(Dino Lab)
"Ugh!"
A groan escaped Kira's lips as she struggled to open her eyes.
Her vision was blurry, her head felt heavy, and her entire body ached as if she had been dragged through a battlefield—which, in all honesty, wasn't far from the truth. The sterile scent of the Dino Lab slowly filled her senses, grounding her back to reality.
Tommy and the rest, seeing that she was about to regain consciousness, immediately stopped their conversation and turned their full attention toward her.
"Kira—" Connor was startled, but stopped himself.
Gwen, being the other girl in the group, rushed to her side without hesitation. She gently lifted Kira's head and rested it on her lap, offering what little comfort she could. Gwen's hands trembled slightly—not from fear, but from relief.
After a few seconds that felt much longer than they actually were, Kira finally managed to open her eyes.
"W… where am I?" she asked, her voice hoarse and weak, like she hadn't spoken in days.
Ethan, who was closest to her aside from Gwen, leaned forward immediately. His usual humor was nowhere to be found.
"It's us, Kira," he said softly. "You're safe now."
Hearing Ethan's voice snapped something inside her. Her eyes widened, clarity rushing back as she took in her surroundings. With Gwen's help, she forced herself into a sitting position, wincing as pain shot through her body.
Then she saw them.
Connor. Ethan. Tommy. Gwen. Peter. Even Trent.
They were all there.
Alive.
Breathing.
Safe.
A shaky breath escaped her lips, and before she could stop herself, tears welled up in her eyes.
"Guys… you're safe," she said, her voice breaking as emotion finally caught up with her.
They all smiled—some gently, some awkwardly—but every single one of them was relieved beyond words. Seeing Kira awake felt like a massive weight lifting off their chests.
It had been terrifying when she returned from the Grid.
When she reappeared in the lab, her body had collapsed almost instantly. Her breathing had been dangerously faint, her vitals unstable. If Zayne hadn't reacted immediately—if the Omni-Ranger hadn't intervened when he did—things could have ended very differently.
And yet, despite everything she went through…
She succeeded.
She saved Trent.
She saved the Ankylo-Zord.
That alone left even Tommy Oliver shaken. She had really completed the mission with such a low probability of winning. He had planned to save her from the grid himself if she lost, but she succeeded without him. He was really proud of her.
As they explained everything that happened during her absence—how the White Ranger was freed, how the corrupted energy vanished, how the battle had escalated far beyond what they expected—Kira listened silently, her expression shifting between disbelief and quiet awe.
"So…" she finally said, her voice steadier now, "he saved us again?"
Her eyes moved instinctively toward Tommy.
Tommy nodded once, firm and honest. "Yes. He did."
Kira exhaled slowly, then smiled weakly.
"I should thank him," she said as she tried to swing her legs off the bed.
Before she could even move properly, Gwen pushed her gently but firmly back down.
"Kira," Gwen said seriously, giving her a look that allowed no argument, "don't push yourself. You're still hurt. Take your time."
She paused, then added, "Besides, he's still here. He's with us in the base."
Almost as if on cue, the door to the medical bay slid open.
Heavy footsteps echoed against the metal floor.
"Yeah, so I'm done with the cleanup," a calm, confident voice said. "The rest should be easy to handle."
The Omni-Ranger stepped inside.
The room shifted instantly.
His presence alone seemed to draw everyone's attention like gravity. Even without seeing his face, even without him saying anything more, there was something about him—something solid, reassuring, and dangerous all at once.
They all nodded instinctively, gratitude clear in their eyes.
They really couldn't thank him enough.
Not only had he saved them in battle, but he had also helped mitigate the aftermath. They all knew it—this wasn't Angel Grove, the city that coined the era of Rangers and destruction. This was New York.
A city that didn't forgive easily.
Public outrage, government interference, media pressure… all of it would have come crashing down on them if not for Zayne stepping in behind the scenes. He said he could do it, and he did.
Tommy was the first to speak.
"Thank you," he said sincerely. "Once again, Omni-Ranger. We really can't thank you enough. If you ever need our help—anything at all—we'll be there."
The others nodded in agreement.
All of them, except Kira.
"I want to thank you too," she said, her voice still weak but filled with conviction. "For saving me… and my friends. As Dr. O said, we'll be there if you ever need help."
Zayne turned slightly toward her and nodded slightly. His face under his helmet was also that of pride. His plan to make them stronger, although somewhat stupid, had its advantages.
Seeing this moment, seeing everyone present, he knew this was the best time.
If not now—then when?
"Coincidentally," Zayne said calmly, "I actually do need help from all of you."
The room went quiet.
Surprised looks were exchanged.
Help?
From them?
So soon?
They had barely survived the last battle. They were exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally. And yet, here was someone far stronger than all of them combined… asking for their help.
For a moment, no one spoke.
"I'm willing to help."
The voice cut through the silence.
Everyone turned toward Trent.
Zayne raised an eyebrow beneath his helmet. "You accepted pretty fast," he said. "You didn't even ask what I need help with."
Trent met his gaze without hesitation. "I don't need to," he replied calmly. "You saved me from hell. I'll do whatever I can to repay that."
There was no exaggeration in his words.
Trent knew.
He knew what it felt like to be trapped inside your own body—like being buried alive in darkness, your screams unheard, your will overridden. The pain, the suffocation, the endless torment…
It had nearly broken him.
After regaining control of his body and mind. Trent swore not to ever morph again.
It was after Tommy advised him and reassured him, he reluctantly kept it.
Even after being freed, fear still lingered in his heart. If not for the man standing in front of him now, he might never have escaped at all.
This was the only way he could repay that debt.
Zayne studied him for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.
One Ranger secured.
He turned toward the others, waiting.
Tommy stepped forward, reading the tension in the room.
"Omni-Ranger," he said carefully, "what kind of help do you need? If my students and I can do it, we'll see it through. But if it's something too dangerous, I can't—"
Zayne raised a hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
"It's not that hard," he said. "I'm confident all of you can handle it."
He paused, then added, "Even the two Spider-heroes."
Peter and Gwen froze.
"What?!" Peter blurted out internally, panic flashing across his face. Gwen wasn't much better.
They were strong—but compared to Rangers? Compared to him? They were weak. They couldn't even participate in the battle before.
Tommy frowned slightly but nodded. "Alright then," he said. "So what do you need from us?"
Zayne didn't hesitate.
"You," he replied calmly.
Silence.
Pure, heavy silence.
Their minds immediately spiraled.
What does he mean?
Is he going to capture us?
Was his saving us an act?
Does he have some weird fetish?!
Zayne noticed their expressions and realized—too late—that he phrased it terribly.
"Hold on," he said quickly. "Not like that. What I mean is… I want you all to join me."
Oh.
Relief washed over the room almost instantly.
Kira was the first to speak. "Join you… How?"
"I want you as a team," Zayne said. "All of you."
Tommy's expression hardened slightly. "They're already a team," he said. "Under me. Except for the Spider-heroes and Trent. They could join you instead."
Zayne shook his head.
"No," he replied simply.
Tommy's displeasure was obvious now.
Before he could argue—
"They won't be enough," Zayne said calmly. "Not for what's coming. But together… all of you… It'll be easy."
The confidence in his voice sent a chill through the room.
Connor swallowed. "What do you mean… 'what's coming'?"
Instead of answering verbally, Zayne activated his Morpher.
A pulse of energy washed over the room.
Information—raw, overwhelming, terrifying—was transmitted directly into their minds.
Fragments of future battles.
Names.
Threats.
Cosmic-scale dangers.
It wasn't everything… but it was more than enough.
(A/N: Don't worry, guys. It's just some intergalactic information he gathered, not really the future. Moreover, there's little info in what he shared. He's not careless.)
It took nearly twenty minutes before anyone fully processed what they'd seen.
When they opened their eyes, the atmosphere had changed.
Grim.
Heavy.
Serious.
They all knew it now.
Alone, against such a threat, they had no chance.
Together—with him—they might.
After some minutes of silence. Tommy stepped forward and extended his hand, making a decision for his entire team.
Zayne took it.
"We're in," Tommy said firmly.
"We're in," the others echoed. x6
[Final Mission Complete]
[Rewards Delivered]
The Grid chimed softly.
Zayne felt his heart bloom with satisfaction as the familiar panel faded.
Then, after a brief pause, he made a decision.
"Power down."
Red light flashed.
The Omni-Ranger disappeared.
Standing in his place—
"Zayne!!!!!!"
A shocked voice screamed.
--- ✦ ---
Rewards would be shown next chapter. Stay tuned, guys.
Power Stones guys. The Zords need to recharge for the next battle.
GO GO POWER RANGERS!!!