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“WAAAARGH!”
A descending scream, and a kind of ker-splat-thunk-aargh-smack-thud.
Gemma looked up from her workbench at the back of the garage, not far from the pool table. Those noises weren’t quite what she’d expected while most of the team was out training, but at least being a Ranger was never boring! She sprinted outside while the last little bit of debris was rolling sadly in a circle and making that gloingoingoingoingoingggg sound.
Flynn and Ziggy skidded to simultaneous stops on either side of her, and that was cool. She loved it when those little Ranger things happened.
They were greeted with a figure thrashing at the base of a pile of scrap. The fabric of his cloak tangled his legs, and he was trying to yank at the hood so he could take it up off his face, but it was caught.
“Hey, take it easy,” Flynn said with a grin, and he went down on one knee next to the guy with Ziggy fussing at him on his other side. Gemma stepped back from a shimmer in the air, then found herself with an armful of someone.
“Oops!”
This one had a cloak, too, but he was so cheerful and so obviously not trying to hurt her that Gemma let go of the hold she had on his hips. “Are you okay?”
He patted her shoulder, then gave her a hug. She laughed and hugged him back. “You almost throw me! You - very good. I am Koda. Caveman!”
He stepped back, and smoothly removed his hood. Koda had messy black hair, he was pretty, and didn’t have very many clothes on underneath the cloak. She accepted his assessment of himself. A caveman! Awesome! He looked a little older than she was. Maybe mid twenties? Did people age differently when they were cavemen?
The other one was finally on his feet, with Ziggy still dusting him off. He had short, sandy hair, and perhaps another fifteen or twenty years on Koda. It looked good on him. He obviously kept himself fit, even if he wasn’t very good at wearing cloaks and Flynn was still trying not to giggle.
Ziggy moved back to stand in between them.
“Hi! Are you guys the PMS Rangers?”
Flynn and Gemma exchanged startled looks, and simultaneously clapped a hand across Ziggy’s mouth.
“Nooo. Nononono. R, P, M,” Koda said.
“Yes, we are,” Flynn said cautiously. “Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?”
“I’m Wes Collins. Time Force Red. We need your help.”
“Koda." said Koda. "Dino Charge Blue.”
***
Koda held an ice bag to Wes’ head. He looked perfectly comfortable, standing behind Wes, who sat on the couch with his eyes closed. Gemma was certain he was awake – unless he was playing? Ooh – she’d have to watch him. It could be a new game!
Flynn came back into the lounge.
“Scott and the others are on their way,” he said worriedly. “How urgent is this? Of course we’ll help. It sounds pretty bad – clones are never a good thing.”
“Ooh! This is like when we lost Scott for a while!”
Koda raised his eyebrows at Ziggy and motioned with his free hand at the couch. “Did you - look under couch cushions? And under couch? We lose Riley one time. Went - tiny!”
“Ziggy means that Scott went to another dimension, and helped out the Samurai Rangers,” Gemma said, trying not to grin. This was quite serious, and she knew it, but it was still pretty funny. Since Gem wasn’t here, she finished her own sentence. “Like you’re asking us to do!”
Wes reached up and patted Koda’s arm, then took the bag himself. He looked a little less bewildered. Did that make him wildered? He smoothed the fabric of his jeans over his knees with his free hand. “The morphing grid won’t allow more than a single additional incursion from this universe’s quantum string variables.”
Gemma and Flynn nodded at Wes’ words. Ziggy turned a betrayed – science usually betrayed him - but hopeful face on Koda.
“Machine only work for one person.”
Ziggy made an enlightened face, which looked a lot like his usual face, but a tiny bit smarter. He reached for the popcorn bowl and offered it around. (When had he made popcorn?!)
“It’s urgent, I’m afraid,” Wes said. He was sounding more and more like a normal person, which was good! Because concussion wasn’t nice for anyone! But it was a little bit disappointing, too, and Gemma let herself be a little bit disappointed. He was quite cute all dopey and spouting technical words. “And we can’t take red or blue energy. We have both already.”
“Me, then,” Gemma said, and Flynn screwed up his eyes and nose at her, but nodded.
“Wait, I-“
“Aye, Gemma will do a great job.”
“I could-“
“I’ll just write a quick note to my brother.”
“If you’d just let me - fine.”
“Come with me, Zig.”
“Dear awesome brother,” Gemma said as she started her note in gold. She switched to silver. She was done swiftly. It wasn’t as if this was the first time she’d written to Gem about her possible death, after all!
Wes smiled at her. “Ready?”
She hefted the little blue bag from Flynn, who gave her a quick hug. She could smell snacks in there. He was a good boyfriend, and Ziggy was a good friend! “You bet! Hey, what’s interdimensional travel like?”
“Confusing,” Wes said.
“Swirly,” Koda told her gravely. “Maybe safer if we morph first. Less brain aches.”
“…that’s not a bad idea,” Wes said.
“Awesome! Let’s go!” She grinned, because this was one of the parts she loved the most. When everything was coming together, everything was poised on the beginning of boom. Yeah, it could be scary, and she didn’t want to go anywhere without Gem – but she’d be okay. She took strength from Flynn’s gaze, and gave it right back to him. She’d be fine.
“Let’s do it,” Wes agreed, grinning back at her.
She’d call the morph this time. “Ready?”