"Nearly a decade ago, I had the privilege of being part of a group of kids that were charged with saving the world from the threat of the Druidon Warfare Tribe. At different points in our life, we were bonded with the Power Crystals that granted us access to our powers to become Rangers and we used that energy to fend off a grave evil. Druidon burst into our world behind the improper use of power and corruption within GENESIS, a tech company that's obviously no longer in business, and sought to destroy our planet in order to mold it into their image. As Rangers, we struggled initially. I mean... try shoving ten teenagers into a fucking group project and you're bound to see some interesting results. Nonetheless, we found a way to make things work for all of us, successfully holding off Druidon for as long as possible.

That is... until matters grew worse.

Silas was certain that we had defeated Druidon after we combined our efforts for one final attack... but the deranged group was expecting this. Somehow, they caught us off guard and stabbed the Red Ranger through the hard. Obviously, Parker, his girlfriend at the time, was heartbroken and, in a fit of rage, she responded with her own attack which led to her murder as well. Two rangers were gone... but Andre and Eddie had the idea of using the energy from their own Power Crystals to forcefully combine with their physical bodies to take down Druidon once and for all. The sacrifice paid off... but at what cost? I know that Clint and Jordan were devastated, despite the fact that we had won. As for Kayla, Anna, and Wesley? They've moved on with their lives, leaving behind their Power Crystals and their duties as Rangers.

Since that time, I've grown up, graduated from Angel Grove University and invested much of my time during the day to my technical repair business. Things are going well in the entrepreneurial world I guess, but my primary focus is restoring the Ranger powers that were depleted after the war with Druidon. The media is sugarcoating the re-emergence of Druidon behind random explosions or juvenile acts, but I can sense Druidon's energy from a mile away. I've recently finished most of the Power Morphers, but now I need pilots for each of the suits. I know that Kayla, Anna and Wesley are lost causes... but I have hope for Clint and Jordan. If we can find more Rangers, then we can increase our strength. But for now, I've got to stay Ranger ready."

---

---

---

The Veterans - A few weeks ago, Charlie spotted Jordan as the former Blue Ranger was in the midst of her job search, trying her best to get re-acclimated to Angel Grove as she settles back in to her hometown. After spending about an hour catching up with each other, Charlie suggests to Jordan that they grab lunch or something on a Saturday. Well... that particular Saturday has come and Charlie has plans to unveil what's about to happen in Angel Grove as Druidon has re-emerged. Will Jordan show up? Or will she blow off meeting with her former teammate? Likewise, Clint doesn't spend as much of his time in Angel Grove anymore due to working on his family's ranch. He knows that's he's in line to takeover the business and focusing on that has somewhat helped him ease his mind from the war years ago. But what happens when Clint stumbles upon Charlie and possibly Jordan as he goes into the city for a lunch break? Will the former Green Ranger pull up a chair with them?

The Rookies - The Angel Grove Youth Center is hosting a community event this weekend and, of course, Ross has the honor of working the event. In partnership with the other youth center workers, they have setup a food table, carnival events and other fun attractions to get the kids excited. Prior to the event, the AGYC also reached out to other community partners, including Sloane and his fraternity as well as Vallory and some of the other members of the Women of Power League, to get some volunteers to do things such as passing out food, facilitating games, and cleaning up. The three of them have an opportunity to cross path around lunch time, connecting with each other and/or some of the kids at one of the tables on the back lawn. Or maybe they would rather be alone after expending so much energy volunteering? Regardless, Ross, Sloane, and Vallory will have to find a way to each other... especially after a "surprise visit" from some "men in costumes."

---

Whenever Gaia Co. was ready to announce a newly developed software or hardware to the world, it was not uncommon for them to host a press conference. With the demise of GENESIS over the course of the past few years, Gaia absorbed the former technological power resources and people in an effort to boost itself further into dominance. The result, which was the purpose of this press conference in the first place, led to a multimillion dollar state of the art facility known as the Gaia Co. Headquarters in downtown Angel Grove.

A well-dressed man with piercing green eyes took to the podium rooted directly in front of a uniquely constructed building, shaped in the fashion of three spheres and foliage decorating the interior and exterior. "Good afternoon everyone... to those watching online and especially my fellow angels of Angel Grove. My name is Augustus Beaumont, Chief Executive Officer of Gaia Company, and I am happy to share this bit of news with you all." Gesturing his right arm to the building behind him, Augustus offered a proud grin and continued. "For the past few years, Gaia Co. has been the leading company, internationally, for your technological needs. Cell phones, computers, security systems, televisions, home appliances... you name it, we make it! With the assistance of our civil engineering team, I am ecstatic to announce that Gaia Company Headquarters is now open for visit!"

Murmur fell over the audience watching from the other side of the podium, blending in with the clicking sounds of cameras taking photographs. "Now... you may ask: so what? And I understand that! Our 'so what' is that Gaia Co. wants to be the most transparent technology company that has ever existed! No longer will you question how we make our products or why we make our products... unlike other companies that no longer exist." Of course, Augustus was making a clear shot at the defunct GENESIS. "No... Gaia Co. is intent on providing our customers with the best technological experience in the most natural way. That is the Gaia way. Darius, go ahead and bring those big scissors up here for me, will ya?"

A similar looking man dressed in a suit, of younger age based on his looks, walked behind the podium where there was a bright green ribbon wrapped around two light poles directly in front of the entrance. He handed the scissors to Augustus and nodded his head. "My younger brother, ladies and gentlemen," he said with a laugh as Darius gave the crowd a quick wave before standing off to the side. "Gaia Company: Where we go to the future... and take you with us!" With that, Augustus applied pressure to the handles of the scissors, thus prompting the first day that the all-new Gaia Co. HQ was accepting visitors for tours.

---

"Look at them... frolicking around without a care in the world. They haven't the slightest clue as to what's in store for them."

Turning on his heel, the massive creature donned with castle-like structures along his shoulders faced his massive tribe of warriors from the Druidon lair. "Hail Tankjoh! Hail Tankjoh!" The voices were monotone, but somehow held a level of passion that they were in support of their leader, no matter what he declared. The massive screen behind him was showcasing the Gaia Co. press conference with people now entering into the headquarters for the first time since its opening a few weeks ago.

After a moment, the screen then shifted into another scene, showcasing a short woman dressed in purple garb with a curly bun of brown hair. Glasses were resting on her face as she stood outside of the Angel Grove Diner, seemingly waiting for someone to show up.

Turning to face the screen again, Tankjoh said, "And we haven't forgot about you, Purple Ranger... You have plans to put an end to us, but unfortunately for you, those plans will fail." Thrusting his right arm to the side, Tankjoh turned his head slightly so that he was looking over his shoulder at the group of Drunn Soldiers standing at the ready. "I want soldiers to attack the city. It's time that this world learns that Druidon was not defeated and that every knee will bow before us! Move out!"

"Hail Tankjoh! Hail Tankjoh!"

---

"Ugh... I'm gonna barf..." Charlie said to herself as she watched the Gaia Co. press conference on her phone, feigning a vomiting sound as she walked down the street along the downtown strip, her sights set on the diner that was a good distance away from where she currently was. The weather was transitioning into more of a spring time feeling, so Charlie adjusted as such, sporting a faded black t-shirt that had a picture of the Prince movie 'Purple Rain' on the front of it. She had never seen the movie, but Charlie actually did enjoy some of Prince's songs. Around her lower half, she had a purple flannel shirt, that she had no intentions on wearing around her upper half, draped around her waist and a pair of short light wash denim shorts hugging against her figure. A pair of purple, black and white Jordan 1's rounded out her outfit, her feet stopping in place at a four-way intersection just as the light told her to stop.

"All they do is fucking brag about what they do. Why not just actually do shit and shut up?" she mumbled to herself, tugging the AirPods out of her ear and sliding them into her bag draped across her chest. She needed to be in the know about all things technology because, well, that was her business. Charlie wanted to work for a company like GENESIS... like Gaia... but was finding that maybe being a "minion" wasn't what it was cracked up to be anymore. Besides, she had other business to attend to that needed her attention. As the walkway light showed the white "walking" symbol, Charlie quickly walked across it, lifting her left hand up to glance down at her Power Morpher that doubled as a watch as well as a way for her to check her text messages without needing her phone. She was proud that she had developed this and the other ones all by herself.

"God, I hope Jordan shows up..." she said with a sigh, speeding up her pace as she neared the Angel Grove Diner, pausing at the bottom of the steps to glance around for any sight of the former Blue Ranger. "I'm starving.. let me just, go ahead and grab our booth." The diner itself was self-seated and, luckily, there was an open booth big enough for a nice group of people. For a moment, Charlie paused to stare over the empty seats, swearing that she could see the faces of the other fallen Rangers... as well as the ones that were no longer willing to serve. "Yeah... let me just sit down and eat," Charlie said, chuckling to herself and sliding into the booth that was situated near the corner windows.

"Can I get ya anything to drink hun?" the waitress asked, bringing over a few of the laminated double-sided menus. "Also, how many are we feeding today?"

"Uh... just two. And I'll do a water with a lemon. Thanks," Charlie replied with a nod and then began looking out the window. Glancing down at her Power Morpher, she tapped the "message" icon and decided to send Jordan a follow up message.

"Almost a decade ago now, I lived in Angel Grove with my Ma who parted from my Pa for a bit over some petty issues they had about the ranch. I was a smaller boy back then, longer hair and dressed more like the city folks tend to, so pretty normal stuff. What wasn't normal was bein' on a team of teenagers tasked with saving the world from some other-worldly force known as the Druidon Warfare Tribe. I never quite understood the full picture, but knowing my parents an' three little brothers were in danger was enough for me to fight. I was the oldest kid there, and I took it upon myself to try an' look after the others as a big brother of sorts for the group, keeping them in line when they would all squabble.

They were good folks. I say were, because quite a few of them have passed on, God rest their souls. I always told myself I could protect everyone, but that day was a reality check. Four of my friends were dead before it was over, and I almost lost a fifth in the chaos. Jordan Hall. She had been critically injured and almost found herself getting killed in action, but I took the brunt of the finishing blow intended for her. Got the scar across my abdomen to prove it, though most people who ask just get one excuse or another. By the time the others won the battle, we were trying to drag ourselves out of harm's way. I feel lucky to be alive, and even luckier that she survived, even if she disappeared soon after the war was over.

I took off, too. Said my goodbyes to Charlie, because my Ma had started getting along with my Pa again. So we took off back to the ranch. We lost contact info at some point, guess because of how rarely we talked. But I tried to keep an eye out for her when I was in town. Never found her, though, so it's a wonder what she's been up to. Jordan, too. I've spent my time on the family ranch, workin' myself hard. I've grown into a pretty simple guy, but a lot bigger than the others might remember. Been talkin' a lot more like my dad, too. I was a confused country boy in the city before, but now I'm experienced in both sides, taking a heavy tilt to the countryside. My Pa has been talkin' about how the ranch is mine once he passes, but I dunno how I'm gonna handle that responsibility. By the time that happens, my brothers will probably be long gone. Will probably need some ranch hands, though it could be hard to find people trustworthy. It sounds like a lot of work I ain't ready for.

As of now, I'm takin' a trip into Angel Grove to get some things I need for the ranch. While I'm there, I'm gonna stop at the Angel Grove Diner an' get a couple of their classic BLT sandwiches. They were always my favorite as a kid, and I can't help but want a little nostalgia once in awhile. I've always kinda hoped some of my friends would show up around there, too. But over the years I've either missed them or the place became less popular among them. Who knows?"

---

Clint was driving down the road in his 2019 Ford F-150 Raptor. It wasn't uncommon for him to make trips into the city, but today was a pretty simple trip. Just needed some supplies to patch up a fence and to fix some of a stable interior. He'd be out of there in about an hour and a half, he'd say? Well, he wanted to stop for lunch, so maybe just say two hours. Depending on how long it took him to find what he was looking for, anyways.

The radio was playing some coverage about that Gaia company. Clint didn't really keep up with that stuff, he didn't have his hands in that honey pot. He understood how big they were, but generally the news wasn't anything that mattered to him, though his paranoia about a certain company from the past made him wonder if Gaia would ever lead them into some sort of painful situation like a blast from the past. But that was just, as he thought to himself, paranoia. They finished everything back then, and the world was at peace... The incidents he'd been hearing about had to just be coincidence and horrible people. Clint couldn't bring himself to believe otherwise.

So he flipped it over and found some music instead. Trying to relax during the drive, though he was practically in the city now. He decided he wanted to eat first, before he got down to business. He'd skipped eating at home, choosing to get on the road. So stopping at the diner and getting some food, and a coffee, sounded ideal. He spent enough time with his friends when he was younger to navigate most of the city with ease, especially when it came to getting to the diner.

He parked his truck in the somewhat crowded little lot, turning off the ignition and hopping out. Locking the doors, he was quick to adjust the hat on his head and waltz up towards the diner. The aesthetic was still the same, and he'd never get tired of it. The nostalgia flooded back every time he walked into the building, and today was no different. He glanced about, trying to find a table to sit at. His tall figure looming over those who were already sat down as his eyes scanned for a potential booth to relax in. He could eat in his truck if he really wanted to, but... He didn't want to.

That's when his eyes locked onto something-- No, someone, in particular. Maybe it was her form, her size? Just the way she sat that brought back a memory or two in his mind. She was in a pretty big booth for being alone, too. Though considering he had thought of doing the same thing, he curbed his own hypocrisy and decided to let the thought go. As he passed her by, he couldn't help but tilt his head back, glancing at her one more time, seeing her face. Now Clint was bad with a lot of things: Musical instruments, dating apps, the list could go on for awhile. But faces? He knew faces.

'Can't be.'

He paused, his feet planting on the ground. That face. He saw something familiar in it, a determined individual in those green eyes. Someone who occasional felt like life's joke at her own expense when someone mentioned how small she was. A smile crept on his face as he turned, approaching the booth curiously as he spoke up. "Charlie?" He questioned, hopefulness in his tone. "Charlie Fox?" He added the last name for emphasis that time, to signify he knew her for sure.

To a normal person, Clint might have had some reservations with making a small scene. But Charlie was like a sibling to him at one point; She'd been the youngest of his friend group, and he always made sure nobody was picking a fight with her. Though because she was such a tough little thing, it was more so to keep other people from getting their asses handed to them. "It might be hard to recognize me, but it's Clint! Clint Martyr?" He spoke casually, like they had just been school friends. But that was just a part of him that refused to reveal his feelings or involvement with the Rangers in public at all, if he could help it. Maybe he was a little too good at keeping secrets, sometimes.

The cowboy watched her with high spirits, hoping for a positive response. Hopefully he hadn't mistaken this woman for one of his friends? Clint had faith in his abilities, but a little anxious nagging feeling told him he could have been wrong.

---

"So, this kinda lame, don't you think?" Mia Chikara asked, setting down a stack of plastic chairs.

"I beg your pardon?" Vallory responded, doing the same.

"It's just...I don't know why we're here." Chikara chuckled a little, glancing around. "I feel so out of place."

"If you didn't want to interact with the community, you shouldn't have joined the Wopple."

Chikara pinched her nose. "Please stop calling it that."

"No. Women of Power League is too long to say. WPL doesn't flow off the tongue. We're in the Wopple whether you like it or not." Vallory teased.

"I didn't realise I would be handing out flyers to kids!" She complained.

"Booo! That's why you're the heel. You've got no Angel Grove spirit."

"Oh yeah? I should pile driver you straight to Tokyo so my papa can help me beat you up, too."

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to leave the country. Y'see, they don't allow guns across the border." She rolled up the sleeve of her pink t-shirt and kissed her bicep. Indeed, she did possess metaphorical gun arms. Vallory was almost a foot taller than Mia, and Mia stood at 5'5. The blonde girl had her hair tied up into a bun. She had some jeans on, pink sneakers, and her t-shirt was tied a little higher than her belly button. Needless to say, what little skin was shown was abtastic. There was a temporary tattoo on her right cheek of a pink shooting star.

Though she wasn't in her full wrestling regalia, she was "wearing" her pink mask. It was up on her forehead however, not currently around her blue eyes. And her Pink t-shirt was actually some merch themed after her, with her name and logo printed acrss it in bold white text. Still, if anyone knew who Starshine was, they would be able to tell Vallory was her. She was, after all, the tallest woman in Angel Grove. Kind of hard to miss.

"Ugh." Mia rolled her eyes and smiled. "Mind if you finish up here? I have to go...organize parking, or something. Also, I'm gonna go grab some pizza and then sulk or something. See you in a little bit." Mia turned and began to leave as she talked, slowly backing up incase Vallory gave her a negative.

"A'ight. See ya, Mia. If any kids ask you for an autograph, you better give it to 'em." She pointed threateningly after her friend. Mia turned around, pulled down on her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Then she turned out of sight and was gone. That was Setting Sun for you.

"Pfft." Vallory dismissively waved her co-worker away. Her stomach rumbled, and Vallory reached into her pocket to check her phone. It was just about lunch time. By the way, the phone was pink and covered in protective rubber. Vallory went the opposite direction to get her own pre-packed meal from her car. A big, hearty submarine sandwich. The kind that needed to be kept in check by a toothpick. Or, at least, that's what the sandwich maker wanted her to think. She chatted with some of the other Wrestlers, signed an autograph, and was just generally sociable. Vallory didn't want to go too long without interacting with someone.

Once her sandwich was secured, she found a somewhat secluded spot so she could eat her sandwich in relative peace. It was kind of hard to talk to people with a sandwich in your mouth.

It was a beautiful day. Chatter gently filled the air, distant laughter. Angel Grove...Vallory loved this city.

Of course, Vallory realised for the millionth time in her life time that total peace and quiet wasn't really her thing. She didn't like being alone. She got out her phone and, holding her sandwich in one hand, began to scroll through her various social media feeds. The official WPL page had already been updated, people were talking about it. Unfortunately, Youth Centers had to do a lot of work to convince teenagers that they were cool and fun. But folks liked earnesty. And the AGYC was that!

Vallory was lost in her phone, zoning out as she ate her sandwich. She had to hunch just a little to sit comfortably at the steel picnic table. It was difficult to text with only one finger, but she was working on doing something to announce her enthusiam for the AGYC.

Practically a decade ago, events happened that changed the course of my life in many unpredictable ways. I’d like to say that if I was given the choice to go back to the day it all started and change my decision that I would but ultimately, I wouldn’t. We were graced with power and charged with the mission of protecting the world from the threat of the Druidon Warfare Tribe. We were suddenly strong enough to protect the ones we loved and anyone too weak to defend themselves. I gained not only comrades in arms but deep friendships with many that would not have been possible if not for the opportunity to be chosen as the recipient of this most gracious gift. I never imagined someone like me, just some small gangly brace faced girl that blended in with the crowd would be chosen or have the luck to be a part of something so incredible with a group of so many amazing people. Sadly, for all the positives that being a Ranger was and had meant, there is always the negative that no one hopes will follow but regrettably still had.

The negative of being a Ranger, your life is forfeit to the mission because we are the only and last stand for everyone else. They say that near death experience changes a person. I want to say I don’t agree but it’s true. Part of who I was died that day and I am not sure that piece of me will ever return. I know that sounds dramatic, but that moment changed my view of life. It might not have been such an impact if it wasn’t for all the other events that played out the day of our victory. If it had only been me who had been harmed, I would have been happy with that. If it had been my life over theirs, I would have gladly welcomed it but that is not how life works. No, instead I watched two of those I had come to view as my alternate family fall without being able to do anything to stop it. I faltered and failed in the wake of that fact, finding myself on the end of a blade like the two before me. I would say it was luck that I am still standing and breathing today but that is only part of the case and the smallest at that.

No, if Clint Martyr had not stepped in front of the final blow that was intended for me….I would not have survived. I would have been another name added to the already long list to mourn. His actions I will be forever grateful for even if I never manage to admit it but at the same time, it only served to place more guilt on my heart. Another person that I was helpless to assist and one that would not have been joining my struggles if I hadn’t been careless. I have forever been visibly marked, my body haunting me with my failure in the form of a scar on my lower left abdomen and a matching set at my back which seems fitting to show as a badge for the worst scars and wounds that can’t be seen and continue to fester still to this day. I had to crawl, pathetic and weak from the battle while two more of my family sacrificed themselves for all of us. It was like salt in the wound of my soul. The only small thing I could do, the only thing I was even good for was to keep pushing and encouraging the one next to me to keep going just as he did for me in return because even if I didn’t make it, I wanted at least one more of us to live.

Since that day, I vowed to live life to the fullest and enjoy every precious moment like it would be my last. I know it was cruel to leave as I did but I couldn’t stand to see the other Rangers once I was released from the hospital. It would just be a hard hit, reminding me that not all of them were there. Instead, my family just up and moved away, trying to pick up life again and hope for more normality. I know they hoped it would help. A change of scenery would make me right as rain as my mother had put it. It didn’t but I took to the idea that maybe it was just that place so why not try another? I skipped college, moved all around the place and just took joy in the location and the people until I didn’t any more, moving onward. It has been far easier to push people away than to let them close and see them hurt again or worse. If you are alone, nothing can hurt you at least that is what I thought. Is it really true though when I would call to get updates from my uncle about Angel Grove? That I would worry over something happening again? I know it sounds crazy and is insane to consider but...I’m thinking about going home. I want to feel connected to something again. I am starting to feel more lost than found and I don’t know why but I feel like going back to my roots might be the solution.

---

---

There was sharp intake of breath followed by the rustling of sheets as a chime loudly rang out. Arms stretched out, slipping out from under the covers as the sound of crackling pops followed just behind. The single occupant sat up with a groan, rubbing her eyes lazily as the background noise of the tv continuously droned on about some tech company, Gaia or whatever. The brunette scoffed at it, not giving trust into any of the bullshit they were trying to sell.’Transparency my ass...everyone has secrets or an agenda.’, she thought. Her dark eyes finally fluttered open, a hiss on her lips as she blinked a few times against the harsh sunlight. Once she was again blessed with the gift of sight, she only found herself greeted with an amused smirk of a man with a cup of coffee in his hands. “Rough night, Jordan?” the older gentleman chuckled and held out the mug for her.

She leaned forward, taking the mug gently and giving a quick dip of her arm in thanks before she took a swing only to spit it instantly back into the cup. ”What the fuck is this? Sludge? Did your taste buds shrivel up and die, old man?”, Jordan gagged with her nose wrinkled in disgust as she readjusted in her makeshift bed on the couch to place the vile drink onto the coffee table. The man gave a hearty chuckled, ruffling her messy bed hair before he happily took a seat in the recliner. “Now is that any way to talk to your favorite uncle? Next time get up and make your own coffee then.” he simply stated, turning his attention to the television.”Yeah, yeah, yeah. We both know you're my only uncle and besides, if I wasn’t given you a hard time then you wouldn’t feel loved.”, she snickered. “You got me there, snapdragon. I’ve become immune to your insults and now they feel like compliments. I might take you to the hospital if something nice popped out.” he teased.

”Ha ha Benny. Very funny. Why are you even watching this garbage?”, Jordan asked honestly, standing up and digging under her pillow for her phone. “I like to be informed and besides, it doesn’t seem all that bad.” he shrugged gently. ”Trust me, don’t fall into that corp….orate...bull….oh fuck my life!”, she said in a panic, guilt hitting her in the gut as she noticed the missed message from Charlie. ”Why didn’t you wake me!?! It's lunch time! I thought it was morning!” she whined, digging quickly into her suitcase for clothes. “You looked like you could use the rest. Is something the matter?” Benny asked in concern. ”I had a meeting with a friend for lunch and now I’m completely late!”, she called from the bathroom, quickly slipping on a pair of black leggings and a simple grey shirt with a random print design. She didn’t have time to mess with her hair so she simply threw it up into a bun, placing a headband on that had a mix of her signature color for a bit of color. Jordan dashed to the front door, pulling on some running shoes and her leather jacket to complete her outfit. “Where are you meeting at? Do you need to borrow the car?”

”Naw, it’s just down the street at the diner. I’ll be there in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. See you later, don’t wait up!” she waved, while he found himself shaking his head. He worried about that girl. She quickly grabbed her wallet, shoving it in her jacket pocket before opening the front door, dashing out only pausing to make sure the door swung all the way shut. Jordan sprinted down the road, only pausing when the crosswalk was at a stall and even then she repeatedly pressed the button as if that would make the process go faster. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t set an alarm or something so she wouldn’t be late. This was a disaster! ’Charlie probably thinks I stood her up. Could this become any more of a nightmare?!’, she thought. The light turned green, a bright smile on her face as she went to go, some motherfucker trying to turn right started to ease up and honked like she was the goddamn problem. She stopped, glaring directly at the prick and slammed her foot into their grill a few times. ”Learn to have some patience!”, she hissed angrily before sprinting off again, ignoring the dude that was trying to get out to confront her but ultimately couldn’t do more with traffic honking behind them.

Jordan could have cried in relief as the diner was in sight, pushing herself harder and flinging open the door. Her heart felt like it had stopped for a moment even though it was still racing from the short amount of exercise. Everything was the exact same. It was like no time had passed. It made her feel like at any moment the whole gang would come out, everything over the last ten years being nothing more than a bad dream. It made her throat constrict but she forced down her emotions, focusing on the task at hand. Her eyes drifted over the tables and booths trying to find a familiar face when she spotted her at a booth by the window. Jordan grinned brightly but it quickly shifted into a scowl, looking over the man standing by the table. What kind of himbo hick fuckery was this? And what did he think he was doing? What a girl couldn’t even sit alone without being hit on by some pig? Nuh-uh, no one messed with Charlie while she was around.

She stomped up to the table, getting on her tippy toes to grab the cowboy’s hat, very much understanding that it would mean looking for a fight cause that was exactly what she was doing. ”Do we have a fucking problem here, cowboy?! Huh?!” Jordan growled, slamming her free hand down on the table while threatening to drop his hat to the floor with the other. ”I meant to be here sooner. I didn’t think you were gonna have to defend yourself from swine.” she cooed sweetly to Charlie, before turning a heated glare back to the unwanted individual and getting up in his space, jabbing his shoulder as she spoke. ”Look, I don’t know who you are and frankly, I don’t give two shits but you leave my sister alone, you hear?! Make like a jackass and hit the road bucko cause no one is interested.” The being said, she flicked the hat away, not caring if he caught it or if it landed on the floor as she slid into the booth. ”Do they still have the bbq bacon cheese burger? I’ve been dying for it.” she said normally while looking at the menu like she hadn’t just ripped into a stranger or made assumptions of the conversation or environment.

As she waited for Jordan to hopefully respond, Charlie rested her cheek in palm, crossing her legs underneath the table, while she browsed her phone, looking over some of the digitalized plans for refurbishing the former GENESIS headquarters to make it more "Ranger friendly." As it stood now, the facility was a bit of a dump, but the underground portion where the brand new Command Center was housed had been updated accordingly. "Gonna be a lot of work..." she mumbled to herself, adjusting the glasses up her nose. Charlie was so focused on her phone that she neglected to notice the towering man with a cowboy hat atop his head standing over her. When he spoke and said her name, Charlie's eyes cut up to the man, nearly getting on edge until her brows furrowed while her eyes studied him.

"Y-yes...?" she stammered, not out of nervousness but trying to understand who this was speaking to her. The stern but soft eyes were familiar along with the strong jawline. The man looked like he was Clint's older brother or something. This couldn't possibly be him. He wasn't skinny anymore nor did he have the long, luscious hair. Charlie felt that she had changed since she was a teenager as well too. As a little girl, she felt that she was awkward looking with dorky glasses typically rounding out her outfit. Of course, she grew more comfortable in her own skin and her body naturally matured in such a way that she was a beautiful looking woman. It was funny how time allowed people to grow physically into their adult bodies, but how was he doing mentally? Clint appeared to be doing fine, which was evident in Charlie's thinking as her expression softened to a knowing and familiar smile, but that same "familial" feeling double with the emergence of the third member of this party.

"Jo-Jordan!" Charlie managed to spew out, but not before the lively and protective woman immediately went into her typical big sister mood, just like old times. Gosh, I'm having flashbacks She sat up in the booth a bit more extending her arm to try and calm down Jordan, but to no avail. There was no stopping her once she got going. "Jordan... this is..." By now there was an entire scene in the diner with some of the lunch goers observing what was going on. By the time her rant ended and she was seated, Charlie glanced nervously from Jordan to Clint and said quietly, "Jordan... that's Clint."

This mini reunion should have been celebratory with three of the original ten Rangers together after nearly a decade away from each other. Now, things were just awkward until they settled over. Whenever Jordan would realize what Charlie had said, Charlie scooted over in the booth to make way for Clint to sit with them. "Come sit with us, Clint. You must have gained weight, Cowboy," Charlie said with a friendly smirk. "And, dude, did you cut the beautiful locks off? Oh my gosh... do you have kids now or something? Are you married?" She reached for his left hand to see if there was a ring on his finger. As she realized what she had said, she glanced over to Jordan as well too. They both were a few years older than her and probably had experience more 'adult' things than she had. Charlie felt like a kid all over again. "Oh, to answer you question, yeah, they still have your favorite burger. I can't believe I've got the both of you here right now."

Was this something of destiny? What were the chances that she would stumbled upon Jordan a few weeks ago and Clint right at this moment? All in the same place? Charlie's heart grew warm as she glanced from Jordan to Clint and then the Power Morpher around her wrist. Neither of them would be familiar with it, obviously, since it looked like a regular watch, but Charlie couldn't help but to think that maybe, just maybe, she could unload the reason why she asked Jordan for lunch as well as pulling in Clint. Of course, Clint probably wasn't expecting this, but it wouldn't hurt to at least bring up in conversation. For now, she wanted to know what the two of them had been up to. "Has it... really been almost 10 years...?"

Clint was pretty excited, all things considered. Actually catching up with an old friend sounded great, and he was already planning to spend extra time in the diner just to talk for awhile. If he got home late, that'd be fine. He could just start on repairs tomorrow and pick up the slack. Charlie hadn't grown, per se, still being the short lass he remembered from his youth, especially now. But her body had changed in ways an adult's just... Did. Pretty was about as far as he'd go to describe it, though he wasn't really trying to be vocal on the subject.

But, there was someone being vocal. And physical. Clint's disbelief kept him from preparing himself as a woman approached from the entrance of the diner, getting in his face and taking his hat. His eyes widened, and his shoulders raised slightly to look like his head sunk in. "Hey! Calm down a sec--" He tried to reason, but felt a jab into his shoulder. It wasn't painful, per se, just annoying and surprising. Jesus Christ, what the hell was her problem? She called Charlie 'sister', right? Clint's mind was goddamn spinning, so he couldn't think straight, yet he also couldn't build up much of a response as the woman was relentless in her assault. And to add insult to... Well, insult, she tried to just flick his hat onto the dirty floor below. Clint snatched it out of the air, giving it a complimentary dusting before placing it back on his head, eyes narrowing towards her for the treatment he just got. She thought she could just do that, then sit down like nothing happened? Everyone was looking at him like he was some sort of horndog trying to pick up some chick in a diner, and he felt a mixture of embarrassment and building irritation.

Clint hadn't even heard the first time Charlie cried out that name. It was only the second time, once the woman sat down, that he heard it as Charlie tried to speak in his defense. Jordan? He did a double-take, eyes scanning her over and taking in what had just happened. How could he not have realized that? The one person who could definitely have an attitude the size of the damned moon, not to mention it explained the whole protective streak she had going on with Charlie. What the hell, though? How long had they been hanging out again? He felt like he'd been missing out, though there was no time for that now, as Clint's identity was revealed.

"That'd be me." He said, demeanor still surprisingly quiet after everything that just transpired. All in all he was pretty mellow, and raising his voice to Jordan's insane antics just wasn't on his agenda at the moment, especially in a packed place like this. She'd probably feel bad enough anyways, but he saw something in her eyes that yelled 'Oh yeah? Doesn't look like Clint to me!' And he also knew that she was hardheaded enough to either not admit she was wrong, or accept facts as reality. So he'd have to give her a quick reality check.

"Jordan Hall." He spoke calmly, eyes focusing on her for a moment as he sat down on Charlie's side, since she scooted over for him. Polite and wonderful girl, she was. "Back in high school, they compared you to that girl from Findin' Nemo 'cause of your braces. Who always had your back?" He asked, remembering the days he'd stick up for her, even if she didn't need protecting and it was more to show her she had someone on her side. He'd let it sink in that he was Clint, as Charlie was now distracting him.

"Guess I got a bit bigger, didn't I?" He laughed it off, but he was a fairly hefty man. But it fit into his height, so it worked out. These two combined almost didn't look like they could weigh in the same as him, in fact, he was almost sure of it. But that's what made him big brother, especially now. Charlie caught him off guard with the thought of him being married, the man blinking at her as he wasn't sure how to process the question for a moment due to it being so sudden. She scanned his fingers for a ring, but all she'd get was his rough hands that looked like they'd seen plenty of cuts over the years. There was a charm to that rugged nature, though.

"Married? Me? Nawh..." He dismissed the idea, waving his right hand. "Tried dating a few times, sure, but it never went that far. Livin' that bachelor life right now." He answered honestly, finding humor in it though his experiences with dating were less than ideal, at least for what he wanted out of a relationship. He figured they didn't want gritty details, so he'd leave that topic alone. He rested his elbows on the table, entangling his fingers and resting his chin on his knuckles as he listened to Charlie simply point out that it had indeed been almost ten years for them. Where had all that time gone? She questioned it herself, and he figured he could answer on his end.

"I'm sorry. Guess I somehow lost your contact info at some point, or the number changed." He spoke sincerely, feeling bad for not having been able to keep up with Charlie at all during the time they spent apart. "I do occasionally come in here hoping to see ya, and I guess I finally lucked out on that, right?" He found joy in the situation, such a reunion he hadn't expected. If only everyone was here! Well... Everyone that could be here. But seeing some of his best friends was better than none. "Been workin' on my family's ranch all these years. Supposed to take over within too long, but I doubt it'll be that soon since my Pa is still goin' strong."

Not going into much detail, he instantly went to a topic he cared more about. "What about you gals, though? Charlie, I couldn't picture you as anything but the young girl you used to be, can't believe you grew up. Guess it was naive to think you'd stay the same forever." His attention back on Jordan, he wasn't about to let her escape from his excitement, either. "Jordan, you kinda just disappeared off the map. I was worried about ya, but it's clear you're as brutal as ever. They always said you looked like the Findin' Nemo gal but they never considered you act like her." He spoke, recalling her jabbing him in the shoulder earlier like a certain movie character to a fish bowl. He'd just let that sit for a minute.

| 𝖳𝖠𝖦(𝖲) : @metanoia @Zoey Boey |

Jordan was skeptical even after hearing it directly from Charlie that this cowboy was Clint. If that was indeed true, then the youngest teammate had probably been trying to help her save face before she had dug into the unsuspecting man but had ultimately been ignored in favor of overprotection. Frankly, she couldn’t believe it though and also didn’t want to believe their words because that meant feeling guilty or wanting to apologize which they all knew she wasn’t going to do. It was when he spoke her last name that she tensed, keeping her composure so she appeared unfazed...well, up until he decided to bring up her past bullies comments about her appearance in high school and reminding her just who had come to her aid. A scowl made its way onto her lips, annoyed at him for bringing up fairly unpleasant moments but also annoyed with herself for making an assumption which led to said comment as well as the tinge of guilt she now felt. This had to be the worst situation possible for a reunion with the former Green Ranger.

She kept her mouth shut, focusing on the menu like it was the most interesting thing in the world so she didn’t have to even look at Clint. Jordan didn’t tune out though even while she appeared to be doing just that. The change to his looks was an understatement and big didn’t really cover it. He had gone from a scrawny twig with flowing locks to well, that. It killed her to even compliment him in her head right now when all she wanted to do was kick his shin under the table but he looked good. Ten years had been kind to him which is why when Charlie asked about him being married, she wouldn’t have doubted if he answered yes. The answer being no was a bit of a surprise but even more so when followed by not dating at all. She wasn’t one to judge though in that area since she didn’t really date and just had a fun time, maybe continuing to share their company until it was boring or they started looking for more.

The subject of ten years was not something she wanted to bring up or think about. It reminded her of how she left, why she left the way she had, and drew in memories of what she had lost. Hearing Clint speak of losing contact with Charlie too made her feel a smidge better but overall not that much. She felt like the third wheel the more he spoke to Charlie directly and felt herself sigh. At least the reason he looked the way he did was much clearer now after learning what he had been up to since everyone split ways but it was still shocking to her to see him as a cowboy. This guy had practically been her best friend even if they had squabbled a bit in the past and it was jolting to see him appear so different. Jordan guessed it was her own fault for thinking they would all stay looking closer to their teen selves.

She finally looked up from her menu staring to gaze at the man across from her, giving acknowledgment that she had heard his question. She went to answer but bit her tongue as he went right back to addressing Charlie, which caused Jordan slight irritation and had her trying not to glare. Why had she even come to this meeting? It was supposed to be about spending time with Charlie and instead she was just sitting here like a bump on a log as while the other two chatted. She let her gaze drift to the window, resting her chin on her palm as she took in the view. The sound of her name had her turning away, attention focused on Clint as he spoke. She felt more guilt claw at her gut at the sudden disappearance with no information. Of course they would have been worried….seeing her in the hospital one day and then poof, gone the next with no goodbye or words and with no contact information. She had been about to give the closest thing to an apology as she could without saying the words sorry but that died on the tip of her tongue at the insult. That had stung a bit more than she thought it would for such a childish comment.

Yeah, Jordan knew she wasn’t the friendliest out there at times but she didn’t think she was as childish, obnoxious, or as uncaring as he was hinting at her to be. Heck, the freaking devil child in that movie killed fish like it was going out of style. Who wanted to be compared to that? She already felt guilt and blamed herself for multiple deaths and to have someone that used to defend her instead dig into a sensitive ache felt so much worse. Her rational side told her he hadn’t meant it the way she took it but the other emotional half of her told herself that ten years changed people and maybe it had been exactly what he meant. She wasn’t sure if her hurt showed in that moment or not. She could have had her natural resting bitch face for all she knew but she forced her features into a happy sweet smile and replied in a fake honey tone, ”Yeah, you're right, I did do quite the disappearing act. Maybe I should have kept it that way a bit longer.” Once she had said her peace on that front, she turned her attention to Charlie, the smile softening just a bit into something a bit more real but still pretty forced. ”I’ll be right back, Charlie. I think I just got a phone call and I don’t want to disturb anyone more than I have when calling them back. If the waiter comes by then please just order for me.”, she stated, sliding out of the booth and headed for the door. Jordan just wanted some air to cool off and also to keep it together. The moment she was out of sight from the booth, she leaned against the wall of the diner, tilting her head back to take a deep breath and she looked to the sky. This day was a disaster. Could it even get any worse?

Marriage, and dating for that matter, was something that was far and away from Charlie's radar. Sure, there were gentlemen that tried their luck with her in the tech industry, but she shooed them away like the plague. As far as she was concerned, Charlie didn't have time to fancy someone because that would distract her from the goal of protecting the world. If the time were to come and things flowed natural, Charlie was open to it, but if the Rangers didn't re-assemble, then there would be a world to fall in love in. "I hear that," Charlie said in response to Clint, scoffing a little as she shook her head. "The last guy I dated was... ugh... he was such a prick, let's just leave it at that." As far as Clint or Jordan knew, Charlie would be remembered as the little girl with the driest of humor behind a pair of glasses. At that age, and even now, she was more concerned about the safety and well-being of others rather than pleasing herself.

"Things happen..." Charlie said with a shrug, glancing down at the Power Morpher around her wrist, tempted to type away at it to add Clint's number (whether new or old) to her list of contacts since she already had Jordan's. She would hold that thought depending on how the interactions between now the three of them went. As she glanced over at Jordan, Charlie could literally feel the shift in her emotions, but couldn't quite understand Jordan's hesitation. She was thankful that Jordan actually came, but perhaps the fact that there was Clint here now reminded her of what happened in the past to their friends: the four that died in the war and the other three who couldn't bear to look either of them in the face anymore. It was a lot to take in, but Charlie knew that she needed to be strong, not for just herself but Jordan and Clint too. The dynamic shift between ten years ago and now was alarming. Charlie had never been placed in this predicament before. Fiddling with one of the loose curls on the side of her face, she wondered if this was all a mistake. Could she really do this?

Turning a bit in the booth, Charlie leaned her back against the window as Clint asked about how they were. "I'm... alright. I never left. Finished up school, college and... started my own business." Reaching for her bag, she pulled out two business cards with bright purple font and other designs that made the card pop out. "So... if either of you ever have computer problems, you know who to call, ha. I've been doing it for like two years now and I make decent money. Enough to pay the rent and whatnot. You know, I was wanting to work for GENESIS but... yeah..." The both of them knew that it was a dream to work for the now defunct company. Her expression softened before she shook her head. "Then I was like 'Fuck it I'll do it myself.' You know, like Thanos at the end of Age of Ultron?" she chuckled. "Plus, I mean, he's purple, right? Gotta empathize with my purple people..."

Before Charlie could even effectively respond to Jordan, she was up and moving out of the booth. Was it something Clint said? Something she said. Shit... ten minutes and I'm already losing her again.. A massive lump began to form in her throat as she rubbed a hand across her forehead. "Maybe we should check on her?" she said to Clint, just in time for the waiter to return, asking for their orders. "Oh... I know that Jordan wanted the BBQ bacon cheeseburger with fries. I'll take a Patty Melt... and..." She exchanged looks with Clint to let him order. Once he was done, her Power Morpher began to beep, but it was simply her midday alarm, thank goodness. "I'll go check on Jordan..." she said, tapping on his shoulder as to excuse herself to slide out of the booth. Making her way outside, she approached Jordan from her front and asked, "You okay? I... I didn't know that Clint would be here but... I mean, it's great to have the both of you here together. All of us, together..."

Was now a good time to rip the band-aid off? How did Silas or any of the other Rangers do these sorts of things when it came down to being a leader? Charlie had intentions on meeting with Jordan to check on her, but also gauge her interest in returning to battle with her in lieu of Druidon's return, but from the looks of it, things weren't stable on her end. This was so fucking selfish... Charlie thought to herself, literally biting her tongue behind a closed pair of lips. Thankfully, they were off to the side and out of earshot. "Jordan... I have to be honest..." she began softly, lowering her eyes.

Clint was in a weird spot, right now. He'd just mouthed off to Jordan, but didn't feel good about it despite their tendency to do that in the past. It wasn't a very good way to start off seeing each other again, but then neither was her overreaction when she came into the diner. His eyes nervously scanned both girls at the table, a negative feeling starting to wash over him about this. Maybe he should've just kept walking? Taking the offer to sit down was starting to seem like a bad one, but maybe he was just thinking too hard on the exchange that just happened. Or not hard enough which was why he felt how he did right now.

His attention turned to Charlie as she responded to him, understanding how she felt. His dating experiences weren't much better: Girls just kind of seeing him as a meat slab instead of a person. He had been looking for companionship, not just a wild time. It'd been irritating and Clint had the blame for things pushed on him, but he mostly understood he wasn't wrong for what he wanted. Those pings of self-doubt were always there, though. She said to leave it at what she said, so he kinda... Did. Just staring quietly, though that wasn't entirely out of character.

"Your own business? That's great!" Clint exclaimed, looking at the business card provided. Very flashy and colorful, almost to the point of hurting Clint's eyes but he was a pretty simple guy. He figured it was good design, he didn't exactly know Charlie for ever half-assing or messing something up. She might've been younger than him but she was dependable when it mattered. Also a bit of a dork. But they all sort of agreed in one way or another they were all dorks, so that was fine. Though, when Charlie compared herself to Thanos, he didn't have the heart to point out he was also bald, wrinkly, and considering the later movie, dead. Probably best to leave that all out, he figured. "You're doing good for yourself. Just be proud of that." He said, flashing a small smile though it didn't last. He still wasn't feeling very positive.

Especially after Jordan got up and walked off. Her words felt a little off, as instead of being the snarling punk he remembered she put on a bit of a face and sweetened her words, being polite. Clint had a bad feeling because of this, but didn't find himself budging. He sat there, awkward for a moment until she was out of sight and Charlie questioned him. Check on her...? They probably should. But he wasn't quite sure if he should do it. Fuck, he wasn't sure if he should even be here. It was probably surprising and a bit suspicious that Clint didn't order anything, the man just insisting he was fine momentarily, until the man was gone.

"Yeah. I'll let you handle it..." He muttered, shifting out of the booth to let Charlie go. He watched the short girl walk away, head slightly tilting as he momentarily got a look at how she'd changed, physically, but these thoughts quickly disappeared as she did. He looked at the table, silently contemplating his options, before clenching his left hand into a fist. Just like that, they were both out of here. He felt like he fucked up before, but this kind of just fueled that paranoia now that he was alone. He shook his head, disappointed mainly in himself as he looked towards the entrance to the diner. Eyes peering across that wall, he saw the second set of doors on the opposite side. He quickly shuffled along, not thinking he belonged anymore. He'd just pick something up later, right now he just needed to disengage.

He took off his hat as he reached the door, figuring maybe it made him stand out less if they looked his way, keeping it to his side as he walked out. He kept himself from looking towards the other entrance, not wanting to draw their attention. It was better that way, he felt, as he calmly made his way over to his truck. Jamming his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his keys, a press of a button unlocking the doors. He hopped into the driver's seat, the door closing with a somewhat obnoxious slam as he sat there momentarily, sighing.

"Probably ruined their whole day. Hopefully they'll be fine." He spoke to himself, tossing his hat into the passenger seat. He could make as many excuses as he wanted for their sake but it was obvious his own discomfort made him leave. It left him anxious, and maybe he was less of a man now than he used to be, since he was running from his problems. These doubts didn't keep him from turning the key in the ignition and preparing to leave, the truck pulling out of it's parking spot and purposefully exiting in the opposite direction of the two girls.

Trying to distract himself, he turned out the radio. Going back to his routine of changing stations, as he couldn't deal with the more emotional, depressing songs right now. Something loud sounded pretty good, if only he wasn't irritably changing stations, unable to find the one he wanted as he waited on traffic so he could turn out onto the street to leave.

---

Vallory was eating her sandwich when thankfully her self induced temporary isolation came to an end. It was Ross! Vallory wiped some mayo off her lip and straightened her back, trying to look presentable. She covered her mouth with her and finished chewing her bite. "Moh-"

"M- Hey!" She said, finally composed. "Hey, Ross! Yeah, I remember you." She looked down at the flyers and smiled.

"Wwwopple. Nice." She giggled. "I knew that was a good idea. It's good, right? Wopple. Women of Power League, I dunno, it's a bit stuffy. We're here to have fun, right? I don't-" Vallory looked up, face flat, as she saw some douchebag hopping his way from table to table.

"Hey, look at that douchebag, Ross." She laughed. "He's- Oh, God, he's coming over here."

Vallory looked up and, well, she clearly wasn't sure what to think. She had to admit, it was impressive that he jumped all the way over here from table to table.

"You're gram? Huh? That's Ross, not Randy, and it's the Wopple, not the Waffle." Vallory picked up her sandwich so that he wouldn't step on it.

"I wasn't aware that Ross here invited a clown to this community event." She poked, taking another bite of her sub.

| 𝖳𝖠𝖦(𝖲) : @metanoia @Zoey Boey |

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"Cats, huh? Mee-ow!" She said, excited at the idea. "That couldn't make things worse. Musicals are badass." She said, finishing off her sandwich. She wiped her hands free of the bread dust.

Vallory dismissed the apology from Ross with a wave of her hand, a nod, and a slow blink. No matter. "It's okay- he's a funny man." She said.

Suddenly, Ross turns to Sloane and began...making a deal? They went back and forth for a bit. "Uh, it's just a selfie, you guys." Whatever duel of social posturing they were engaging with was not her ball game.

Vallory quirked her head to the side as Sloane made his grand statement. Two things- one, he poked at Ross' height. Height based insults were a sore subject for her. And two, that last name, McGabe. Vallory recognized it. Sort of a big deal, huh? Yeah. Vallory no likey. Any good graces Sloane had managed to scrape together with the amiable Vallory got tossed out the window with this final little paragraph of dialogue.

"Oh, good. You've got height covered, McGabe?" Vallory said, her teeth grit for a moment. She moved her legs over the bench of the table and stood to her full height. About six or seven crucial inches taller than Sloane. She wrapped her arm around Sloane and squeezed his shoulder tight. "Come on, Ross. Take a selfie for the children." Vallory raised her other arm for Ross to scoot underneath. The height differences would probably make it a little annoying to get all three comfortably in frame of the phone.

Jordan turned her attention from the blue sky above to look at their youngest companion, smiling weakly as she made her approach. She could tell Charlie was concerned and should have known better than to assume that she wouldn’t be followed out here. She really had been planning to just take a moment and then suck it up and deal with it. No matter how they had changed or how they fought, they all dealt with so much together and that connected them. Jordan would do anything for them and that wasn’t about to change even if it was hard to handle at certain moments.”I’m fine, Charlie. Really...it’s alright. It’s not like Clint and I haven’t had our banters before. He just….ended up making up for lost time and hit a nerve, that’s all. It wasn’t like I didn’t accidentally egg him on with the whole misunderstanding. It meant a lot to see you again, both of you even if it wasn’t the ideal meeting that I had imagined when returning.”, Jordan admitted.

She wasn’t sure if it was her words that were a problem or what was going on with the former Purple Ranger but even she could tell something was off. It looked like she was internally debating something or about ready to burst at any moment which made her push off the wall, stepping closer to the woman she considered to be a sister. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, now the one to be concerned and silently letting the other know that she could lean on her for support. She didn’t like the way she avoided her gaze and the words she said instantly made her guts twist as if there was a rock sitting in her stomach but she didn’t let it show as she spoke as clear and confident as ever,”Charlie, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Charlie nodded her head as she listened to Jordan speak. What she said aligned with exactly how she felt as well, which was why Charlie originally offered for the two of them to meet up at the Angel Grove Diner to catch up with one another for old time's sake. The place at a bit of nostalgia attached to it, but the feeling was never going to be perfect given what had happened. Had Druidon not been returning, separation probably would have done all of them better. But as she thought about this to herself more and more, Charlie realized in that moment that the band-aid needed to be ripped off. Silas wouldn't have sugarcoated any of this.

All of the Rangers had leadership qualities and had their specific times where they stepped up to the plate when need be, but Silas had a place in everyone's heart where they each knew who the most level-headed person was. Not only that, but he was the first death that each of them witnessed in the war, evident of his ability to always fight from the front and living without fear. He was reckless in that regard, but Charlie respected him for it. Okay... I just gotta say it and...

Jordan's body language shifted and now she was concerned about her. Lifting her eyes up to the taller woman, Charlie nibbled at the corner of her lip, hearing the roar of the Green Raptor as it exited the diner's parking lot. Damn it... now Clint's gone.

”Charlie, what’s wrong? You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Shaking her head, Charlie's eyes closed tightly as she appeared to be fighting an internal battle before she ultimately blurted out, "Druidon is back and I need help, okay!?" The onus was lifted from her shoulders... or at least it felt as if she was being supported by someone else's strength assisting with hers. For all she knew, Jordan could have ran off the moment Charlie spilled this information on her. Her breathing was heavy, but Charlie paced herself, calming her nerves before she continued. "I can explain it later, I promise and... I'm sorry if it seems like I trapped you but... I don't have anyone else to turn to. I considered going at this alone but... I'm not making you, or Clint for that matter, come back to the team. I just..." She sighed. "I just wanted to know if you were interested in helping that's all..."

After she spoke, her Power Morpher began to beep frantically. This time, there wasn't a midday alarm that she had set. Instead, there was a "Warning" message lighting up on the screen. "Oh fuck..." Charlie mumbled to herself as she tapped the red exclamation point icon on the watch. A circular holographic screen lifted from Power Morpher and displayed the scene at the Angel Grove Youth Center. Charlie recalled seeing a flyer on social media about some sort of event being hosted there, but she was no longer a youth so it didn't necessarily apply to her. Regardless, the screen displayed the a newer version of the Drunn Soldiers that the Rangers fought before, proceeding to terrorize the event and attacking some of the people. "Drunn Soldiers are attacking the Angel Grove Youth Center... I gotta get there before they hurt someone!" The screen minimized back into Power Morpher with the tap of a button and Charlie began to back pedal just a bit. The Youth Center wasn't too far from the diner, but Charlie that she couldn't hitch a ride with Clint, unsure of where he had gone to. Probably back to the ranch. "If you can help, come on!"

And with that, Charlie had run off down the street. She wanted Jordan to follow her, but couldn't blame her if she didn't. For now, she couldn't worry about that; there were innocent lives in danger.


While the odd trio of Sloane, Ross and Vallory were taking their selfie with each other, there was a terrible shriek coming from down the way inside of the food court area. A fleet of soldiers dressed in a similar fashion were marching their way down the massive corridor with people running in opposite directions to get away from the incoming threat. There didn't appear to be a clear leader in terms of giving direct orders, but the Drunn Soldiers worked together in perfect harmony, branching off into different factions to jump on certain people. There was a variety of bodies thrown into nearby furniture, through glass windows or slammed right onto the floor. The lancer weapons they carried are able to be used as short range options, but it also as a blaster at the end of it for long range use as well. With no clear target in sight, the minions were here to send a message: that Druidon was back and better than ever.

---

The Rookies: Once Sloane snaps the picture, he'll probably see a visual of the Drunn Soldiers marching in the background of his selfie with Vallory and Ross. At this point, it's up them to decide how they go about responding to this situation. Do they put themselves in harms way and attack? Are they trying to herd people to safety? Do they hide behind a counter at a restaurant? Survive in the best way you see fit!

Clint: As Clint's driving in his car, he'll probably hear the emergency alert message on the radio informing listeners about the threat on the AGYC. The description of the attackers sounds eerily familiar to Clint. Does he turn his Raptor around and drive right into the action? Or will he carry on as if it's none of his business?

Jordan: Charlie just dropped a bomb on Jordan about Druidon being back and that much was confirmed by the alert on her Power Morpher. Old memories don't appear to be treating the former Blue Ranger too kindly, so does Jordan decide to run after Charlie and head straight for danger? Or does she allow Charlie to take care of this alone?

| 𝖳𝖠𝖦(𝖲) : @metanoia @Zoey Boey |

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Vallory exhaled, a the genuine smile returning. She rubbed her chin. "You're really a character, aintcha, Sloane?" Vallory asked with a chuckle. Vallory tensed up as Sloane noticed something. The blonde girl turned around, eyes wide.

"What the...fuck?" She asked, anger bubbling up in her voice. She took a few steps away from the boys, clenching her fists.

"Druidon! Here!?" They were hurting people. HER people. Vallory rushed forward, not even considering for a single second that she would run away. She ignored Sloane's request for a path out entirely. As she sprinted, she reaches down, scooping up a spare cinder block. It hurt her fingers to do it but she was pumped full of adrenaline.

"HrrrrrRAGH!" She roared. Starshine erupted around a corner of a booth, blindsiding one of the Druidon soldiers with a cinder block to the head. It broke into two pieces and scattered dust as it thudded against the dirt.

"Have a nice mouthful of teeth soup!" Vallory taunted. She reached out and tried to position the Druidon soldier between herself and the others, as well as attempting to wrench its energy lance from its hands.