Chapter 0 - Project Omega I

2030
S.P.D. Prisoner Containment; New Tech City

The room within Delta Command was highly guarded. Two uniformed officers with side-arms stood in front of a plain looking door. It was located deep within the bowls of the base, but it housed the most dangerous criminals in the galaxy ever to be contained by S.P.D. operatives.

It was the most boring job. No one ever tried to get into that room.

Ever.

Cadets charged with guarding it were inevitably  bored and one was even dozing off where he stood. The other one was playing a game on a hand-held device. Neither of them noticed the gray spider crawling along the ceiling. There was a scary moment when the door slid open. They scrabbled for their sidearms, but there was no one to be seen. They walked into the room and checked everywhere. They even heat scanned in case someone was using an invisibility cloak. Nothing.

They radioed their superior officer and asked for further instructions. They were told to return to their posts and that a tech would be down soon to check the door. They walked out and the the door closed behind them.

The spider crawled out of it's hiding spot. It changed shape into the form of a young Asian man with short spiky black hair and dark gray eyes. He was dressed casually in jeans, a tee shirt and sneakers, instead of some cliche'd evil villain get up. "Too easy," he said to himself. He looked around. He was a room filled with little labeled drawers, reminiscent of a bank's safety deposit box room.

"And everything is neatly labeled. How kind of them," he said and walked over to drawer and began reading the labels. "Here we are," he said when he found the right section. He began pulling out cards. "Boring," he said and flipped it over his shoulder. "Boring. Boring. Boring. Hmm, these two might be fun," he said and kept two of he cards. He flipped through a few more, kept another one before getting bored and throwing the rest down. He paused when he found a card containing Emperor Grumm. "You wish," he said and threw it aside with the rest.

After some more card shuffling he finally found the cards he was looking for. "There we go," he said. He threw down four of the five cards and held one. "Sorry it took so long, sis," he said. He tossed the card in the air. He produced a staff and thrust it upwards. A beam of energy from the staff zapped the card.

A wind whipped the other cards around as the card glowed. A whirlpool of energy formed and a girl dropped out of it. She was an Asian girl with similar features as the young man. She wore a pink, slightly outdated S.P.D. uniform. She got to her feet and dusted herself off. She was highly annoyed. "All that work and planning. Ruined," she said and stomped a foot. She gripped her forehead. "I'm getting a headache. How long was I in there, Zuko?" she demanded.

"Five years. Sorry. I would have been here sooner but I was detained myself," he answered.

She made a somewhere between a scoff and snarl. "It's fine. Allying with the Troobians was a disaster on all fronts. And after all the trouble I went through infiltrating S.P.D., getting on A Squad and then corrupting the others," she looked down at herself and made a face. A puff of smoke enveloped her and her appearance changed. Her hair went up into a high ponytail and a punky pink/purple/black body suit with black leather boots to her knees, the heels of which were neon pink. A feathery shrug and a corset topped off the ostentatious outfit.

Zuko made a pair of sunglasses appear over his eyes. "Now I can look at you, Tamiko," he remarked. "We need to go," he said. He looked around and smiled. He waved his hand. All the drawers flew open and cards spilled out. Sirens began going off.

The two guards ran in. In all the the confusion of the cards flying around, they didn't notice the puffs of smoke as the two siblings disappeared, no longer worrying about stealth.

~-~-~

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean

Sydney Drew opened her eyes and felt woozy. She groaned and sat up in her bunk. She rubbed her head trying to remember why it was hurting. The last thing she remembered was Commander Sky Tate telling her that she was being transferred from B-Squad. That had surprised her. She'd been B-Squad Pink for the past five years. She and Bridge Carson were the only remaining members. Sky had been promoted to Commander and now ran the facility. Bridge had been promoted to B-Squad Red and Elizabeth 'Z' Delgado had transferred to the junior cadet facility to work with Commanders Johnson, teaching and training their younger cadets.

Sky had called both she and Bridge into his office on her birthday no less. "It's time to make room for fresh cadets to prove themselves. Both of you are being transferred," Sky had told them. "Bridge, you're being assigned to Galactic Command Interrogation Unit as per General Cruger's orders. Syd," he hadn't even bothered to look at her, the big jerk, "you'll be briefed on your assignment when you arrive."

That was the last thing she remembered. She hadn't even had a chance to ask questions or protest. Everything just went dark.

She paused and looked around. This wasn't her room. She shared a room with Kendra Johnson, the fresh-faced B-Squad Yellow. This was bigger but there was only one bunk. She looked around. All her things where there. "What is going on?" she asked the empty room shrilly. The headache was fading. She ran a hand through her curly golden hair and gasped. Her Delta Morpher was gone. "Someone owes me answers," she said. She marched toward the door. It opened easily.

She poked a head outside the door. There was no one in the hallway but several more doors. She headed down the hallway. When she came back to her room, she realized the corridor was a loop. She studied each door carefully then. She smirked in triumph when she found a lift. She pressed the button beside it and the doors whooshed open. "Destination," a computerized female voice requested.

"Command," she said. Her stomach gave a lurch as the lift began moving. She could feel that she was going down. She gasped as the lift cleared and revealed the ocean around her. She dropped through the teeming sea life for several yards. The Tube darkened again. Within moments the lift stopped. "Omega Project Command Deck," the voice said as the door opened.

"Thanks," Syd said sarcastically.

"You are welcome," the voice replied.

Startled by the response, Syd stepped off the lift, giving it a dark look. She looked around the Command Deck. There a lot of computer terminals. She jumped when a holographic woman appeared in the middle of the room.

"Forgive me for startling you," she said in the same voice as the lift operator. "I am Beta Z, I am the central computer of Project Omega. Please wait while here while the other's assemble," she instructed.

Syd nodded numbly. She couldn't believe she was looking at a computer. Beta Z noticed her looking and smiled. Freaky. It was like it was alive or something.

The lift opened and Beta Z's voice announced the Command Deck to two other people. They both wore S.P.D. uniforms. The tall blond with green eyes wore a uniform was splashes of navy. The other one was younger than either of them. He had black hair and blue eyes. His uniform was splashed with black. They were talking as if they were familiar with each other. Syd knew neither of them even by sight.

"Maximilian, Zeke," Beta Z greeted.

"Beez!" they both said, surprised.

"And don't call me Maximilian," the younger guy said. He spotted Syd and grinned. "Well, hello," he greeted.

"Down boy," the one called Zeke said as if talking to a puppy. "What's this all about?" he asked the hologram.

"Please, a little more patience," Beez beseeched them. Three screens lit up with three different people on them. All seemed to be in their 40s. One of the men was a blond with glasses and short hair. He wore a set of coveralls and had a grease smear on his cheek. Another was a woman with a haphazard blond bun in a lab coat. The one in the middle was a guy with dark hair, dark eyes, and a neat goatee. None of them looked like S.P.D. personnel to Syd.

"Dad?" Max asked. "Or Mace, because I totally get you guys mixed up. Wait no. Mace doesn't have a dead badger on his face," the young man remarked.

The blond guy in glasses started laughing.

"Most kids respect their parents," the man said.

"Quit braying, Danny," the woman said with a sigh though it was obvious she was trying not to laugh as well.

Syd cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me," she raised her hand. "Hi. Abducted from Delta Command no idea who any of you people are. Can we get on with the explanation part?" she asked.

Zeke smiled. "Quite right," he agreed. "Abducted from KO-35 Delta Base. No clue what's happening either," he said.

"Jeeze, Dad. Seriously?" Max said said.

"It was necessary. We apologize. It's best none of you know where the Omega Base is located. You're the only ones who'll ever be there. We will communicate with you via these terminals and others located throughout the base. I am Dr. Davis-Doyle--"

"Feel free to call her Dr. Billie," the blond man interrupted the woman, earning him an exasperated eye roll. "I'm Dr. Daniel Kennedy. Danny is fine," he added.

"And I'm Xavier Hart. You can all call me Commander Hart," he said and pinned Max with a stern look.

"Dad, you retired. Like five years ago," Max said, ignoring the look completely. "Remember? You punched Commander Birdy in the beak and you quit instead of getting fired," he prompted, as if trying to stir his father's memory. The two scientists started laughing again.

"Yes, I am quite aware of those events. However, once Commander Cruger took over S.P.D. He asked me to return to help with a special project, which I will tell about if you would stop flapping your lips for two minutes. Remind me again why he was chosen for this," he said to the doctors.

"He's a Hart," Dr. Billie shrugged, as if that explained it all. "He did the whole over-achieving, top of his class, acing all the tests Hart thing," she added.

Max grinned.

Syd raised her brows and looked at the young man in a new light. He couldn't even be out of teens yet but it sounded like his record was impressive.

"We're still waiting for the explanation," Zeke reminded them.

"Right. As Billie was saying, you're the only inhabitants of Omega Base. The location is secret. You are allowed to leave. You will be outfitted with the ability to teleport. Each teleport will be scrambled so that no one can trace you. No one knows this base even exists. Only a few people even know about Project Omega. Your needs there will be fulfilled by Beez's droids. You'll have anything and everything you need." Commander Hart stated.

"So what is Project Omega?" Syd asked.

"A fugitive retrieval unit loosely connected to S.P.D."

"Loosely?" Syd asked. That sounded strange.

"As Cadet Hart pointed out, I'm officially retired from S.P.D."

"And we don't work for them," Danny added. Billie shook her head.

"Then I don't understand," she said, flabbergasted.

"We started Omega Project as a favor for Commander Cruger. Well, I did and I knew there were only three people in the galaxy that could help me do what he wanted done. We're autonomous. We are the Omega Project. Billie," he prompted.

Three devices appeared on the console. They were Morphers. They also seemed to have a motorcycle throttle attached to them. They were familiar to Syd. The Beta Z hologram turned out to be tactile. She handed one to each of them. Syd gasped. "But this looks like the Omega Ranger's Morpher!" she declared. "But it's ten years too early for that," she said.'

Billie snorted. Danny grinned.

"What am I missing?" she asked. She hated feeling foolish.

Zeke strapped his Omega Morpher on his arm. "Danny and Billie are geniuses. Put them and Danny's wife together and you get an Omega Ranger ten years earlier than expected," he explained. Max was nodding. He strapped on his Morpher on as well, grinning like a banshee.

"Watching footage of the Omega Ranger and analyzing scans taken around Delta Command, Danny and I were able to replicate the technology of the Omega Morpher. Dr. Holly Kennedy was able to replicate the Zord. We were also able to expand the technology into three distinct designations."

"Zeke Rahl was chosen for his experience and job performance at the Kovarian Delta Base. Not because if lineage," Commander Hart said. "None of you were," he added before anyone could say anything about Max. "Maximilian Hart, as stated has been at the top of his class on the Mirinite Delta Base. Sydney Drew was chosen for her experience and job performance, not only during the Troobian Crisis but since then as well. Though Bridge Carson was promoted to Red Ranger when Sky Tate was promoted to Commander of Delta Command, it was you who led the team and kept up efficiency," Commander Hart explained.

Syd felt her cheeks warm. She couldn't argue with that. Bridge was a great Ranger, but his leadership skills left much to be desired. She was regularly put in charge of assignments since Sky was promoted. She felt a sense of pride in that.

"Omega Project was activated ahead of schedule. All of you, especially you Cadet Drew, know about the break-in at the Prisoner Containment Room of Delta Command. We finally know who was taken out of containment. It is not good news," Billie said tightly.

A fourth monitor lit up. A face was displayed along with her S.P.D. records. "I know her! She was on A-Squad," Syd declared.

"Tamiko Morita. She worked her way up the ranks and made it onto A-Squad within a few months due her mental aptitude and physical prowess. She was A-Squad Pink and believed to be corrupted by Grumm.

"We now know that to be false. She is actually Tamiko Repulsa. She is a very powerful sorceress. We've been able to find out through various sources that she was the one who corrupted the others through their bond as Power Rangers," Commander Hart said.

"Too bad. She's seriously hot," Max said.

"Billie, you didn't clone Rex when no one was paying attention, did you?" Danny asked.

"You can blame that on genetics pure and simple," Billie answered.

"The person responsible for setting her free is her brother Zuko Repulsa. He has the ability to turn into a spider and basically strode right into the Containment Room," Commander Hart continued on, ignoring them.

The picture changed to show the young man. "He's as dangerous as his sister and as powerful. We have reports that while Tamiko was posing as a member of S.P.D. he was Broodwing's source on Onyx, keeping the empire in supply of weapons and robots. He also smuggled several criminals to Earth at the time, using his magic and charging an exorbitant fee."

There was a long pause.

"Well, what changed? Why did it take him so long to free his sister if he could seemingly do it at any time?" Zeke asked as he studied the information.

"He was trapped in a jar," Danny answered.

"He was what?" Syd asked, not sure she heard correctly.

"He has an aunt. She can be pretty hard core when she wants to be. She's usually the Librarian but she used to be an inter-dimensional bounty hunter. She trapped him in a bottle on Onyx when she found out what he was doing. Up until recently he was kept on Eltar. He was finally being relinquished to the custody of his parents after several magical contracts were rendered so they wouldn't release him from his jar for a period of so many years. I don't know, Taran starts talkin' about that stuff, my brains turns to mush," Danny shook his head.

"The transport vessel was trapped in an astroid storm. His bottle got broken when the ship was hit. Within a week of freeing himself, he freed his sister. He also took these three known criminals." Commander Hart directed their attention back to the screen. "Devastation, his little brother Shorty, and Bork. Three of S.P.D.'s most formidable foes from the past."

Syd winced. She remembered them quite well. "Oh dear," she murmured.

"These files will be available for full scrutiny, right?" Zeke asked.

"Correct," Billie answered.

"So, these Morphers," Max prompted.

"Project Omega Rangers. Zeke Rahl, you are the Omega Ranger. Sydney Drew, you are the Sigma Ranger. Maximilian Hart, you are the Zeta Ranger. Your mission is to contain or destroy the three escaped convicts Devastation, Shorty and Bork. You will then send them back to S.P.D. Containment. Your orders for Tamiko and Zuko are to neutralize and detain. Once you have contained them you will be given a set of coordinates where you will meet with three people. You will hand over the Repulsas to them. Are these orders clear?" Commander Hart said professionally.

The three Rangers stood at attention. "Sir, yes, sir!" they answered.

"You are dismissed until you are called to duty. If you have any questions, Beez can answer them or contact one of us," Commander Hart said. His screen went blank. Danny gave them a little salute and his screen went blank. Billie's screen just went blank.

Max clapped his hands together. "Well, this will be interesting. Beez! Mess hall?" he asked.

"Just get on the lift," Beez answered.

"Let's go chat over food. Whatever they doped me with made hungry," Max said to the others. Syd realized she was hungry as well. She agreed with Zeke nodding his consent. The three of them entered the lift. It began moving.

Syd was frankly overwhelmed. She didn't appreciate the beauty of the open ocean when they passed through it again. "OK, do you two know each other?" she finally asked the two men,

"We've met a few times over the years," Zeke answered.

"Oh," she said and couldn't think of anything else to say. Finally the lift stopped on the living ring. A glowing arrow in the floor directed them to the mess. It was a large facility meant for more than three people. "I get the feeling there's supposed to be more than three of us," she said.

Max was grinning. "Nah. This place was abandoned years ago by some marine research scientists," he said.

"How do you know that?" Zeke asked.

"I snooped when I was home for Christmas. Saw some information. Didn't know what it was for. I'm a smart boy though. I put two and two together," Max said. He walked into the kitchen area and found it stocked with all sorts of food. "Bull's eye," he said. "You guys go sit. Cooking's on me this time but we should probably divvy up the duty," he suggested.

"Good idea," Zeke agreed.

"Your funeral," Syd said and gave them a cute smile. "I burn water," she declared and went to sit at a table in the dining area. She looked at her Morpher. It was amazing. She was still stunned she was chosen for this, though. She wondered if Sky was aware of what her reassignment was. Probably not. It didn't seem like they wanted many people to know about this.

Zeke sat down across from her. He pulled a chip from his pocket and pressed it. A holographic tablet was activated he touched a few things. He was a quiet one. "So, Zeke Rahl from KO-35, what's your story?" she asked in a friendly way.

He glanced at her. He really had pretty green eyes. "Not much. My family helped get a Delta Base established on KO-35. My dad and uncle were given commissions without having to go through training. I joined up when I finished my studies. I've been career ever since," he answered.

Syd sighed. "How exciting. What was your designation on KO-35?"

"Special Contingent Astro Ranger Silver," he answered.

Syd's mouth dropped open. "But Astro Rangers are independent. They're original," she said, her eyes wide.

"I am aware of that. The Kovarian Council, upon which sits my mother, made a deal with S.P.D. and allowed the Astro Rangers to be S.P.D. officers," he answered.

"You mean...no way," she shook her head. "You're one of those Rahls?" she asked.

Zeke sighed. "Yes," he answered simply. He seemed to be annoyed by her questions so she shut up.

"Well, if anyone is interested in me," Max chirped as he came into the dining area and sat down, "I am one of those Harts," he declared.

"Yes, yes, we're all aware of that," Zeke said.

Max ignored him and flashed a stunning smile on Syd. She had to admit, it was a killer smile. Syd shook her head. "I figured that out when you called Commander Hart 'dad'," she remarked. "What does being one of those Harts mean?" she asked.

He seemed appalled she didn't know. "You'll say I'm bragging so I refuse to answer," he said finally. He stood and went back into the kitchen.

Syd laughed. Zeke rolled his eyes. "You know?" he asked.

She gave a delicate snort. "Of course I do. The History of Power Rangers is one of the first things you learn when you make it to B-Squad," she said. "I've actually met his aunt Rena," she answered. "But, it wouldn't do to make his head even bigger than it already appears to be," she added.

Still pouting, Max returned to the dining room with a piping hot pizza. Syd made sure to praise his kitchen prowess to make up for teasing him earlier. That seemed to mollify him a bit.

~-~-~

Palace on the Moon

Tamiko paced around her parents throne room in a palace on the moon. For the past few weeks since her escape she and Zuko were making preparations for their attack on Earth. They made sure their parents were conveniently away from the moon. They'd scoured the remainder of the Troobian Empire. What they managed to find were some Kryobots and a giant robot. Space Patrol Delta had been quite thorough in cleaning them out and confiscating their weapons of war.

She was still dressed in her neon and feathered monstrosity. Zuko lounged in his father's throne. He was idly playing with dark clay, shaping a face. "We have plenty of this stuff so we won't run out of Dark Putties. There are even a few Giant Putties waiting for the kiln," he said.

She nodded. She looked at him and scoffed. "Dress properly," she snapped.

He rolled his eyes. He snapped his fingers, black leather with gold armor bits appeared on him, a spider emblazoning the center of his chest piece. "Better?" he demanded.

She waved her hand dismissively at his get-up. "Too...Goldsmith," she spat.

"I don't know, they had good taste," he said but snapped his fingers again. The armor changed to be less bulky but blood red and resembling human muscle in some places. A Z circlet appeared on his head. He spread his arms waiting for approval.

Tamiko clapped. "Perfect! Almost just like Grandfather in his glory days," she said approvingly.

He nodded and got to his feet. He walked to an ancient mounted spyglass overlooking the Earth. "All seems quiet. Where do we hit first?" she asked.

"We're going to hit Angel Grove with everything we have," she announced. "No more long game," she said. "Where are the cards?" she asked.

Zuko spread his hand and three cards appeared in them. He tossed them into the air and raised his staff. Each of the cards was hit with energy.

Three swirling vortexes appeared and spat out three beings. One was a green skinned alien with huge hands and dreads. Another was similar but had smaller hands and red dreads. The third alien was red and dressed like a martial arts master.

Tamiko snapped her hands and collars appeared around her necks.

"Hey, what's this? What's going on?" The green skinned alien, Shorty, demanded as he pulled at his collar.

"A little insurance that none of you will walk off now that you're free from S.P.D. containment," Zuko explained.

"How dare you? Who are you?" Bork, the martial artist demanded.

"You can't do this me. I am Devastation," said the final criminal as he pulled at his collar.

Tamiko made a fist. The collars began emitting pain signals to the criminals and they fell to to their knees. "We are the children of Widow and Roki Repulsa. Does that ring any bells?" she asked.

The criminals looked at them aghast. Although they had one failure to their name, Earth, the duo of Widow and Roki Repulsa had wreaked havoc on unprotected planets throughout the galaxy. They'd even crushed quite a few Power Ranger teams since their failure on Earth. They still made Earth's Moon their home, but they were rarely there.

"How can we serve the Prince and Princess of Evil?" Bork finally asked.

Tamiko smirked. "That's better. We have a task for you. Earth is a nuisance. It's vastly becoming a center of power for Good. It's frankly annoying," she said and rolled her eyes. "We're going to destroy Angel Grove as a parting gift," she said.

"Parting gift?" Bork ventured to ask.

"We have an opportunity in the far reaches of the galaxy that has our interest. If you succeed, you'll have your freedom," Zuko answered.

"And all we have to do is destroy this Angel Grove?" Devastation asked.

"Yes. You'll be given what's left of the Troobian Empire's Kryobots and a large contingent of Dark Putties. And there's a giant robot as well," Zuko answered.

"When shall we begin?" Bork asked.

"Now," Tamiko answered.

Zuko tapped his staff on the ground. The three aliens disappeared. "Let's go watch the fun," he suggested.

"Yes, let's," Tamiko agreed.

The two of them disappeared in wisps of smoke.

~-~-~

Syd was putting on some mascara. She had blue eyes that were slightly slanted. Her skin was a perfect golden hue. Her curly blond hair was naturally multi-faceted with gold and dark strands. She was slim and fit and not too tall or short. In other words, she was gorgeous. She really hoped that wouldn't cause problems with her new team mates. That would suck. She blew her reflection a kiss and walked out of her room. She headed toward the common room they'd found. It was in the center of the ring from what she could reason. It was spacious and circular and was the only door on that side of the hall besides the lift. There was even an entrance to the lift inside.

She stopped short when she walked in. Zeke sat in an open area, stripped to the waist and staring at a set of hovering metal utensils. Not only where they hovering in the air, some of them were bending and changing shapes. There was a look of absolute concentration on his face.

She squeaked when something flew over her head. She looked and saw that was a small mechanical bat.

"Sorry about that," Max said and held his hand out. The bat flew to his hand and shifted shapes. It turned into a boxy octagonal thing with a black Japanese Kanji on in. "It likes to fly every now and then. It kept bumping into the walls in my room," he explained.

Syd nodded slowly.

Max grinned suddenly. He held out his hand. One of the spoons Zeke was working with suddenly began to whirl around. Zeke frowned and the other utensils clanged to the the floor as he concentrated all his energy on that spoon. It was now vibrating and both of them had such intense looks of concentration on their faces.

Syd snorted. "Neat trick. Are you both telekinetic?" she asked as she went to find something to watch on the television.

"Nope. My dad's genetic ability to create a metallic coating over his skin didn't transfer to me the same way. He's Collosus and I'm Magneto. I can control the magnetic fields around certain metals," he explained. He dropped his hand and the spoon zoomed against the wall and clanged to the floor.

Zeke got to his feet. He gave Max an annoyed look. "You look tired," he told her as he put his shirt and jacket back on.

Syd pouted. She thought she'd did wonders with her make-up to hide that. "I don't think I slept well. I don't remember tossing and turning or having weird dreams. I just don't feel like I've slept," she said. She pulled a compact out of her pocket and checked her reflection. She looked flawless. How did he realize that she was tired.

"It's in your eyes. You're face is perfect," Zeke explained, startling her.

"Do you read minds too?" she asked with a huff.

"No. I'm hyper observant," he answered.

"Maybe you sleep eat. There was some food gone from the kitchen when I made breakfast," Max suggested. He eyed her body. "It doesn't show though," he assured her.

Syd gasped and checked her figure. "No way! I've never sleep-walked in my life," she denied.

"Let's check. Beez, security footage from last night?" Zeke asked.

"There is no need for surveillance here. There is no security footage," Beez's voice answered.

"No, there are cameras. I've noticed them," Zeke argued.

"There is no security footage," Beez replied.

"Beez, is there some reason you're refusing to show us the footage?" Max asked. There was silence.

Syd was beginning to get a really bad feeling. "Please, Beez, show us the footage," she said.

"There is no footage," she repeated again. "There is, however, criminal activity in Angel Grove. Teleporting you now," Beez said.

Before any of them could argue, they arrived in a war zone.

Kryobots and Dark Putties were wreaking havoc on the peaceful scene of Angel Grove. "Any sign of the fugitives?" Syd asked.

Zeke gave the area a thorough glance. He pointed. A building several miles away began to crumble. "We have to get through these guys first," he said.

Max nodded and pulled a black whistle out of his pocket. He blew on it. It was no ordinary whistle. The sound it made was high pitched and painful to the Kryobots and Putties. "S.P.D. Cease and desist immediately or face immanent destruction. This is your only warning," he said loudly in a professional manner.

There a half a beat as the creatures stared at them before returning to doing whatever they're instructions were.

"Wow, that worked so well," a voice drawled behind Max making him jump. They turned to see two tall teens with Asian features holding long swords. They were near mirror images of each other.

Max cleared his throat and puffed his chest out a little bit. "Citizens, please seek safety. Allow the professionals to handle this situation," he said.

The two of them shared a look then grinned at him. "We're your back-up," one of them said and nodded behind them. Several other teenagers, a few of them similar enough in looks they could be related, also stood with swords. Syd realized they were all wearing similar black body-armor reminiscent of ancient Japanese armor but much more stream-lined and slightly more Ninja-like. A geometric flame symbol was splashed over their hearts.

"This is Shiba Clan territory. We'll leave the Power Rangering to you, but no one's going to mess with our park without us interfering," the other twin said.

"Fair enough," Zeke said. The two nodded and pulled masks over their faces. The other teenagers followed suit. They drew their swords and swept into the onslaught. Before Syd could ask anything, he cut her off. "We'll explain later. Let's get to the fugitives," he said. "Omega Project!" He held up his arm and folded out the throttle of his Omega Morpher. He gave it three sharp twists. "Omega Form Activation!" A bright flash of white light transformed him into a Power Ranger with a white and navy powersuit with gold details. A chest piece piece formed with an Omega symbol on it. A helmet formed over his head that was identical to the one from five years earlier.

"Omega Project! Sigma Form Activation!" Syd gave three sharp twists to the throttle of her Sigma Morpher. A bright burst of purplish light transformed her into a Power Ranger with a dark silver and purple powersuit with gold details. A chest piece with a Sigma symbol on it formed. A helmet formed over her head.

"Omega Project! Zeta Form Activation!" Max gave three sharp twists to the throttle of his Zeta Morpher. A bright burst of silvery light transformed him into a Power Ranger with a silver and black powersuit with gold details. A chest piece formed with a Zeta symbol on it. A helmet formed over his head.

~-~-~-~

Zuko and Tamiko stood on a tall building not far away, observing the destruction with part glee and part distaste. Tamiko frowned when the Rangers showed up. "What is that? That's not right! He's not supposed to be here!" she said shrilly when she recognized what was clearly the Omega Ranger even if he was slightly different than her memories.

Zuko glanced over and gave a shrug. "Even with the Shiba Clan's help, they're outnumbered. The fugitives will level Angel Grove before they can make a dent," he said in a blase fashion.

Tamiko glared at him. "You never take your evil heritage seriously enough!" she snapped.

"Evil. Good. It's never ending. I'm looking out for me and you. You wanted to level Angel Grove, we're leveling Angel Grove," he said and gave a negligent shrug.

Tamiko scoffed. "I think you spent too much time in that bottle on Eltar," she growled.

Zuko frowned slightly. "Not really," he said. "I have no desire to sacrifice my time to the greater good," he assured her with a grin. "There's nothing in that for me," he added.

She still seemed annoyed with him but went back to watching the action.

~-~-~-~

Beside the teeanged Samurai of the Shiba Clan the Omega Project Rangers dove into the fray with the Kryobots and Dark Putties. Sigma had to admit she was amazed by the skill of these kids.  They handled their swords like masters. Another mystery to get to the bottom of. Even with their help, there was a lot of foot soldiers to get through. With a frustrated sigh, she popped the throttle on her Sigma Morpher. "Brace yourselves," she warned the kids. She gave the throttle three sharp cranks. "Fist of Thunder!" Lines on her glove lit up and punched the ground with her fist. A shockwave rippled the earth toppling enemies and zapping them electric power.

She was amazed and impressed that somehow the suit was customized to work with her genetic power. Before she could contemplate too heavily on that, she was attacked again. In the distance they could still hear the destruction the fugitives were causing.

Zeta kept glancing in the distance as another building went down. He seethed slightly. He might not live in Angel Grove, but it was like a second home to him. He hated seeing the wanton destruction happening. "Oh, Kryobots," he called out in a sing-song sort of way. He popped the throttle on his Zeta Morpher and gave it three sharp twists. "Magnetic Expulsion!" Lines on his glove lit up. Suddenly the Kryobots, being made of metal, began to slide toward him. They struggled against the pull. When they all got within a few feet of him, he made a fist and the magnetic field he'd created turned into a magnetic pulse. The Kryobots exploded around him.

Omega was impressed by his teammates. He knew Commander Hart would have only picked the best but with Max being so green, he'd worried slightly. He shouldn't have. Sydney Drew was also impressing him. People did not give enough respect to the Pink Rangers. She was amazing. A little mysterious, but amazing. He also had to give props to Dr. Billie and Danny. The suits were even more powerful than what he knew of the Omega Ranger from the future.

He was a master of Kovarian martial arts but there were so many foot soldiers and the fugitives were still at it. He popped the throttle on his Omega Morpher. "Time to amp it up," he declared and gave it three sharp twists. "Reality Warp!" Lines lit up along his gloves then spread across his entire suit. Everything slowed down to a crawl around him. He began moving, not even needing to touch putties as his own telekinetic energy was channeled through his suit. Within five second, he was on the other side of the park and time caught up to him. Dark Putties disintegrated in his wake.

Sigma and Zeta appeared beside him.

A tall girl approached. "We have this from here. Go take care of that over there," she said and used her sword to point to where another building went down.

"Right," Omega agreed.

"Good luck, Schy!" Zeta said. She gave a brief wave before turning and going to help her little brothers get rid of the rest of straggling foot soldiers.

Omega, Sigma and Zeta ran to where the latest building fell.

~-~-~-~

"Leveled before they can make a dent, huh?" Tamiko scoffed.

"We've amped up the cons. They won't have an easy time with them, besides half th city is down," Zuko pointed out helpfully. Tamiko rolled her eyes.

~-~-~-~

They were having contests to see who could bring down the largest building in the quickest times. Shorty used his oversized hands to punch weak spots in the buildings while Bork used the whip on his head. Devastation was just viciously attacking.

"Omega Blasters!" The three aliens were blasted by high powered side-arms belonging to the Omega Rangers.

Devastation and Shorty reacted strongly to the sight of the Omega Ranger. "It's you," Devastation accused, pointing at him.

"Not quite. I'm better," Omega said as he holstered his side-arm.

"Hi, Shorty. Long time no see," Sigma said to the short green alien.

Bork smoothed out his outfit. "We're better, too. Our new mistress has given us a power boost. You only thought I was dangerous before," he said with a smirk in his voice.

"Yap, yap, yap," Zeta grumbled. "Fugitives, it is our duty to inform you that you will be arrested for fleeing custody. Surrender now or face the consequences. This is your only warning," he said. He knew it wouldn't be that easy, but now they couldn't say they weren't warned.

Bork's only response was to whip his head at the young Ranger. He back-flipped out of the way. "Well, I guess we're doing it the hard way," he said and ran forward to engage the so-called Ultimate Master. He stayed too close for the alien to use his ultimate weapon. His collar began to glow. Each movement began to get a little faster.

Sigma made out like she was cracking her knuckles. "Fist to fist. Let's go,"  she said.

"Don't think you can match me, little girl," Shorty sputtered. He swung one of his massive fists at her. She ducked and attempted a sweep kick. He jumped to avoid but she got him with an uppercut as she came up. Shaking with rage, Shorty began to throw punches with amazing speed and accuracy. That was new. His collar was glowing.

"Devastation has a bone to pick with you," the dread-locked alien told Omega.

"Then let's not waste any more time. You will be apprehended and returned to containment," Omega stated. Devastation didn't answer. He rushed at the Ranger. Omega met him head-on. The collar began to glow and his hits became harder and faster. It was all he could do to keep up with them.

Collars glowing with menacing light, the three aliens unleashed waves of energy. The area around them exploded, sending the Rangers flying.

~-~-~-~

Tamiko smirked. "Good. Angel Grove will be leveled in no time," she declared. "Maybe we should go down, knock over a few buildings?" she suggested.

"That's why we have grunts," Zuko said, shaking his head.

Tamiko pouted. "You're no fun," she accused.

"Just smart. I wouldn't count those Rangers out just yet," he said as the smoke began to clear.

~-~-~-~

The aliens were about to go back to earning their freedom when the smoke cleared. Zeta coughed and got to his feet. "I think we have a problem here," he said.

Sigma and Omega climbed to their feet.

"Let's crank it up," Omega said and popped his throttle. He gave it five sharp twists. Lines began glowing along his powersuit.

Zeta popped his throttle and gave it five sharp twists. Lines on his gloves began to glow and spread over his entire powersuit. Bork whipped his head in an attempt to head off whatever was coming. Zeta grabbed it and pulled the alien forward. He lashed out with his other hand, open-palmed. His hand met Bork's chest and the resulting explosion put them both down.

Sigma popped her throttle and gave it five sharp twists. Lines began to glow along her glove and spread over her powersuit. Shorty's collar began to glow and they rushed toward each other. Shorty punched out but she deflected. He quickly followed with his other arm. She expected and counted on that. She deflected and got between his arms and twisted, smashed both her fists into his chest. There was a bright flash and explosion.

Devastation's collar began to glow again. Omega ran toward him. They met in a clash of fists and limbs. Each blow knocked Devastation back. Omega jumped and kicked Devastation in the chest. He connected with a tremendous fash of light and large explosion.

Beaten and broken the the aliens regrouped. The Rangers regrouped as well. By the time they realized that their collars had been destroyed, the Rangers were already making their next move.

On the opposite hip as their side-arms they pulled hand-cuff looking devices. "Fugitive Retrieval Activation!" They activated the cuffs and tossed them. They spun through the air, seemed to disappear mid-way only to reappear around the fugitives' wrists. Each of them began to glow as they were digitized. When the glowing stopped, Containment Cards appeared in their hands.

"Fugitive Bork contained," Zeta declared and slid the card into his Morpher, which instantly send the card to the proper authorities.

"Fugitive Shorty contained," Sigma said and slid the card into her Morpher.

"Fugitive Devastation contained," Omega said and slid the card into his Morpher.

Zeta crossed his arms over his chest and looked around expectantly.

"What?" Omega asked.

"I might be the rookie but I know it never ends this easily," Zeta answered.

"You're right," Sigma agreed as two Giant Dark Putties and a Giant Robot appeared and began to wreck things.

"We should have done this from the start," Tamiko declared as she piloted th robot, firing a laser at a building.

Zuko stood behind her. "I rebuilt this heap from scrap. Let's just hope it doesn't fall apart," he said.

She reached back and smacked him, tired of his attitude. "We'll just have to fortify it," she said and began to channel magic into it. It changed shaped slightly, growing more armor plated with several gun turrets forming, including a shoulder mounted laser.

"You just had to go and open your big mouth," Sigma scolded Zeta.

"Tamiko and Zuko Repulsa are up there. Time to take this to the max," Omega said and popped his throttle. His gave it a single crank and pressed a button. "Omegamax Cycle!"

"Sigmamax Tri-Cycle!"

"Zetamax Quad-Cycle!"

A giant police cycle came speeding down the streets of Angel Grove followed by a quad bike and motorcycle with two wheels in front and one in back. The Omega Project Rangers appeared in the cockpits of the Zords.

"They have Zords. Big surprise," Zuko drawled.

"It won't do them any good." Tamiko declared. She launched a volley of shots at the three Zords and the world exploded.

"Don't smirk too soon," Zuko warned her as the three Zords powered through the smoke.

"Giant Putties! Get them!" Tamiko ordered.

The two large featureless creatures turned from their wanton war path and charged th Zords.

"Max, take one. Sydney, take the other. I'll keep the robot busy," Omega said.

"Right," the other two agreed.

Zeta piloted the four-wheeled Zord toward one of the Giant Putties. His controls were very much like handlebars. He accelerated forward and pulled, sailing over the Putty's head. He landed and turned sharply, spinning out in a loop-de-loop fashion, crashing into it's legs. He stopped, wheels smoking, facing the Giant Putty, and grinned.

He flipped a button. Rocket launders extended from the sides. "Targeting system online," he said as his screen lit up with a target sensor. It lined up and began blinking. "Target locked. Firing." He flipped another switch and the missiles launched.

The Giant Putty saw the missiles coming toward him and he tried to run away. The missiles were faster than he was. They connected in a massive explosion.

Sigma piloted the three-wheeled Zord toward the other Giant Putty. She accelerated sharply. The Giant Putty saw her coming and braced himself for the impact. She braked suddenly and her back wheel came up. She twisted the controls and turns. She pressed the accelerator again and the back wheel spun out in the Putties face. She jerked the controls again and righted herself. She smirked. "I could get used to this."

She flipped a button a rocket launchers extended from her back fender. "Targeting system online. Target locked. Firing!" she launched a massive missile that hit the dazed and confused Putty in a great explosion.

Omega eyed the Robot and revved his Zord a few times.

Tamiko narrowed her eyes. She pressed forward.

Omega accelerated. He popped a wheelie and crashed into the robot. The robot retaliated by firing at him. He was hit and went spinning. When he came to a stop, he was smoking and damaged. He flipped a switch and rocket launchers extended from his sides. "Targeting system online, Target locked. Firing!" he launched twin missiles that crashed into the robot in a massive explosion.

The three Zords regrouped. As the dusk cleared, the Robot was still standing.

"Looks like we might make it after all," Tamiko told her Negative Ned brother.

He wasn't listening. All his energy was going into the Robot to keep it afloat.

"It's never easy. Omegamax Megazord Activation," Omega activated the Megazord sequence. The Omegamax Cycle began to change shape. It shifted into a helmeted Megazord.

"Sequence engaged," Zeta stated as the Zetamax Quad-Cycle began to break apart and form armor for the Megazord that was reminiscent of police issue riot gear.

"Sequence engaged," Sigma announced as the Sigmamax Tri-Cycle began to break apart forming a helmet with visor, a shield and a a night-stick.

The three Rangers appeared in a joint cockpit. "Omegamax Megazord!"

Tamiko growled and held up her arm cannon and fired a volley of devastating blasts at the Megazord. The cockpit sparked wildly and dangerously. But, they'd managed to get behind the shield which absorbed most of the blast.

"If we're all okay, let's put an end to this," Omega prompted.

"I'm ready. You ready?" Zeta asked Sigma.

"More than," she agreed.

They began to rev their throttles. The night stick began to glow. Then the shield. "Omegamax Megazord Fugitive Bust!" They lashed out with the shield to nock the giant robot back then they spun the night stick and brought it down hard. Energy explodes, destroying the Giant Robot.

Tamiko and Zuko jumped out just before it exploded.

"They're on the run! Don't let them get away!" Sigma said. She and the others two teleported to the ground and engaged in a foot chase though the ruined streets of Angel Grove.

Tamiko and Zuko came to a barely intact parking lot of a ruined mall. They skidded to a halt and turned toward the rangers. "We were just leaving, but before we do, we'll get rid of you!" Tamiko shouted and summoned a staff. Zuko summoned a staff of his own.

"You didn't beat me last time and you won't this time," Sigma told her.

"Stupid little girl. Don't you get it. Last time we met, you thought I was just like you. You have no idea what I'm capable of," Tamiko said. She and Zuko crossed staffs and unleashed a stream of magical energy at them.

The boys were thrown back, their morphs fading, but some instinct made Sigma stand her ground. She crossed her arms in front of her. The energy knocked out her morph but she seemed to not need it as something strange welled up inside of her. Magical energy met magical energy. There was a strange harmonious sound as the three powers met. Then there was an explosion that blasted all three of them. It was the last thing she remembered.

She woke up with Zeke hovering over her, checking her vitals. She blinked at him. She gasped and sat up. "What happened?" she asked, looking around.

Max held up two containment cards. "We were hoping you could tell us," he said.

Zeke gave a brief smile that softened his face immensely. "We have the coordinates on where to take the cards. Let's go," he said and helped her to feet.

Still confused as all get out, Syd nodded. They teleported.

~-~-~-~

Many years ago, a tear appeared in dimensions. Briarwood found itself the gateway from Earth to the Mystic Realm. Eventually, the denizens of the Mystic Realm made their way into Briarwood itself. Today the city is a melting pot of human and creatures from what they call the Wood.

The Mystic Realm is home to many powerful magicians. There were three that strove to keep the balance of magic in the universe. Good, Dark and Chaos. It all had to be kept in check. That's where three magical sisters came in. Daughters of the Mystic Mother, formerly the most evil Space Witch ever to travel the stars, Rita Repulsa. Rei, Zita and Moriko Repulsa formed the new Magical Tribunal despite attempts from their predecessors to prevent them from doing so.

These three sisters had dangerous jobs and so they needed protection. They bestowed magical armor onto three men. These men were their Guard. Sora van Zandt was a half Triforian who protected Rei. Grifforzer was the son of Scorpina and Goldarr but now dedicated himself to Moriko. Titus was a clone of Grifforzer and his sister Lammy but found his calling in giving himself to the protection of Zita.

It was these six individuals who were waiting outside the entrance to the Mystic Realm for the Omega Project Power Rangers when they arrived.

Max blinked and looked around. "Briarwood? I should have guessed," he said.

"Why? What's going on?" Syd asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I believe they can explain," Zeke said quietly. He was very familiar with Sora and Rei. His father had been Sora's sensei and he often visited KO-35. They gripped forearms in greetings.

"I'll let them do the talking. I'm just the muscle," Sora said in a faintly accented voice. The Irish lilt somehow right on the Asian featured face. Zeke nodded.

Rei smiled. "We need to speak with them," she prompted Max, nodding toward his cards.

"Right," he said and dropped the cards on the ground. He pressed a button on his Zeta Morpher. The cards de-digitized the two younger Repulsa's but they remained cuffed. They looked abashed when they saw three of their aunts and two of their uncles looking at them.

"Oh, this is not good," Zuko said. Tamiko mutely shook her head

"I'm glad you realize the gravity of your situations," Rei said.

"We were leaving. Just let us go?" Tamiko said hopefully.

"Yeah. We going to where Mom and Dad are," Zuko said in a placating tone.

Griff, a rather large man even if he wasn't very tall crossed his arms over his chest. "Kid, you just better be glad I asked Lammy to stay on Eltar with Taran. She was not pleased with you," he said.

Zuko's shoulders dropped. "C'mon, Uncle Griff. I had to get Tamiko out of containment. You get that right?" he asked hopefully.

"We get that," Moriko assured him. "But, it's what came next that concerns us," she said and glanced at her niece.

Tamiko shrugged. "I won't apologize," she said stubbornly.

"Of course not," Zita said. "But, you know what's coming now," she said.

Zeke started. "Wait a sec. She's a fugitive from S.P.D. custody," he said.

"We understand your concerns but we discussed this with Rex. You won't be held responsible for anything that happens from here on," Rei assured him.

"What's going to happen?" Syd asked. She didn't understand what was going on. She was also still reeling from what happened in Angel Grove.

"We're going to banish them from Earth," Zita answered. She approached Syd and looked her over. She touched her forehead.

Syd felt an electric thrill go down her spine.

"Is she ready?" Mori asked excitedly.

Zita nodded and stepped away. "She's ready," she answered with a smile.

"Ready for what? What's going on? What happened?" Syd demanded, and stamped her foot in frustration.

Tamiko and Zuko were also looking at her. Tamiko had a stubborn look of denial but Zuko seemed interested.

Rei said and reached out and laid a calming hand on her arm. "Twenty-some years ago, in Angel Grove, the Alpha Rangers battled with Zita and Roki Repulsa. Widow came along and married Roki. Even while Zita's true nature was being revealed, Widow and Roki were starting a family. They had three children. A set of triplets. There was Tamiko, Zuko and Umeko," she said quietly. Tamiko and Zuko nodded mutely. They had vague memories of their sister.

"Widow, you see, hated her older brother, Taran--"

"The White Wizard?" Syd asked.

Griff and Titus snorted in amusement. Even after all this time their big brother hated being called that.

"Yes," Zita said. "You see, when Taran, known then as Tarantules, was a child, he was caught in the wave of good magic that Andros released when he freed Zord from his inter-dimensional tube. He no longer had the predilection for evil so his parents sent him to Earth to live a normal life. Taran was destined for greater things than hiding in a cornfield in Kansas. He became a hero and Widow hated that."

"Hate is a mild word," Moriko stated. "Especially after he gained access to his magic. She ignored her parents edict that she not directly face him in battle several times. One of these times was when she was carrying. Taran hit her with a spell. We thought it'd had no effect on her but something strange happened. One of the babies absorbed it," she said and tapped her lip thoughtfully.

Rei nodded. "For a time, Widow and Roki tried to teach her evil, but it soon became apparent that she wasn't. In a rare moment of doing something selfless, Widow contacted us. We took Umeko. We bound her magic and repressed her alien physiology by using DNA from the people we chose to raise her as their own. We hadn't realized at the time that they'd also been physically changed due to their help developing the prototype Delta Morphers," she added thoughtfully.

Syd had a lead weight in her chest. "Please tell me your talking about Z," she said quietly.

The three women shook their heads. Titus gave a brief grin. "Show her what Lammy and Taran look like," he prompted Zita.

Zita drew two circles in the air. They shimmered. Eventually one showed a tall blond woman with curly hair in a white and gold robe talking with a tall lean man with brown hair. Her eyes were bright blue. The other window showed a tall man with curly blond hair and the same bright blue eyes talking with a pretty redhead. The resemblance was uncanny.

Zita waved away the portals.

"I need to sit down," Syd said Zeke caught her before she hit the ground and lowered her down. "Are you telling me that my parents aren't my parents and that I'm an alien?" she demanded.

"As far as your parents know they're your parents," Moriko said. "I wouldn't go accusing them of telling you things they didn't know. It was an added step to protect you from what we like to call the Taran-Widow Effect," she said and glanced at her other niece and nephew.

Zuko shook his head. "Why worry? It's awesome," he said.

Tamiko scoffed. She looked away and didn't comment.

"It was never meant to be permanent. The magic we used on your body and your powers are already unraveling. You even feeling it without realizing it. You may have noticed food going missing?" Rei asked. "You've also been shifting forms."

Syd gaped at them. "Last night. I felt like I didn't sleep and food was missing and Beez wouldn't show me the security footage," she said and struggled back to her feet, feeling less faint.

"At our request. You weren't to be faced with your true self until we could reveal it to you," Rei said. She looked at her sisters and they nodded. Syd suddenly found herself surrounded by them as they joined hands. They closed their eyes and tipped back their heads. Syd gasped as a rush of something spread through her and suddenly she knew the rightness of what she'd been told. All her senses came alive. She felt a welling of power within her.

After a moment the trio stepped back. They smiled at her. "Welcome to the family," they said together.

Syd nodded quietly and looked at her brother and sister. Vague memories of them were starting to come back. She walked over to Zuko. She smiled. "Going through the motions as usual and now you'll be banished," she scolded him.

Zuko frowned. "I don't wanna get banished," he told his aunts.

Zita raised her brow. She walked over to him. She put a hand on his chest and he gasped in pain and went to his knees. "What was that?" he demanded, panting hard.

"You'll stay here in the Mystic Realm," Zita said. "You can let him go, Max. He's no threat. I reduced his magic to that of a child," she assured him.

"Okay but just remember, I deny all responsibility. You talked to my dad about it," he reminded them before releasing the cuffs. They disappeared from around Zuko's wrists and reappeared at his side.

"Sora, take him to Clare. She'll begin his apprenticeship immediately," Rei said.

Sora nodded. "Give your dad my best," he told Zeke.

Zeke gave an acknowledging wave. Sora dropped an arm around Zuko's shoulders. "C'mon. Best to do what your aunts say," he said and led him to the Mystic Realm.

"I'll come visit!" Syd called after him.

He gave her a brief wave and a smile. He walked with Sora into the Mystic Realm. They walked for some time before passing a tall red head with bright blue eyes dressed mostly in white. She gave Sora a familiar smile and a brief wave before hurrying on whatever her chore was. Zuko's gaze followed her, even going so far turning around to watch.

"C'mon, lover boy. There'll be time for that later. If you even have a chance," Sora said, snagging the other man's armor and pulling him along.

The girl glanced over her shoulder as if feeling his gaze. Even as he walked backwards, being dragged by Sora, he gave her a smile a wave. She gave a brief wave back and continued onward. "I think I have proper motivation to behave myself," he said.

Sora snickered. "We'll see," he said and continued toward Root Core. He was glad Zuko was embracing his punishment.

Tamiko wasn't taking her punishment quite as well. "You have no right to banish me and separate me from my brother," she told him aunts petulantly.

"Of course we do," Zita said simply.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Rei told her kindly.

"We'll come visit soon and see how you're settling in with your parents," Mori promised and the three sisters circled around the girl.

"Congrats on being part of the most complicated family in the known universe," Max told Syd.

"I blame you for this!" Tamiko told Syd just before she disappeared in a bright flash of light.

"I don't think we quite avoided the Taran-Widow Effect," Moriko said.

"She'll get past it. Eventually," Griff said and gave a shrug.

"Now what?" Syd asked.

"Now...you return to your life and if you ever need us, just come back to Briarwood," Rei said and gave her a hug and kissed her cheek. Next Moriko gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

Zita was the last to hug her and kiss her cheek. "You grandmother looks forward to meeting you but we understand that you probably want to be alone for awhile," she said, someone who knew about the need to be alone and digest life altering changes. Titus came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Zita, Rei, Mori! Mom needs you guys. There's trouble brewing in the Shadow Lands," the girl in white called out as she approached the group.

The triplets shared looks. "Work is never done," she said and the three of them followed by Titus and Griff. The two men gave Syd friendly waves and the group walked until they seemed to disappear.

The three Rangers looked at each other. "Can we just go back to base now?" Syd asked, suddenly feeling tired.

"Of course," Zeke agreed. Max gave her a thumbs up and the three of them teleported.

~-~-~-~

Syd sat in the Omega Base common room watching the footage of her door opening and a small gold scorpion run out of it. She followed it's progress until it came to the kitchen where it reverted to her in her cute pjs. Then she watched as she stuffed her face with anything that didn't have to be cooked to be edible. When she appeared to be satisfied she turned back into a scorpion and scuttled back to her room.

"No wonder Beez wouldn't show me this," she said and sighed. "I would have freaked right out," she said.

"Those sisters, they know what they're up to. Scary as all get out but they know their suff," Max declared.

Zeke nodded. "One on one they aren’t so bad, but all together even Rei's kind of intimidating," he said.

"Oh, that reminds me. Shiba Clan? Those kids?" she prompted.

"Samurai Rangers of 2012. Needless to say, what Tai Stapleton didn't want anyone else to know about that team, they didn't," Max said and grinned. He got to his feet. "Modern day Samurai protecting their Lord, their honor, and the world if necessary. And I just happen to be one of them. My whole family is just about," he said and gave her a light salute as he wandered out.

Syd sighed and laughed. "He's right. He does sound like he's bragging when he explains things," she said. Zeke chuckled. "Ooh, look you laughed," she teased.

"It's been known to happen on occasion," he said. They shared a smile. A long one.

Beez's voice interrupted the moment. "Rangers to Omega Base Command for a briefing on a fugitive spotted on Earth," she said.

Syd sighed and bounced to her feet. Zeke stood. "Time to bag and tag. You up for this?" he asked.

She nodded. "Always," she said as they headed out. They met Max at the lift and headed up to Command to learn about their new assignment. Syd looked out into the Ocean as they passed through it. Her life was a lot different than it was just a few days ago and she couldn't say it was a bad thing. She was looking forward to her new life as a magical alien with superhuman abilities. Watch out universe, the new and improved Sydney Drew was coming. So were the Project Omega Power Rangers.

~-The End-~           

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment