold crest framing its scaled snout.

Before I hesitate any longer, I run. I hear it give chase, its clawed feet pounding on the ground as it grows ever closer. It screeches, a near deafening noise that has me almost tripping as I wince from the overstimulation of my eardrums.

I duck and weave, moving in a zigzag to try and throw off its coordination - buying precious seconds of time.

All of a sudden, the ground stops. I skid to a pause, seeing the high drop of a waterfall below. I glance back, but only for a second, as the ravenous eyes of the beast strike such a fear into my veins that I jump, without another moment's thought.

The next thing I feel is the brisk chill of the water below. I know I need to kick, to paddle - and that's what I do, despite the everlasting ache in my muscles. Eventually, my feet feel solid ground and I exhale a sigh of relief as I collapse on the bank.

'I can't stay here' I remind myself, 'I won't get so lucky again, it'll find me. And it'll hunt me'

Gasping and heaving, I know what it is I need to do.

I need to survive.

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

*Nathan pov

Settling into my car, I sit in silence. My nephew's coworkers are power rangers, how do I even begin to unpack that?

Shaking the thought, I start my car, beginning the drive back home, but not before trying to call Eliott's phone again.

I certainely don't believe that he's on some kind of work trip, otherwise why would his friends all be here still? But right now I need to get home, sleep on it and march down to the museum tomorrow.

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

I wander in the dense brush of the forest, careful with my step as to not trip into or over anything.

"It's safe to say i'm not in 2015 anymore..." I mutter, recognising that, aside from the 6ft killer reptile, the flora was not of the modern era. Not a blade of grass in sight, and more cycads, conifers and horsetails than I would have ever thought.

The sun's begun to set, casting a foreboding hue on the land and filtering through the canopy like amber floodlights.

My hands are shaking now. 'They really don't do it justice in the movies as to how scary the dark is when you're being hunted by dinosaurs.'

Soon, night befalls me. I come to a slow, clinging to the trunks and the undergrowth out of fear. I don't dare make a noise, for the dead air remains threateningly still as if something is always watching you.

'...Something's watching me'

My body freezes flat against the conifer trunk, the sound of my own heartbeat fills my ears but I'm too scared to breathe. After a moment of silence, I muster up the will to peer around the trunk.

Glancing around the wood, I immediately pull my head back as two tiger orange eyes stare unmoving at me, only lined with a tall, onyx silhouette. Seconds later, there's the deceptively gentle sound of crushed ferns, and they grow closer.

I hear the beast breathe, inhaling through its snout which ominously pokes around the trunk. I shift around the tree as its head snakes around it.

'I can't run from it any more, I have to fight.' Gulping down my apprehension, I run.

The dinosaur immediately gives chase, hissing and growling. As it pounces, I run up the nearest trunk, jumping off in a backflip and landing square on the beasts back. It thrashes and shrieks, trying to throw me off like one of those mechanical rodeo bulls.

"Get 'ere!" I grit, grasping the neck of the dinosaur.

A second wind flows through my veins, granting me the strength to bring it down to the ground, pinning it down with my forearm on to head.

The same reptilian eyes glare up at me, however the fiery glow had faded. Now, its eyes were wider, more human, conveying something akin to respect in them.

Suddenly, the creature's skin surges with an orange glow - currents of apricot light covering its body. I step back for a moment, watching in awe as its features melded into pure energy, condensing into a small mass that then lay still, illuminating the darked forest arena. There lay the orange energem, my energem.

I pick it up, eyes glued to the effulgent glow.

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

The metal sliding doors of the base part as the rangers march in. "What's going on?" Tyler asks, with the rest of the team minus Ivan behind him.

Kendall and Keeper turn to them, both standing on opposite sides of Eliott's impromtu bed. Turning the screen of his pulse monitor, she gestures to the readings. "Eliott's vitals have spiked over the last hour, his heartrate alone has risen by at least 50-something percent."

"He's going to be ok though, right?" Shelby bites her cheek nervously.

"That's the thing, he's completely fine." Kendall's words draw confused looks from the group.

Keeper, who at this point was hovering his staff over the ranger's head, addresses the room, "He's physically healthy, but something is wrong in his conscience. He seems to be in a state of mental limbo."

"Meaning what exactly?" Chase questions, his tone on-edge.

"We're not sure..." Ms Morgan admits.

As she finishes speaking, something catches everyone's attention. Nestled in Eliott's shirt, the orange energem's glow intensifies. Strips of rusty light flow from the stone along his skin and clothes.

"What's happening?" Riley exclaims as the shine grows brighter.

The reading on the vital monitor spike again, growing faster and faster. Then, the glow in gone...and a second later there's a heavy gasp as Eliott jolts awake.

*Eliott pov

"Eli! You're ok!" I don't get a chance to respond as someone rushes up to me and embraces me in a tight hug.

"Riley?" I exclaim, surprised considering I was fighting a living, breathing dilophosaurus just moments ago.

As the green ranger pulls away, I finally get the chance to stand from the hard bed, when the rest of the group comes to hug me all together. I almost tear up at the response.

As the relief dies down, the only thing left are questions - mostly from Ms Morgan. "What happened Eliott? Your vitals have been off the charts for an hour or two."

Her question reminds me of my experience, "I don't exactly know. I was in a forest and something was...hunting me." I swallow as I say the last part, still a little shaken.

"Something like what?" Shelby blurts.

"I think it was a dilophosaurus, I may have been sent to the jurassic..." I wonder out loud as Riley sets a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

All this while, I notice Keeper being rather quiet, cryptically keeping to himself this whole time. When I catch his eyes, I know he knows something.

"Keeper? Do you know what i'm talking about?" As I address him, the whole room cranes their heads to see if he has anything to say.

"I believe your dream was more real than perhaps it seemed." I knit my brows together in comfusion amd curiosity, "The dilophosaurus, among a few others, was part of a group of creatures that originated from the jurassic period. The orange energem bonded to the spirit of the dilophosaurs long before any of the others existed."

"Why is that relevant?" Riley rightfully questions.

To which Keeper responds. "The older beasts have a deeper connection to the energems than that of the cretaceous species. This means that the individuals bonded to these jurassic energems need to have a near unbreakable bond to harness their power. I believe that the spirit of the dilophosaurus was testing your worth as the protector of the orange energem."

The group is floored. I look down at my energem, feeling the energy at my fingertips when I do so. "So, you only gave away a certain number of energems millions of years ago?"

"Indeed, I was only the keeper of 7 of the 13 energems. The others were safe on Earth for many millennia before." The robed mentor revealed. "I'm delighted that you seemed to have passed their test. I didn't expect any less."

As Keeper finishes speaking, the central console bleeps, to which Ms Morgan runs. "Alien biosigns nearby. It's Fury..."

The rangers get up immediately and I stand up alongside them. A gentle hand against my chest holds me back however.

"We can handle him this time, you need to rest." Riley tries to assure me.

Before I can object, Ms Morgan agrees. "She's right. You should go home, your uncle's been hounding me looking for you."

"He's been looking for me?" I exclaim.

"Yes. He, save me and Prince of Zandar. Hit Fury with car." Koda recalls with a grin. He's then urged along by Tyler.

I sigh, "I should go and explain myself." I mumble, taking my dead phone and heading out.

• HEATHER •

*Knock**knock*

"Uncle Nathan!" I call out upon opening the door.

"ELIOTT!?" I hear a shout and rushed footsteps from upstairs.

When I do see my uncle, he pulls me into a desperate hug. "I'm so glad you're ok mate."

"Uh, thanks. Sorry for worrying you." I apologise, glancing at the floor.

Nathan's tone suddenly shifts, "Would you like to explain why you disappeared for almost 2 whole days with no warning?"

I immediately shrink in on myself, having expected some reaction of this kind. "I was on a dig with my friends from the museum," I can't tell if he believes me or not, the look on his face in completely unreadable.

"Well, the cat's litter box is full. I aint gonna burn my nose hairs out cleaning that thing again." He finally says.

All of a sudden, my dino comm goes off in my back pocket. Nathan gives me a funny look but I head straight to my room to answer it. "Ms Morgan? What's up?" I ask lowly.

"The other rangers are in trouble, come back to base I think Keeper wants to see you." She instructs before signing off. I leave my room, rushing down the stairs and heading to the door.

"Hey! Where are you going?" I pause as my uncle stops me in my tracks. "You just showed up and you're running off again."

"Sorry Nath, work emergency at the museum." I lie through my teeth and bolt out the door.
 
• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

Fury, along with a hoard of Vivix and three spikeballs trash the city in an effort to draw the rangers out. "Where are you rangers? I'm on borrowed time with master Sledge, and I won't squander it again!"

"I wouldn't count on it." The monster turns to the source of the voice, the 5 remaining core rangers having finally appeared.

"You. You took my precious Ptera-zord from me, for that you will suffer. Vivix, attack!" Fury orders, sending the foot soldiers to do battle.

A gold flash of light then soars past, slicing through a dozen or so vivix at once. The light being Ivan who had finally shown up to the fight. "I think you are missing someone." He taunts Fury.

"Perfect timing," Tyler exclaims, taking out his dino charger. "Rangers, It's morphing time! Dino charger!"

"Ready!"

Ivan follows suit, morphing alongside them and diving head first into battle. Tyler goes straight for Fury, while the other five split between the spikeballs and the remaining Vivix.

"Don't think you'll get away this time Fury!" Tyler jeers, dodging a sweep of the monster's sword.

"Don't think you'll best me again red ranger!" he roars back, landing a surprise kick to his abdomen. "This time," he punctuates with a blast of lightning from his blade, sending Tyler to the ground. "I've got new tricks."

"Tyler!" Shelby yells, her concern distracting her long enough to leave her open to an oncoming swing from one of the spikeballs.

"Kendall!" She says into her comm, "It's rough out here, we need backup!"

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

I slide down the entrance shaft, catching Ms Morgan and Keeper's attention as I do. "Keeper, Ms Morgan said you wanted to see me?"

"Yes, your teammates are in danger. I think it is time for you to discover a new, ancient power." Keeper reveals, gesturing to Ms Morgan who plucked a new set of dino chargers from the charger synthesiser.

"These, are the jurassic chargers..." My eyes widen as I observe the new chargers. "Your energem emitted so much energy while you were unconscious that I was able to make these just off of the residual."

She offers me the chargers, with Keeper giving a firm nod when I glance at him. "Alright," I say, closing my fist around them, "You can count on me."

As I jog to the doors, Ms Morgan stops me, "Oh, and Eliott." I turn at the entryway, "We found a gold ranger." I nod with a curt smile before darting off to help my friends.

• HEATHER •

"It's finally high time that I end you red ranger!" Fury growls, raising his sabre in the air. In a flash, the sword flies from his hands with smoke permeating from his scorched paws.

"It's high time you shut your trap, Fury!" I spit, lowering my sniper.

"Eliott!" I hear Tyler shout.

"Why must you always ruin everything!" Fury seethes.

"Dino charger, ready!" I announce, clicking my charger and morphing.

The enemy forces regroup, allowing the team to gather together again. "Good sir!" I find a gold hand extended before me, "I am Sir Ivan of Zandar, gold Ptera-ranger. It is my pleasure to make your aquiantance." The man bows theatrically after I shake his hand.

"Uh, thanks? You too." I nod. "Let's send this kitty back to his cage with these new dino chargers." Opening my belt, I pull the matching Ptera and Stego chargers out. and extend them to Koda and Sir Ivan.

"New powers, for us?" Koda questions, admiring the device.

"You two ready?" I ask, gaining two receptive nods in return. "Righty then. Jurassic chargers-"

"Ready!" The three of us exclaim in unison, "Jurassic Warriors, armour on!" As we activate the chargers and throw them in the air, our dino/pterosaur spirits appear before enveloping us in orange, gold and blue. Once the light fades, out new forms are revealed.

Koda's usual suit is covered in armour - his helmet and back are lined with sapphire plates and his forearms have smaller plates lining them.

For Ivan, his cape doubles in size - it connects to his elbows like a set of real wings, ending in two gold daggers while the crest on his helmet becomes more pronounced.

My suit sprout claws at the tips of my fingers - the helmet crest grows larger and two pairs of razor sharp frills appear from my elbows to my wrists.

The other rangers gasp and awe at the new, primal mode we unlocked. "That's incredible!" Chase laughs heartily.

"What!?" Fury growls.

"Let's wrap this up guys. Jurassic rangers let's go!" With that, we three charge, taking on a single spikeball each. Ivan uses his daggers and wings to dodge and slash at the first spikeball. Koda sends the second reeling with his impenetrable plating before destroying it with the brute force of his fists. As for the third, it doesn't last long either, falling to the cutting edge of my frills and claws.

"Well that was simpler than usual." I comment as the entire team stand up, ready to face Fury. The monster stares us down, unmoving.

"Grrr, this is not the end rangers, Sledge be damned." He suddenly turns and runs, teleporting out of sight.

"Coward!" Riley yells, annoyed at his lack of spine.

At last, we demorph. "That was, amazing." Koda notes, and honestly I can't agree more.

• HEATHER •

"So you're from medieval times? That's crazy mate." I shake my head, and I probably wouldn't believe him if I wasn't already close friends with a literal caveman and a space wizard.

"Hey guys!" A soft voice greets, I look up and spot Heather walking over to us with a grin. "Oh and who's this new face?" She asks referring to Ivan.

"I am-" Ivan starts to say.

"Ivan." Shelby interrupts, "Ivan...Zandar. This is Heather by the way." She introduces the maori girl.

"Well it's lovely to meet you fair lady." Ivan greets, making some of us chuckle.

"You too Ivan." She replies, grinning from ear to ear.

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

"The transmuter will refine the power of your gold energem, so that I can create...dino chargers." Kendall explains to Ivan, plucking a gold dino charger from the transmuter tube and handing it to him.

I watch the exchange from across the table as Riley shows the knight how to insert the charger into his sword.

"Ptera Charger, engaged!" I hear as he snaps the weapon shut.

Bewildered, Ivan takes it back, "Truly magical." He comments.

Ms Morgan pipes up again, "Now over here are the crystal beds. Bring your energem, Riley and Chase will show you another way we use it."

I don't hear the conversation that ensues but I do notice Koda and Shelby bugging Tyler, who had been journaling up to this point.

Only a moment later, Ivan moves away from Ms Morgan and the boys. "Well, it has been a thoroughly entertaining afternoon, perhaps we'll see each other again soon." He announces with a traditional bow.

Riley stops him, "Wait, woah woah woah where are you going, you're part of our team now?"

"I have not joined your team," Ivan replies pointedly, "I am a knight of Zandar, when I pledge my loyalty, it is for life. I'm sorry, I can not make such a decision so hastily."

As he marches away, Shelby protests. "Wait what? Decision, he doesn't have a choice he is the gold ranger."

Our alarm blares, cutting off Shelby from saying any more. Ms Morgan rushes up to the panel, reading aloud, "Alien biosigns at the boat docks."

"We'll have to worry about Ivan later. Let's go." Tyler commands, and we leave a moment later.

• HEATHER •

We leap onto the docks, decked out in our ranger suits. Waiting for us is Poisandra, Curio, and a new monster clad in bone armour.

"Right on cue," she sneers, "time to take their bravery."

I tilt my head at her words, a little confused what she means by that. Tyler, nonetheless, bites back. "Don't get your heart set on it."

Slipping into fighting stance, Poisandra orders her Vivix to attack and each ranger splits off as per usual. I dive off the rail as they charge at me, landing on the roof of a nearby boat and blasting the two Vivix that try to jump after me. I smirk as they fall into the water and instinctively duck when another attacks from behind, joined by about a dozen others clambering up the side of the boat.

I roundhouse kick the first one, causing it to stumble and tumble into 5 or 6 others as it crashes into the waters below deck. "Take a dip, and don't come- back!" I exclaim, shoulder barging another two who drop into the waves too. I clean up the last few with my blaster and handspring off the dock rail to rejoin the others, who have moved on to fighting the monster.

I jump in after Koda gets outwrestled by the creature. "I'll break a bone or two." I taunt, driving my elbow directly into it's abdomen, only for pain to flare in my arm from the rigidity of his bone armour. A hiss escapes and I cry out as a follow up punch knocks me to the ground. "Crikey, he's hard!"

"Koda, Eliott! Are you ok?" Shelby worries.

"Skeletons are so in right now." Poisandra laughs at our misfortune.

"Time to remove some backbones." The monster, Bones, threatens. Suddenly, a long, sharp object soars into the ground, discharging an electrical pulse under the villain's feet.

"Hey, it's Ivan!" Tyler cheers as the gold ranger swoops in with his Ptera blaster, firing wildly.

"Hey i'm the hotshot." Groans Chase, annoyed at Ivan's well-placed sharpshooting.

The knight pulls his sabre from the tiles, dueling the alien with relative ease. Poisandra panics and teleports away, her parting words being "You better watch your backs!"

"Good riddance." Ivan states. Heads turn as he leaps over our heads and leaves.

Insistent as ever, Shelby comments, "Ivan's got to join us, i'm gonna go talk to him." The remaining five of us stand and watch her chase after him.

• HEATHER •

After the battle, me and the other guys stroll the docks, a slow route back to the museum.

"Sir Ivan's a little bit too big for his boots." Chase comments as we enter an underpass.

"Oh, then we just get him new boots, yes?" A chuckles slips out as I'm reminded of how little Koda understands of modern sayings.

"Not exactly," Riley corrects, "I think Chase is just jealous of Ivan's skills."

"Ouch." The kiwi jokes.

"-Look out!" Tyler shouts. Before I can react, something rigid snaps around my sides and pins me on the spot.

An evil cackle draws my attention, Bones steps out from the shadows ahead.

"You think some bones can hold us!?" Chase spits, trying to snap the bone binds that lock his arms to his sides.

"Haha, you're pretty brave now. Out of my way!" He shoves Tyler aside to stand behind him. "We'll see how tough you are after I take your courage!"

The monster shoves his hand through Chase's back - white light shining from the spot. When the ranger starts to giggle as if he is being tickled, he retracts the fist. "Oh, wrong one. That's your funny bone!" The hand is driven back into Chase's body, "I'm looking for your...backbone!" He exclaims as a bone is pulled from my friend's spine.

"Leave him alone." Tyler demands.

"Ah, won't need those anymore." Bones comments, slipping the bone into his basket and relinquishing the restraints.

Chase gets a horrified look on his face and starts stumbling back and pleading to be left alone. "Get back, stay away from me!"

The monster tauntingly marches at him, "Come on ranger, show a little backbone! Oh wait, you can't, 'cause I have it!" He cackles before turning back to us four. "And now, for the four of you."

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

Shelby turns the corner to the underpass, Ivan close behind her. "You won't be disappointed, they're as brave as any Knight of Zandar." She promises.

However, as they look ahead of them, they see the allegedly brave rangers cowering against a wall as Curio teases them. Riley and Tyler clutch a life raft like a shield while Eliott, Chase and Koda 'hide' behind a fishing net like children hiding from monsters under their covers.

"They're a pack of lily-livered fools." Ivan states in something between disappointment and shock.

Stomping her way up to the monsters, "What have you done to them!? She orders, scaring Curio away. "This isn't normal I, uh-" she tries to tell Ivan, who looks like he doesn't believe a word.

"Oh! It's the gold ranger, we can't risk losing again!" Poisandra cries.

Bones agrees, "You're right. We already have five rangers, let's go tell Sledge how well we did!"

"Brave as a Knight of Zandar?" Ivan says as the monsters retreat, "m-hm..." The hum is clearly sarcastic.

"Wait, Ivan!" Shelby tries to call after him, but he ignores her pleas and departs.

• HEATHER •

"No, I don't wanna go!" Koda cries as the pink ranger tries to shove him into the Rex trapdoor.

"Get, in there!" She growls, tickling him to make him fall in. As he does, she twists the switch tooth, sending him down the chute head-first.

The other guys gasp or call out his name in shock. "W- wait! Isn't there another way in!?" Eliott begs, but she responds by grabbing his arms and trying to drag him up to the mouth.

"Shelby! Chase!? Is everything ok?" A feminine voice calls out from nearby. Heather.

"Listen here you wimps." Shelby snaps in a quiet hiss, "That lady will do awful things to you if you don't get in this tunnel right now." The boys glance at each other, eyes wide, before clambering to get into the trapdoor.

"Please, don't let here hurt us!" Tyler whines as Shelby drops the four of them into the tunnel at the same time, forcing a yelp out of them.

Shelby follows suit, right as a confused Heather wanders into the storage area, looking around in her Dino Bite Cafe hat. "Hello?...Coulda sworn I heard someone..." She mutters.

• HEATHER •

As Ms Morgan glues her eyes to the scanners, Shelby approaches from over her shoulder, "Any sign of Ivan yet?"

"No, if Sledge's monsters attack now, you're gonna have to fight with the boys wether they're ready or not."

Shelby clicks her tongue, "I doubt they're gonna be much help."

On cue, Koda squeals and comes sprinting out of his cave screaming "Mouse!", sending the others into a panic. They jump up on the tables and scream when the little white rodent emerges from Koda's room.

"There it is!" Tyler shrieks, jumping and clinging to the steel support beams.

Also on cue, the scanner alarms go off, alerting the girls to the presence of monsters in Amber Beach again. "Ugh, this isn't good!" Shelby comments as Ms Morgan summons the 3D map on the central console.

"Bones is back, and he's got company." The director points out the red markings just outside the city.

"There's Ivan!" The ranger notices as she zooms in and sees the honey gold mark nearby.

"He's heading toward Bones!" Kendall exclaims.

Making eye contact, "I have to help him." says Shelby, marching off.

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

I resist the force of Ms Morgan as she tries to shove me through the sliding doors, "You've got to go- help!"

Slipping from her grasp, I and the others scramble and dive behind a stack of crates for cover.

"And fight that meanie!?"

"I don't wanna go!"

I huddle behind a box with Chase in front of me, he's braver than I am! Riley also hides behind me, clutching my arm as I clutch Chase's shirt sleeve. "Guys, seriously come one! Please?" Kendall pleads.

"There are monsters out there!" Riley points out over my shoulder.

Keeper plants himself firmly next to Kendall. "Shelby and Ivan need your help." He states the obvious.

"But Keeper, we're...we're too scared." Comes Riley's timid reply.

"Bones took only a symbol of your bravery, but not your bravery itself. Is there any battle you would not fight to save your friends?" The alien questions us, to which Tyler responds.

"Of course not."

"Then you see. Everyone has fears," he continues as Ms Morgan nods along, "but true courage is finding the strength to fight, even when you are afraid."

"Shelby and Ivan..." Chase starts.

"Against that monster..." Riley adds.

"They must be terrified." I finish.

"They, counting on us." Comes Koda's unsure-sounding voice.

Finally, standing to his feet, Tyler moves away from the crate. I loosen my vice grip on Chase's sleeve and swallow my nerves as I follow. "We can't...we won't let them down."

Right as he says that, four glowing bones fly into the base and enter our bodies with a sudden rush of bravery returning to me.

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

Ivan yells as he is tossed to the ground, finding his arms hastily grasped by the grubby hands of the Vivix. "Unhand me you bea-"

"Even the bravest of rangers can't beat me alone! Time for you to lose your backbone!" Bones cackles, but the revving engine of a vehicle interrupts his laughter.

"Think again!"

"What!?Hey!"

Shelby rides into the battlefield on the dino cycle, swiftly planting a kick to a Vivix mid-air as it tries to attack her. "She's next, get her!" The monster orders.

"Energise! Dino morpher blast!" She yells, gunning down the foot soldiers as she lands. She flips of the seat and the cycle splits in two, savagely attacking the minions as they come.

"Back off bonehead!" She demands, swooping over Bones' head and kicking him back with all her might.

"M'lady!" Ivan shouts in surprise, "Alone and yet, such courage."

"Get rid of that pink niusance!" Barks the pink bubblegum nightmare. Despite her grand entrance, Shelby finds herself overwhelmed and is forced to demorph. Ivan calls out to her in worry.

"I'll deal with pink ranger later. For now, your spine is mine." The monster threatens.

"...Not so fast!" A sudden flying kick knocks Bones off his feet as Tyler and the other rangers arrive. "You forgot about us you bag of bones."

"But that's impossible!" The monster sputters as Riley helps Shelby to her feet again. "I took your backbones- huh!? They're gone! You've regained your bravery!"

"We've lost ours, run Curio!" Poisandra wails, retreating in a flash of light.

Ivan, free of his captors, rejoins the rest of the group. "Thank you rangers. Perhaps I shouldn't have doubted your courage."

Chase gives him a curt nod and a small smile, "No worries mate."

"And now, 'tis morphing time! Dino charger!"

"Ready! Energise, unleash the power!" The rangers morph, "Dinosaur might, ready to fight!"

Ivan splits from the main group as they disperse and battle the Vivix. "Ptera-bolt!" He exclaims, blasting focused beams of light, while Bones tries to shoot him with some kind of laser ring.

In an effort to evade, Ivan takes to the air, coming down on Bones with a lightning-powered slash. "Summon Ptera-sabre!" He pulls a charger from his belt, activating it and sliding it into his sword. "Jurassic warrior mode! Armour on!"

Once in his new form, the knight rushes forward at the speed of lightning, slashing the monster with his wing-blades, charged with thunder.

"Let's double the power!" He shouts, taking another charger and inserting it into the brace on his wrist. Upon activation, an immense stream of lightning crackles from his arms "Lightning bolt!" He yells, thrusting the electricity forward, blasting Bones to the ground.

"All right!" Shelby cheers as she joins him. "So, looks like you found your knights."

"Ineed Lady Shelby." He agrees. The second Ptera-charger is then presented to her from the man. "Try this." He offers.

"Sweet!" She comments, happily taking it from his fingers and sliding it into the barrel of her blaster. 'Ptera-charger, engaged!'

Ivan follows her lead, using his last charger in his belt. "Triple power!" 'Ptera-charger, engaged!'

Together they finally end Bones with a double-attack final strike.

"Magna beam incoming!" Comes Ms Morgan's wary voice through the comms, and surely enough, the titanic beam rains down from the sky. A second later, and Bones has grown to the size of a citadel.

Ivan promptly summons his Ptera-charge megazord, as do the other rangers with their Dino-charge megazord.

"Power rangers!" The gold ranger exclaims once both cockpits are filled.

"Together!" Tyler adds.

Bones tries to attack the main megazord, but with the support of the Ptera-charge megazord, he stands little chance of survival.

"I'm being fossilised!" He cries out as he falls.

"Monster vanquished."

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

Our group listens intently as Ivan starts to tell us the story of how he became the gold ranger. "I was riding with the young prince, it was a day like so many before and a day like none that would follow." He mysteriously narrates.

I can't help but feel a little transfixed with the way he recounts the story.

"When the prince became thirsty, we stopped beside a creek. And there it was, glistening in the water...the gold energem." He sighs almost wistfully, as if he were reliving the moments again. "I was able to keep the monster from harming the young prince. But when he blasted us the energem was knocked free and the powerful beast revealed himself to be...Fury. I was certain he would destroy me, but instead, the energem sent a bolt of power up Fury's sword and across mine, bonding me with the spirit of the Pteradactyl-"

"Pteradactylus." I blurt, and immediately cover my mouth once I realise what I just said. The group sends judgy glares back at me. "Sorry, go on."

The knight's lips quirk a little but he continues nonetheless, "I struggled, I struggled mightily. But Fury was too strong, he dragged me into his dark and evil body. The energem fel into the creek, where I thought it was lost forever. Luckily, it was found by- ooooh what is that!?" He interrupts himself as a burger gets placed in front of him, much to the dismay of myself and the other rangers.

"Bronto burger!" Koda quickly answers, clearly excited more about the burger than anything else.

Ivan wastes no time in taking a bite, pulling a face of pure bliss as he does so. "Mmmmhm~"

"You want get fries?" Koda offers, to which he immediately agrees.

"Wait, how- how does it end?" Tyler stops him before he can run off.

"Oh you know 800 years of darkness and then you saved me and here I am." He shrugs, waltzing off. Them coming back right after, "Oh, and as I said. A knight's loyalty is forever. I'm honoured to be a part of your team."

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

The clashing of swords rings throughout camp, green and gold trading blows as either one dodge and shift around the trees.

"Nice one!" Riley comments, responding to a clever play with his own swordmaster tricks.

Just across from the two, Tyler balances one one hand in nought but his shorts.

Koda practises parkour between the trunks, passing by a similarly focused Shelby throwing punches and kicks at her dummies. As things wind down, ranger after ranger stop to rest and join both Chase, clad in suit, and Ms Morgan, clad in regular clothes.

"Ms Morgan, I get training's important, but you want me to fly through that concrete wall?" The kiwi questions.

"Correct." She affirms. "The Dino Armour X jaws are designed to be that tough. It works with black energem power."

"So why is the charger orange? Does it not work with orange energem power?" Tyler asks as he throws a shirt on.

"We've tried." Ms Morgan sighs. "Theoretically, it should - as it thrives on patience and intuitivity-"

Riley buts in, "So all the things Chase isn't?"

"-but," she gives a look before continuing, "it was the black energem that matched the energy signature of the Dino Armour X charger. For whatever reason, it's more responsive to Chase's energy than Eliott's."

At the mention of Eliott's name, Chase glances around, noting his absence. "Speaking of, where is he?"

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

"Are you sure I couldn't join my mates for staff training?" I complain as myself and my uncle enter the white concrete jungle.

"It's your cat Eliott, and I already emailed your boss dude, you're fine." Nathan responds.

'Ew, "dude"?'

"You absolutely did not just call me dude. Disgusting behaviour." I cringe, facepalming. I try my best to forget it as we approach the front desk, where a young lady sits at reception.

"Hello there, how can I help you?" The woman asks in a vaguely southern tone.

"We've got a booking for little fella's worm and flea treatments. Should be under the name Puss." I state, hearing a detatched meow from the carrier in my left hand.

The lady punches the keys on her computer before directing us to the room, which we leave for promptly. As we turn the corridoor, a distinct bleep comes from my coat pocket and I still.

Nathan hadn't heard the sound and keeps walking for a moment. I stride up to him and all but shove the carrier into his arms. "Work emergency, you'll have to take him sorry!" I hurry to say as I ignore his protests and leave quickly, pulling my comm from my pocket as I sprint out of the building.

"Alien biosigns nearby. The others are already on their way." Ms Morgan's voice plays out through the speaker.

"Got it, but you need to time these better." I comment before taking off in the direction of the coordinates she sent me.

A couple minutes prior ...

*3rd person pov

"Have you seen Chase or Heather? They're both an hour late for work." Shelby frustratedly asks Koda as he wipes down a table.

"Uh no..." He admits.

She picks up the beverage crate on the table and storms into the kitchen, catches the tailend of Riley's relieved sigh. "Breakfast rush, done."

"Don't relax now." She warns, setting the item on the counter with a huff. She's evidently still in a bad mood because of Chase's mockery of her love of the N-Zed Boys earlier. "Lunch rush."

At that point, the kitchen doors swing open and the two brunette kiwis finally show up.

"Chase, where have you been? Both of you guys actually!" Shelby scolds them both. Heather at least has the decency to look apologetic. "I need to go and get tickets for the N-Zed Boys concert tonight!" She rants, franctically untying her apron.

"Sorry Shelby, we were just hanging out at my mom's shop and we lost track of time." Heather apologises, wincing at the searing glare she gets in return.

"Right."

"No worries," Chase interrupts, "i'm sure they've got heaps of tickets. They're not that popular." He casually reinstates, a dismissive tone lacing his words.

Shelby sighs and moves around them to hang up her apron, turning around with the N-Zed Boys logo strapped across her shirt.

Once Chase sees this, his eyes widen and he exclaims "Oh you are one of those crazy fans!"

"Chase-" Heather tries to interject but gets cut off by the radio.

~ "And that's the N-Zed Boys, the Kiwi sensation! If you were planning on seeing them tonight, too bad! They are completely. Sold. Out!"~

"No, no!" Shelby throws her head and arms into her hoodie against the table and squeals in frustration. "This was my one chance to see them in concert and now i've missed it!"

"Na you're not missing anything. Trust me." Chase says in some backwards attempt to soften the blow.

"I know you think they're lame. I got that." Her voice breaks a tad as she dejectedly leaves.

"What was that?" Heather pointedly asks Chase, who gives her a confused look. "We hurt her feelings."

"Nah she's fine." He argues matter-of-factly, oblivious to how she feels. Suddenly, something bleeps in their pockets, except Heather's.

"What was that?" She asks, being ignored by the boys as they share a glance and hurry out. "Woah where are you guys going?"

"Ms Morgan needs us." Tyler lies before he follows Riley, Chase, Koda and Ivan out the cafe.

"Well I guess this is what I get for turning up late." She mumbles sarcastically, her usual bubbly demeanor popped .

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

When I arrive, pre morphed, I run into Poisandra and Curio who are supposedly fleeing. "Feeling yellow today are we?"

"Gasp!" Poisandra cries. "It's the orange one! Curio, protect me!"

"I've seen pigeons with more gall!" I spit, charging them both. "Dino Steel, armour on!" Once I have access to my Dilo-Chakram, I split it in half and fight the monsters two-to-one.

I parry a punch from Curio and throw him over my back as he charges, falling directly onto Poisandra. They tumble to the ground together in a pile of fabric and tears.

I bare my blades but i'm stopped by my comm, with Ms Morgan on the other side. "Eliott, the others may need your help. Those two aren't worth it yet."

"Ugh, fine. But count your lucky stars." I warn the monsters before taking of into the woods.

When I catch up with the others, Wrench and a treasure chest monster seem to be arguing. Before I can make my presence known, the monster grabs a stone slab from its body and tosses it into the air where it multiplies and grows larger.

Glancing back down, I see my friends in the crossfire. "Guys! Look out!" I yell as they dodge the first set, provoking a cackle from the monsters.

I see Chase stand and place a charger into his weapon. 'The Dino Armour X charger!'

Something goes wrong however, as his morpher overloads in a orange flurry and he finds himself thrown to the ground.

"Pathetic!" The monster mocks loudly.

I speed up as it does the same move again, running for the first people I can get to. "Chase, Koda, Riley!" I shout, tackling the three of them with all my weight out of the way of the falling slab.

Our bodies hit the ground with a thud, and I jolt my neck around to see Tyler, Shelby and Ivan not so lucky. They struggle under the weight of one slab, which then becomes two and three.

"No!" I shout in tandem with Chase as they buckle under the weight and they disappear into the earth

"Oh no! Shelby, Tyler, Ivan!" The kiwi exclaims.

The monster speaks up again, "I'll crush you into the ground like the others!" As I watch the stone slabs appear in the sky, anxiety fills me.

"Guys, run!" Chase orders, scrambling to get out of the way. I bolt it for the second time today, bobbing between the trees until we're far enough to be safe.

"I think we're outta range!" Riley notes, slowing down by an old oak tree.

Randall pulls his comms out first, radioing the others. "Shelby, Tyler, Ivan. Are you ok!?" He asks, genuine concern in his voice.

I see a scrambled feed over his shoulder, but Tyler's face is recognisable through the static.

"The slab pushed us deep underground. There's a pocket of air but, it's not gonna last long." He heaves heavy breaths as he says so.

Before he cuts off I speak up, "Guys, I know it's hard at that depth but try to breathe slow, in through the nose and out through the mouth to slow your heart. We're gonna get help." I assure them as the feed finally cuts.

• HEATHER •

"We've gotta hurry. I know I can save them if the Dino Armour X charger works." Chase frets as Ms Morgan opens the charger transmuter.

"There's nothing wrong with it." She reveals, handing it back to Chase. I stand next to Keeper on the opposite side of the central console.

"What!? Something's definitely wrong with it."

"It worked when you tested it and the transmuter says it works now." My boss replies. "Somehow the problem...is with you."

This leaves Chase with wide eyes and he immediately gets defensive. "You think i'm the problem?"

With a sigh, she turns to me. "Eliott, I know it's a long shot but if it won't work with black energy, maybe it will work with orange? It originates from dilophosaurus power anyway?" She slips a blank charger into the transmuter. "I'll adjust the Dino Armour X charger."

The frustrated New Zealander steps away momentarily before turning back to the rest of us. "There's no way this is my fault!" He expresses desperately, his shoulders slumping with disappointment.

The ever quiet alien to my right gets Chase's attention. "The black energem bonded with you not just for your bravery, but for your heart too."

"Come again?" He blinks.

"If your energy has been disrupted by doing something that is not true to your heart, the dino charger may not work." Keeper explains, suggesting Chase's behaviour caused this - although i'm not sure what he means as I missed training and lunch.

'Damn vets...'

"You think I did something wrong? The man says, softer this time. His contemplation is broken by our comms alerting us again.

Shelby's voice comes through it baited breaths, "Guys, I think...our air it...it's almost gone..."

Ms Morgan runs to the central console, investigating the alarm that rings out. "Their Oxygen levels are near critical. We're out of time." She then shoves the Dino Armour X charger into my hands. "I don't know if this will work without black energy but it's our only chance."

I nod silently, glancing at Chase, who's gaze is on the floor, before jogging out of the room to try and save my friends.

"The lives of your friends are in your hands, time is of the essence rangers."

"Not helpful Keeper." I mutter on my way out.

• HEATHER •

Outside the museum, a familiar voice cuts through the air.

"Oi! Eliott! Where are you going?" My heart sinks as I turn to my uncle, inconveniently having showed up to the museum in search of me.

"Nathan, I swear this is not the time-"

"Are these lot your mates?" He asks, squinting at them. Almost like he recognises them.

I flit my gaze back to the three of them, silently urging me to go. But I can't, not with my uncle here holding me up, he'll get too suspicious. I grip the charger in my hand before I make up my mind.

'The others are in danger Eliott, get it together'

"Chase?" I jog up to him quickly, slipping the charger into his pocket without my uncle seeing. "I know you can do it, i'll be right behind you."

"That's Chase?" My uncle says warmly, "isn't he the one you-"

"Yes, Nathan. He is the one from New Zealand. Remember?" I interrupt him extremely pointedly and hurriedly shoo the others away, each with confused looks at the exchange.

Thankfully, my uncle shuts up momentarily as they hurry off. I then turn back with relief. "Look, uncle Na-"

"What on Earth is going on with you, Eliott? And what's going on with that lad?" He asks, a mixture of frustration and concern in his features.

I immediately feel bad for keeping secrets, despite knowing how concerned he gets sometimes. "Please, Nath', can I explain when I get back. This is an emergency."

"It always is." He sighs.

"Yes, it always is." I repeat, throwing my arm around him in a one-arm hug. "I promise to explain when I get back, but right now I need to go."

He's quiet for a second, even as I retract from the embrace. "...Alright, i'll hold you to that kiddo."

"Thanks... love ya."

"Yeah, love ya too." With that, I go running after my friends.

• HEATHER •

As I sprint into the woods, my comm goes off. I slow down to pull it out and hear Shelby's voice come through. "Please...I think...running out..." She weakly says, and I hear Chase's 'no!' through the static.

"Chase." I say, still jogging. "What's happening?"

"Keeper said i'd done something to disrupt my energy, what could I have done...

...

...that's it. Shelby, I shouldn't have teased you about liking the N-Zed Boys. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings! But I did...and that threw off my energy so the Dino Armour X charger didn't work." He rants.

I fall silent as I listen, ultimately turning off the comm before anything else as I feel like i'm intruding on a personal conversation.

Finally, as I breach into the grove where everyone was, I see a flash of orange as Chase's hands become adorned in crocodilian jaw-like gauntlets.

"You're never getting past me black ranger!" Wrench threatens, brandishing his axe. But I have other ideas.

"He won't have to!" I retort, charging shoulder-first into the monster and knocking us both to the ground. I roll into a crouched stance and yell "Go get 'em Chase!"

I then occupy myself with Wrench, ducking his dizzy swings and serving him a steel knuckle to the face, followed by a swift knee to the abdomen and an elbow drop to the back to incapacitate him.

"My back!" He yells in pain.

The earth then starts to shake, and I turn to see Chase flying out of a steep pit a moment later alongside Shelby and the two boys with her.

Myself and two remaining suited rangers gather around the four, with Chase finally apologising to Shelby.

"Thank goodness you guys are ok." Riley breaths.

"We very worried!" Koda adds.

"Say that again." I agree.

"We very worried!"

"Not literally mate." The kiwi chuckles, helping the others to their feet.

"Yikes! They got out- more slabs!" I roll my eyes as the grating voice of that blue buckethead whines out again.

"You make it sound easy!" The chest monster complains.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" Chase asks rhetorically. "It's morphing time! Dino charger-"

"Ready!" Shout Shelby, Tyler and Ivan.

As the other half of the group morph once more, we activate dino steel and chase the monster to a more open battlefield.

"This time, i'll bury you!"

Tyler snaps back. "Not if we bury you first. Tyrannosaurus Rex, power ranger red!"

"Parasaur, power ranger black!"

"Stegosaurus, power ranger blue!"

"Velociraptor, power ranger green!"

"Triceratops, power ranger pink!"

"Dilophosaurus, power ranger orange!"

"Pterodactyl- uh, pterodactylus, power ranger gold!"

I smirk under my helmet as Ivan corrects himself after so many times of me doing it for him.

"Dinosaur might. ready to fight. Power rangers, Dino Charge!"

"You'll wish you had stayed underground!" Wrench jeers as Goldigger summons a swarm of Vivix.

"I'll deal with Mr Calgon over there." I say, leaping into battle with the rest of the team. I hastily slice my way through the vivix and beeline for Wrench as Tyler and Chase go for Goldigger.

"Uh oh! You again!" The tin-man cries out, shielding his face from my chakram. "You'll have to try harder to scratch me!" He mocks.

"Work smarter, not harder!" I quip as I break my weapon in half and quickly slash where he's not expecting, leaving his head vulnerable as he doubles over a bit. I seize the opportunity to bring my blade down as hard as I can.

A loud 'Schck!' can be heard all around all the head of the robot-monster clatters to the ground. "I did it! I got one!" I whoop.

"Ah! My head! Where's my head!?" I lose all excitement as I realise he's still alive, even when decapitated.

My attention is pulled by a vivix grabbing me from behind forcing me to tear my attention away from Wrench for a minute. But as I turn back, he's nowhere to be seen.

"Oh bugger!"

I begrudgingly rejoin the main group as Chase has the monster on his toes with the new weapon. "Guys, he's gonna multiply!" He points out. "Tyler, the dino spike."

"Got it. Dino charger, weapons combine!" I lend my chakram and help boost our red ranger into the air, who alongside Chase's spiral attack decimates the monster's stone slab and puts him out of commission.

"How unfortunate!" It wails before going up in flames.

I whistle in celebration as we cheer for Chase.

Our joviality doesn't last though, because a blue light forms in the clouds. But then, an idea pops into my head, call it intuition.

"Chase, look out!" I yell, grabbing a medium sized stone from the ground and hurling it as far up as I can.

Chase runs over to us as the magna beam rains down, but instead of a monster, a large boulder is left in its wake.

'Oh I can practically hear Sledge's roars from here.'

"The beam hit the stone!" Riley awes. "Nice thinking, Eli. That certainly saves us using the megazords."

"Well, mostly." I state, noting that the boulder will have to be moved, this is a dirt road after all.

"Hey Dillon. Come on out mate!" I summond my zord, who picks the boulder up in his jaw and launches it off the coast of Amber Beach. "Woah!" I yell.

"Awesome!" Tyler states as the boulder disappears into the sea.

• HEATHER •

🎵I never felt this kinda love before-🎵

🎵This kinda feeling that I can't ignore-🎵

Ivan suddenly bursts into the kitchen, ranting something about the customers before we all collectively shush him. "The song's about to end!" Tyler tells him, and he gasps before rummaging for his new phone.

~"It's sold out but you can still win VIP passes to tonight's N-Zed Boys concert of you're our ninth caller!"~

"Now!" Shelby orders and I hit 'call' on my phone as I wait for it to ring.

~"The boards are lining up, and it looks like we have our ninth caller!"~

~"I won? Wooooo oh my god"~

Shelby sighs loudly. "Wait a damn minute-" everyone looks at me expectantly, "I recognise that voice-"

~"Tell me young lady! What's your name?"~

I look as I hear the kitchen doors open, signalling Chase's entrance, his disappointed face a sign.

"My name's Heather!" We all hear as Heather comes running in, still in her waitress uniform.

~"See you at the concert Heather and friends!"~

"Woo!" Chase cheers as everyone celebrates, and even I can't help the smile I break into, even though i'm reminded of the heartache that she represents. I'm just chuffed for Shelby right now.

"We're all taking the night off." Ms Morgan says with a relaxed grin as Tyler hollers and runs to get the lock up keys. I follow everyone else out but catch Chase and Shelby staying behind.

But before we get ready, I have someone else to confront.

• HEATHER •

"Uncle Nathan?" I call out, finding him sat on the living room couch with Puss' furry head in his lap. I almost melt at the sight.

"Hey kiddo." He greets, and I sit down on the opposite couch, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"Look I-"

"No. I get it. You're not the teenager you were years ago, I understand that you're gonna wanna go off on your own. Be more independent and stuff. I just want you to know, I ain't trying to invade on anything, i'm just worried lad." His words are heavy, like he's been preparing them.

"I know. But I haven't been entirely honest with you either..." I swallow the lump in my throat before speaking again. "About Chase. He's...not like me, I know that. But, the thing is...I think I might-" I pause as if to mentally prepare myself to admit it. "I might be falling in love with him."

As I speak, Nathan listens intently with an unreadable expression.

"And when he's around this girl, Heather, it's like his whole world lights up, he livelier and it kills me everytime-" I cut myself off as my throat closes a little. "Sometimes, I just wish I were Heather."

He waits for me to continue. "I try to come off as hardy and strong but it's so...difficult...just- this. Talking about it." I hear shifting as I stare at the carpet, and the couch sinks as an arm wraps around my shoulders.

"I'm scared, uncle Nathan. I don't want to be in this state of heartache, but I don't want to risk our friendship either." I mutter.

After a moment, his voice returns. "I don't know him well mate. But anyone with a brain knows how lucky they are to know you. I certainly am, and I doubt this boy is any different. If he's a true friend, he'll understand. But move at your own pace, don't let anybody make you feel ashamed of feeling."

"...I love you Uncle Nathan."

"Love ya too kiddo. Now I believe you've got a concert to go to right?" He responds, noticing the N-Zed Boys wristband on my arm that Heather gave me.

"Yeah, you're right."

• HEATHER •

• HEATHER •

*Nathan pov

I sigh as I exit my car. "Another day, another day." The words roll off my tongue gently as I grab my jacket, with the R.A.F. logo stitched into the canvas material.

My keys twirl around my finger as the door shuts, and I turn to my door, the welcoming hickory wood a sign of home. But my eye catches something...a slight gap inbetween the frame and the door.

I push the door tentatively, to which it creaks in response as it slowly opens. My brow furrows in worry.

The first thing I notice past the door, is the mess of a clothing cupboard. My clothing cupboard. There's an on-edge-ness to the way I walk in, fists clenched at my sides as my senses stay alert.

"Eliott!?" I call out cautiously, wondering if my nephew had ve home early and made a mess on his way in. But silence lingers.

I then start to take note of the way certain things are misplaced or knocked over as I pass the living room afnd the kitchen. Cracked photos, open drawers and toppled ornaments.

"What on Earth?" I mutter, suddenly overwhelmed.

My shaky fingers clutch at my phone in my pocket, hitting 'call' on the first name that comes to mind.

• HEATHER •

*Eliott pov

"-great thank you. Director Morgan will get back to you in due time...you too." I set the phone down at last, letting out a huff before silently cheering to myself. A deal for a new fossil found in the Hanson Formation is almost sealed.

My cheering is interrupted by the jingle of my ringtone, and I see 'Unc Nathan x' show up on my screen. Accepting the call, his voice floods my ear.

"I need you to come home mate."

"Wait, why?" I question, wondering why he sounds so urgent.

"I think we've been robbed. The house is trashed and-"

"I'm on my way." I respond curtly, already on my feet, throwing my tangelo suit-jacket on and breaking into a hasty run.

I ignore the calls I get from my friends as I bolt past the café and out of the museum.

• HEATHER •

When I reach my house, I barge in through the door so fast i'm surprised it's still attached to its hinges. An 'I'm up here!' is what I hear as I catch my breath, and I follow it to my Uncle's bedroom, where he stands over his now decrepid dressing table. He picks up a lengthways jewellery box from the mess.

"You alright Nath'?" I exhale heavily. He looks back at me with confusion in his features.

"Yeah, yeah i'm...unscathed. They didn't, take anything. Like at all, except..." He trails off with a head shake, opening the box and displaying its hollow padding.

"I'm confused?" I say, not sure what he's getting at.

"My thumbstone."

I stare at him, accepting the box as he offers me to take a look. "What's thumbstone?"

"It's an extremely rare type of gemstone. Named that way because it was said to be formed from the sharp thumbs of an ancient mythical beast." He explains as he takes a seat on his bed, "I met a man many years ago, not much younger than I. He gifted me that stone before a big expedition he was on. Although..."

"Although what?" I ask after a pause.

"He never came back, it's like he was wiped off the face of the Earth. Ever since i've kept it in this box for safekeeping." I see a glimmer of melancholy in his face as he recounts it.

"Is there any reason someone could have took it?" The question lingers for a second before he responds.

"I'm not sure. There's myths about it being able to reawaken the same ancient creature from many millenia ago, but it's all fairytales, I assure you."

Then, something clicks. "What a minute. Nathan, is the stone a bright yellow or white?"

Shock stikes his face at the sudden question. "Yeah, it's yellow. How do you know that?..."

My jaw sinks to the ground, only covered by my hand. All this time. ALL THIS TIME, my uncle has had an energem in his dressing table. 'And I bet I know who stole it...'

"I'm gonna go call my boss, just a moment." I hurry downstairs and pull out my ranger comm, trying to get in touch with Ms Morgan.

"Eliott! What happened, you just ran off!?"

"My uncle has the yellow energem. Ms Morgan my UNCLE HAS THE YELLOW ENERGEM!" I whisper-yell, seeing her eyes practically pop out of her skull at the news. "But there's some bad news..."

"What!? Does he have it right now!?" She asks seriously.

"That's the bad news. We've been robbed, and the only thing taken was-"

"The energem." She gasps, typing furiously on her computer. "It had to have been Sledge, there's no way it wasn't. I'm gonna contact the other rangers now, meet us here?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." I say, closing the comm and pocketing it.

"So when were you going to tell me?" I freeze as I turn to see my uncle, clearly having snuck downstairs and heard that conversation.

I remain silent, too stunned to speak. When I do, he interrupts me. "It's not what you thi-"

"You're a power ranger." He states plainly, shutting down any chance of me convincing him otherwise. "You've been picking fights with aliens and putting your life at risk in the meantime. Is that why you were missing? Was it them who trashed our home?" He accusingly interrogates.

For a minute I say nothing, too tense to speak. The reality of it all suddenly hits, I had put my own life at risk with no regard for him or my parents, but what other option was there? Let the world burn when I could do something to stop it? When I finally meet his eyes again, I can only mutter out my next words.

"I need to go Nathan, that stone is more powerful that you can imagine. I need to get it back."

"...Then i'm coming with you. And I won't be hearing anything about it. I'll drive." He turns, grabbing his keys and leaving no room for arguement.

I'm shocked, glancing down for a moment. I snap back to reality at the sound of the door opening and go to follow him before I step on something with a 'crack!'.

My foot moves, and the two of us look at the empty cat bowl left in the hallway. I look at my uncle with wide eyes, "You haven't seen the cat have you?"

His lack of a verbal response tells me all I need to know. My jaw clenches in anguish and I storm out past him, swinging the car door open before glancing back. "Let's go." I nod, newfound anger running hot in my veins.

• HEATHER •

The car's engine whirrs to a stop as we pull into the staff parking area. My feet thud as I hop out, with Nathan following close behind with his keys in hand. "Your hideout is here?" He questions peculiarly.

"Not here, under here." I clarify, clambering into the jaws of the model T-Rex head. With the twist of a tooth, the trapdoor drops open and I disappear from sight. I vaguely hear  my name being called out as I slide into the base.

The sound of my shoes hitting the lab floor draws the attention of Ms Morgan and the other rangers, who's eyes buldge as Nathan slides in after me, only just sticking the landing.

"Eliott. What. Is he doing here?" Ms Morgan asks tightly.

"He's with me. And he knows." I reveal, ushering him forward.

"It you!" koda realises, recognising him somehow.

"Dude, you know the rules. We can't tell anyone." Tyler chastises me.

"I didn't tell him."

"-I figured it out." The room pauses for a beat before he speaks again. "I saw the lot of you fight the cat monster, the one I hit with my car."

"You hit Fury with your car!?" I exclaim, new to this information.

"Yeah, i'd been suspicious of Eliott ever since. But today confirmed everything." When Nathan finishes, I, alomg with everyone else, take a second to process his words.

"Well, regardless. You said you think Sledge's monsters stole the yellow energem. And that is our top priority." Ms Morgan moves the conversation away from us two at last.

"Well, luckily for you. I have CCTV, we can access it through the provider's website." I watch him take control of the central console and pull up the camera footage through the internet via our customer details.

~~~

"Search everywhere!" Growls Fury to the Vivix after he forces the door open, somehow without breaking the lock.

The minions start clumsily ransacking the whole house, checking in drawers, under objects, and inside cereal boxes in search of the yellow energem.

"Grrr, it's gotta be here somewhere, there was a huge energy signature here according to that tin can!" Fury stomps up the stairs and into the first room he can, a drab bedroom in dire need of refurbishing. "I know it's here!" He roars, carlessly rummaging through the room.

Eventually, his frustrations cause him to punch the dressing table, breaking it and leaving a mess of splintered wood on the floor. And there it is...a longitudinal case falls from a small drawer, opening upon impact with the carpet and revealing the canary-yellow subject of Fury's search.

"There, there is is!" He cackles, snatching it up. "Oh, Sledge will rejoice me for this! Huh?" His celebrations are cut short as a cashmere blur jumps from the corner of his eye.

He wails as a furry mass hits him in the face, with sharp claws slashing at him. It hisses and spits as he tries to wrangle it.

"Ah! You little rat!" He growls, clasping the beast by it's scruff and holding it in the air in suspension. "Ah, you little traitor!" He recognises the cat who had helped the rangers against Jailbreak. "I know what to do with you! Vivix!"

Fury places the energem in a container, before stuffing Puss into a sack brought along by a Vivix. His squirming and hissing makes Fury chuckle in delight. "We have what we need, now lets move!"

~~~

"That mangey little-" I pause right before Ms Morgan starts talking again.

"So Fury has it. This is bad."

"Fury was bad enough with the gold energem," Riley recalls, making Ivan cringe at the thought of it. "without a hinderance like last time, he'll be stronger than ever."

"It doesn't make sense." Shelby pipes up. "If it was there this whole time, why didn't they go for it before?"

To answer her question, Keeper appears, making uncle Nathan recoil in shock. "WHAT IS THAT!?"

"That, would be keeper. Basically a 6 foot Yoda." Chase answers, getting a puzzled look from the alien.

"You don't wanna know." I say to Keeper, seeing the question formulating.

"You guys have an alien mentor!?" Nathan asks with such absurdity in his voice.

"Shelby, " Keeper begins, "Each of the emergems have been dormant for millenia. They have been inactive, and thus harder to find, up until they were discovered. The only thing able to hide the signature of an active energem being a particular species of tree bark descended from the age of dinosaurs."

"You mean like Wollemi Pine trees?" Nathan suddenly asks, causing Keeper to tilt his head. "My box, the one I've kept it in all these years, it's made from Wollemi Pine wood. I only opened it for the first time in years yesterday."

"So they caught the brief energy signature and raided your home." Ms Morgan concludes.

Before any more discussion can occur, the alarm rings out and Ms Morgan runs up to the console to investigate. "Alien biosigns in Amber Beach, looks like Fury's back."

"He's challenging us with his new toy." Tyler deduces with a stern look on his face.

"Then we fight him." Koda supplies.

I make eye contact with Nathan, who sighs and begrudgingly gives a subtle nod as if to show his understanding.

• HEATHER •

*Nathan pov

I am forced to stay behind with the museum director - who also seems to be the ranger's 'woman in the chair'. She has her eyes glued to the console, observing the rangers as they leave to go and confront Fury.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around all this new information. My nephew being a ranger, my thumbstone gem being and 'energem'. It's a lot.

Although, as I sit and wait around, I can't help but feel a twisting feeling in my gut. Maybe it's guilt, for opening the box and indirectly leading monsters to my home or maybe it's worry, concern for my nephew and his friends going up against these evil monsters and aliens.

"They're almost there, Nathan can- where'd he go?" Kendall questions as she whips her head around.

• HEATHER •

*Eliott ppv

"The jig is up rangers!" Fury weakly taunts with a cocky flare I haven't noticed in a while. He stands before a small spaceship, it's dock open.

"The only thing that's up, is your time." Tyler quips back. "Dino charger!"

"Ready! Energise!"

We suit up as the cat-monster summonds a Vivix cavalry. "Attack!" He orders, and I leap into battle.

I fend off the foot soldiers with practised ease, a roundhouse flows into a dropkick that flows into a wide sweep of the legs. The minions topple quickly.

Tyler and Ivan however, in combat with Fury, don't have as good luck. I glance in their direction, seeing a mechanical gauntlet on Fury's forearm, a marigold glow emanating from within its cartridge.

I try to step in, but a fierce yellow blast to the chest has me reeling.

I'm helped up by Koda and Shelby as the other two boys charge Fury, though it's clear to me by now that Fury is exponentially stronger than previously, due to his exploitation of the yellow energem.

"He's too strong, we need to get that energem away from him." I comment, holding my side.

"But, how? He grow strong, like rhino." Koda asks.

"Look out!" Shelby call out a yellow fissure coming our way, and we dodge-roll out of the way. I demorph as my shoulder lights up with pain, he just about hit me.

Both blue and pink rangers stand up and get ready to fight as Fury stalks closer, all while myself and the other guys forcing ourselves off the ground.

"The end is near rangers. Ha!" He thrusts his gauntlet into the air, I watch as light gathers around the cartridge and pulse through the wires. "IGUANO-SPIKE! ARGH-" Fury suddenly starts crackling with what looks like electricity.

"What's happening to him!?" Riley exclaims.

"Oh how lucky you rangers are! When I get this thing under control, you're finished!" With that stroke of luck, Fury runs back to the ship and into the loading dock.

That's when a man emerges from the bushes and starts sneaking into the ship. 'Wait...that's uncle Nathan!'

"That utter prat!" I gasp, breaking into a sprint as the door starts to close and ignoring my team's cries. "Dino charger, energise!" I morph as I run at near breakneck-speed. The docking door clicks shut, but without a thought, I grab onto a small handle as the ship starts moving.

I yell in fear as the metal jolt forward amd upward, with the wind flying over the helmet of my suit that I physically can't hear myself shout. My muscles practically tear to shreds as the high-speed ship cuts through the atmosphere and into space.

Once we're out of Earth's gravity, my muscles relax as my weight no longer pulls on them. I have no time to relax myself though, as the looming metal carapace of Sledge's ship comes into view.

Finally, the ship slows as it pulls into the space dock, with a gargantuan metal gate closing shut behind me.

~"Doors closing"~

The sudden reintroduction of gravity has me biting my tongue in an effort to stay quiet, the pain of my arm muscles being stretched again akin to that of being put in Willy Wonka's toffee puller. Or so I'd imagine.

A moment passes, and the doors click, before slowly opening from top to bottom, and I am forced to hold onto the handle until I can silently place my feet on the floor. I thank my lucky stars that it isn't creaky.

I crouch under the ship, watching intently as Fury's feet step out of the spacecraft. "Damn useless junk." He grumbles, storming away.

Next, two tentative army boots gently touch the floor, only starting to mive as Fury himself in out of sight. Slipping out from under the ship, I sbeak behind my uncle, who himself was walking toes first in the direction of the door Fury left through.

I hear voices approaching so, in a wink, I clasp my hand around the man's mouth and drag him swiftly into a dark crevice in the framework. His noise of surprise and fear is suppressed by my gloved palm as he struggles.

"Shhh-" I hiss, slowly removing my hand and moving him behind me while the voices pass.

"What are you-" he begins to whisper.

"No. What are you thinking!?" I whisper-yell back, before steeling myself and taking off my helmet to rub the bridge of my nose.

"He has the energem and our cat El." He argues in a hushed tone amd I raise a brow.

"Our? You always call him mine."

"Shut up."

I survey the area, before poking out of the hiding spot and signalling Nathan to stay close behind me with my fingers. We creep through the rust-coloured halls, occasionally hiding from passing Vivix.

Eventually we come to a door, behind which I can hear loud voices in a heated exchange.

"I don't care scrap heap. Do something about it!" Fury yells.

A thud can be heard and a grunt of pain from Fury, right after the other person speaks.

"Shut your trap before I do something about you." An unknown, croaky, metallic voice growls out. "Now, sit down. Let me readjust the gauntlet." They order, and another two thuds can be heard, one for them dropping Fury, and the other sounding like Fury dropping into a seat.

"FURY!!!" Comes the distant roar I recognise as Sledge.

"Uh oh." Fury and the stranger run out of the room, or at least it sounds like it.

I glance at my uncle, nodding in sync as I reach for the 'open' button. The door slides open with a grating noise, and I observe the room. There's an operating chair, with mechanical materials littering every surface, even Wrench's disembodied and deactivated head lay on a table.

Wasting no time, I walk up to the workbench, where the makeshift gauntlet lay. I turn the device, leaving it palm down and exposing the cartridge to our eyes.

"That's it, my thumbst- I mean the energem." Nathan mutters over my shoulder.

"You mean my energem!" A voice groans out, and I pull Nathan out of the way as a large metal blade comes down on the table where we stood, instead hitting the gauntlet and freeing the energem from the device as it clatters to the floor.

I finally look at the assailant...it's...

"Wrench...sort of." I mumble, noting the terminator style replacements and upgrades all over Wrench's body, most prominantly his head, now bronze plated with a single blue eye, now molded into a scowl - contrasted to the tearful expession his old head had.

"Rah!" New Wrench grinds out as he rears his axe. I shove my uncle out of the way and start to fight the robot helmet-less.

"So what, you got a new memory card? Good thing you're still like junk, easy to dispose." I spit as I dodge another swing, this time by the blade incorporated into his arm like Baraka.

I punch and kick at the reinforced plating of his armour, only receiving sore ligaments in return. My body aches, slowing me down enough for an upwards slash to slash my suit, sending sparks into the air.

"Got you!" Wrench 2.0 exclaims, stalking closer and looming over me as I hit the ground. "What's wrong orange, feeling rusty?" He mocks as he brings his axe above his head.

"Eliott!" I hear Nathan cry out, and the frantic footsteps cross the room.

"What are you- the energem!" Wremch 2.0 realises as Nathan sweeps in up into his palm, sending the whole room into a tuscan flash. I cover my eyes to shield them from the glare, only opening them again when the glow dissipates.

"Nathan?" I say breathlessly.

He stands in a flashy yellow suit, with small bumb-like plates on his shoulders, a beak-shaped visor and horizontal sepia stripes lining the top of his helmet.

"You get away from my nephew bolt-brain." He threatens, before Wrench ignores his words and swings for him instead. My uncle ducks the slash and plants a powerful fist into the robot's abdomen. A sickening crack can be heard as Wrench flies back from the impact.

"My armourrrrrr- ppzzp- sjjkkk- k- k..." Wrench 2.0 starts to malfunction, giving Nathan time to pull me to my feet.

"Are you ok lad?" He asks in concern.

"I'll be better when we get out of here. That was...incredible." I respond, a soft smile on my lips as I lean into him a bit.

"Let's go then."

A few minutes later...

"Quick, get in." He urges me as I climb into one of the smaller ships. He pauses for a moment after the fact.

"What's wrong?"

"Stay here, I won't be a minute." I try to protest but he runs off into the hallways.

After a couple minutes of listening to the croaking metal of the ship, A yellow figure turns the corner, with something in hand.

"Puss!" I exclaim taking him from Nathan's arms as he clambers into the driver's seat. "I missed you boy." I get a soft trill in reply. I then turn my attention to my uncle again when he starts to mess with the controls. "You're gonna drive a spaceship!?"

"I'm gonna try. Can't be too different for R.A.F. planes right?" He chuckles to himself as he grabs the wheel/handle thing that the monsters use.

Before the engine starts, a deafening cry of pure unbridled rage erupts from somewhere nearby. "Someone just found Wrench. Let's go!" I comment.

With a rumble, the engine whirrs to life and the gate opens ahead.

• HEATHER •

*3rd person pov

The rangers try to get contact with Eliott through their comms, when one of Sledge's small ships starts descending from the sky at alarming speed.

"Uh, guys, might wanna get out of the way!" Chase yells as the first to notice, prompting everyone else to make a break for cover.

The alien ship very nearly crashes into the ground, scraping the hull against the dirt as it slows to a stop.

"Be careful, Fury might be back for more." Tyler warns, preemtively taking hold of his charger as the cockpit is kicked open by a yellow leg.

"Is that-"

"A yellow ranger!" Riley and Shelby say at the same time before the dust settles. "And Eliott! You're ok!" The green ranger notices the boy's head poking out of the cockpit as he clambers out, his cat in his arms.

"Wait," Ivan stops them, "then who is that?" He points to the masked yellow ranger, who removes his helmet to the groups shock, which quickly becomes cheer.

• HEATHER •

Back at the café, the rangers discuss their new member.

"Well, that's our eighth energem down..." Tyler comments.

"And that means there's only five left." Chase finishes with a smirk.

Eliott speaks up, "Might have stayed at six if it weren't for my uncle Nathan though." The man glances at said uncle, who gives him a one-armed hug.

"Just glad you're ok kiddo. Your mom and dad would kill me if you weren't." Most of the group let out amused chuckles, except Eliott who groans playfully.

"Such a sap." He jokes.

• HEATHER •