The cadets were surrounded by strange robots. "Attack!" ordered the blue headed robot.
The cadets and clanking robots began to fight. Each cadet realizing that they were slightly more overpowered then they were when they were fighting Jack, Z and Leah. The blue headed thing fired a laser straight at them, while the cadets ran to take cover.
Coming out of the tunnel, Jack stops running and looks back. Z walks up to him and asks, "Why are you stopping?"
"They were outnumbered back there." he replies.
"I hate to admit it, Z, but he's right. They are going to get black, blue and bruised back there." said Leah, looking back down the tunnel.
"They were trying to arrest us. Besides, it's not our fight." said Z.
"Whether I get arrested today or tomorrow, I'm going back to help them." said Leah, her hands raised and runs off back into the tunnel. Jack looks at Z then follows her back towards the cadets with Z not far behind.
Meanwhile, Sky, Syd and Bridge were getting backed into a corner. "Mind if I ask a question?" asked Bridge.
"Is it going to be one of those long-drawn-out Bridge type questions?" Syd retorts. "That isn't a question that leaves us asking lots of questions?"
"Wait...I ask drawn out questions?" Bridge asked, confused. Sky and Syd turned to glare at Bridge. "Okay. Wouldn't now be a good time to morph?" said Bridge.
"Yes." said Sky and Syd.
"Ready?" asked Sky.
"Ready!"
They pulled out their morphers. "S.P.D., Emergency!" The three cadets slid through the morphing grid, each gaining their new colors.
"S.P.D. Blue!" Sky called.
"S.P.D. Pink!" Syd called.
"S.P.D. Green!" Bridge called.
"Looking good, Bridgey." Syd commented. "You're green and I'm pink, my favorite color." Sky looks down at his own ranger suit; he was angry and disappointed at what he see.
"Blue? I'm blue? I'm supposed to be the red ranger." he said, hoping that it wasn't a mistake.
"Give us what we're looking for." the robot demanded.
"If it's a fight you want, you got it." Sky replied.
"Get them." said the blue headed robot. The B-squad rangers fought the robots once more, only this time, they were doing much better.
"They're robots." said Sky.
"This power is amazing." stated Syd.
"Totally." Bridge agrees.
"I will show you power." said the blue headed robot and shoots the trio to the ground.
Then out of nowhere, Jack, Z and Leah came out from behind them. "Back off." said Jack as he and Z knocked the blue head robot to the ground. Leah runs up to their side, waiting to fight whoever cross her path. "Good job! Yeah!" said Bridge and Syd.
"Save it! We've still got work to do!" Sky tells them. They pulled out their delta max strikers, then rejoined the fight. "Well somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." muttered Leah. Jack and Z glared at her.
"What? You both know I'm right." she said, then knocked a robot to the ground with a round off kick.
After working with just one function of the striker, they turned up the heat by using the blaster mode, destroying the rest of the robots. "What we want is not here." said the blue-headed robot and retreated after finding what is they came for wasn't there. "Okay guys, power down." Sky orders. The three cadets did so; the two cadets went over to Jack, Z and Leah. Sky following a second later.
"Thanks for the help." Bridge stated as he and Jack clasped hands.
"No problem." replied Jack.
"I bet you anything that we won't get a 'thank you' after this from Mr. grumpy pants over there." said Leah. Sky interrupted the celebration. "There is one problem and you're under arrest." he said.
"But they helped us." Syd stated.
"They are criminals." Sky responds. Sirens of the S.P.D. Jeep alerted them that they were not alone; Commander Cruger arrived. "Cadet Tate, stand down." Commander Cruger ordered.
"Told ya." said Leah.
Z, Jack and Leah were sitting in a jail cell at S.P.D. Cuffs were around Leah's hands, preventing her from teleporting. "I can't believe that these things won't let me teleport." Leah muttered as she looked down at her hands, closed her eyes and tries to teleport again. "Dang it! Who in the world even designed this set of cuffs, anyway?"
Z looks over at Jack. "You had to go back and help." she said. Cruger, along with R.I.C., stood at the entrance.
"Open." he states as the door opens. "Welcome."
Leah looks up at the commander in disbelief. "Really, because I don't feel it and I certainly don't see the welcoming committee behind you." she said, looking over his shoulder before holding out her hands. "Do I really need these on me? They're actually hurting my wrists." Cruger nodded then continued.
"You are at Space Patrol Delta Headquarters, the most advanced center of its kind." the commander explained with his arms.
"You're cops." replied Jack.
"No, Space Patrol Delta. We handle crime and criminals that have a negative impact on this planet." replied Cruger.
"Oh! I'm sorry; I didn't realized that feeding a hungry person was a threat to the planet." Z said sarcastically.
"Hear me out. This academy trains cadets to be the most elite crime fighting force known to man, the Power Rangers. We defend the earth against the darkest evils in the galaxy." Cruger continued.
"Hey, write this down. It would make a great science fiction movie." stated Jack.
"I'll make sure to take notes for ya, Jack." Leah said sarcastically.
"The world has changed and in the upcoming months it will change as no one can imagine." Cruger said, then pointed to the three thieves. "I see potential in you. You can serve your time in prison, or you can become part of something bigger...something that makes a difference."
"Can we think about this?" Z and Leah asked, then looked at Jack. Leah knew exactly what she wanted to do immediately, but didn't know if Z still wanted to do it.
"Of course." said Cruger, as he scratches his chin in thought for a few seconds. "Time's up. Your decision?"
Leah answered first. "I'm in as long as I don't have to wear these cuffs again." she said, raising her cuffed hands. Z glanced at Jack before deciding her fate. In the end, Z chose to join Leah at SPD while Jack was left sitting in a jail cell, thinking it over.
Cruger led Leah and Z to the training area where Sky, Bridge and Syd were tutoring a lower-level class. "Rangers!" Cruger called out. The three cadets saluted and stood at parade rest.
"Elizabeth Delgado and Leah Manx..." Cruger began.
"Hey, remember us?" Z interrupted. "You can call me Z."
"I'm Leah." said Leah.
"Hey." Bridge greets with a wave. Z and Leah both smiled and returned the greeting.
"Ms. Delgado and Ms. Manx has chosen to join S.P.D., I've assigned them to B-Squad." explained Cruger.
"Sir, those two are criminals." protested Sky. Cruger tilted his head.
"Duly noted."
"Sir, we have been here for years and you put them with us?" questioned Sky.
"Cadet, you may be wise to remember, they were a worthy opponent despite your prior training and greater number, they are your new team members. I expect you to treat them as such." said Cruger, he turned and walked away. The three cadets saluted again.
"So, what do you guys do for fun?" Z asks, trying to break the uneasy tension.
"Bring in thieves." Sky answers smartly.
"Wow. At least I know now who's going to be next on my list of victims." Leah retorted, before she teleported away in a cloud of smoke.
"She has a list of victims?" asked Bridge and Syd.
"Yeah...a word of advice, don't make her mad or she starts planning revenge." Z said as a word of warning. "Its not fun when she plans revenge against you."
On the ship, Gruumm was scolding the robot. "I will not tolerate failure!" he shouted at it. "I sent you to Earth to get the proton accelerator! You returned with nothing."
At this point, the blue head robot was in the air. "Therefore, you shall be...nothing!" he said and then, the blue head was crushed in midair before falling to the floor. "I need another!"
A blue metallic object fell to the floor and out came another Blue head. "What are my order, master?" it asked. "I am ready!"
Later that evening at the base, Jack was trying to escape, but with R.I.C. on guard duty at the cell door. He finally got the window open. "Come on, come on...got it. It's been a slice." said Jack, looking at the dog. He was about to exit through the window when R.I.C. fired a laser beam at him. Z came bringing a tray of food with Leah close behind her.
"Open." she said, and the door opened. She tilted her head at him. "Voice recognition system. Pretty cool, huh?" said Z, walking over to Jack. "Hungry?"
Jack took the food and began eating. "Nice costume. I see you waste no time adapting."
"It's not a costume, it's a uniform." retorted Z. "Stop being so stubborn, Jack. There's still time for you to be part of the team."
"I, for one, happen to like the uniform. But it kinda itches." said Leah as she scratched her arm. Jack chuckled at Leah, who then glares hard at him.
"Never." He turned to look at Z. "You know, we were a team, Z. I can't believe you broke that up for nothing."
"She didn't break it up for nothing and you know it. We all know that I need more than just discipline. I need structure too." said Leah.
"First of all, I didn't break it up. We were arrested and second Leah's right, it's not for nothing. For the first time, I'm excited about being part of something bigger." said Z.
"I'm happy for you both really." replied Jack. Z stood up and pushed Leah forward for a bit and left the bench.
"Open. Guess you can't talk your way out of everything Jack." she tells him and both girls left. Jack mocks her, then went and tried to get the cell door to open.
"Discipline, control, team work. These are the elements that make you a power ranger, but these are things the academy cannot teach you." Cruger explained. "These are things, you must learn for yourself any questions?" The five cadets were standing in front of him in the command center. Sky leaned in close.
"Uh sir...seems there was a mistake...I was given the blue ranger. I thought-" Sky started to say.
"There was no mistake." Commander Cruger cut him off firmly.
"Let it go, Sky." Syd quickly told him.
"But sir!" Sky said, ignoring her. "I know it would have made a difference fighting those goons."
"Hey, who are you calling a goon?" Z and Leah snapped.
"Not you, the other goons." explained Syd and the both of them relaxed.
"They were weird, huh?" Bridge spoke up suddenly. "They had these big metal soccer ball heads that were going like 'bing, bing'"
"Krybots!" exclaimed Cruger, his head lifting. "Troobian robotic foot soldiers...they do not feel pain or emotion. They know no mercy. They are programmed to follow orders and destroy." he growled.
"See? I told you, Z." said Leah. "I don't build things like that."
"I'm glad you didn't." she tells her.
"And there was a blue one with a big "X" head." said Syd.
"A blue head?!" Cruger's eyes went wide. "Gruumm's elite robotic guard...this is more serious than I thought." he whispered, hitting his fist against the control panel in front of him.
"Do you know what they were looking for?" he asked, looking and Z and Leah.
"We had nothing of value." said Z, shaking her head.
"Well...unless you count the guy who had that..." Leah began but Z covered her mouth before continuing.
"We gave everything we stole...us, uh, acquired...to the poor." Z coughed, correcting herself as a squirming Leah tried to break free in front of her. Cruger raised his eyebrows.
"It's a long story, sir." said Z as Leah growls behind her hand and furrows her brows.
"They were after something." Cruger muttered, more to himself than to the group. Tired of having Z's hand over her mouth, Leah grabbed it and did the only thing she knew how to do, licking the palm of her hand. "Ew! Leah, you know how much I hate it when you do that." said Z, wiping her hand on her uniform.
"And you know better than anyone to place your hand over my mouth." retorted Leah, crossing her arms. Before they could continue their banter, the alarm went off and a red light flashed in the room. "A-squad power rangers to engage giant robot in the downtown sector." Kat's voice echoed through the base. "Requesting B-squad rangers for immediate support."
Sky grinned as the others glanced around. "Finally, some action." said the new power ranger, nodding in approval. Outside, it turned out not quite expected as he thought. "Yes, finally some action." Z mocked as she swept up. "If you could count cleaning up robot parts." she grumbled.
"You think being a ranger is all about round house kicks and being a hero?" Sky turned to her with a frown. "It's all about hard work...doing what your told..." he listed. Leah was humming to herself as she was picking up pieces and inspecting them.
"Don't let Sky get to you." Syd smiled at her and Leah looks up.
"He gets easier to live with after...actually, he doesn't get easier to live with." she realized, making Z laugh. Leah walks up to the older girls, then said, "I can prank him for free if you want me to. No charge needed." Syd thought for a moment about the pranks Sky would endure.
"As much as I like to see him suffer, maybe another time." she said. Leah nodded in understanding. "Ok then. Just say the word and I'll do it. I'm always down for a good laugh now and then." replied Leah, and continued to clean.
"Don't even think about using those spare parts." Z called after her.
"What?! Come on, Z! Why not? Some of this stuff is interesting to me." said Leah. "You know that I always like to recycle stuff. I promise that I won't use them in a future prank." Z shook her head and Leah went back to work, groaning as she picks up the scraps.
"What would she do with any of the spare parts she finds?" asked Bridge.
"Let's just say that you don't want to be on the receiving end of the parts she does find. The last time she found spare parts for one of her pranks, I had nightmares for a couple of weeks." replied Z. Syd and Bridge glanced at each other, wondering what parts Leah would use from clean up duty.
"I said I was sorry. I didn't mean for it to give you nightmares." said Leah. "I just wanted a little payback for what you did."
A spark sets Bridge off to use his power to see what had happened. "Guys, check this out." Bridge called out.
"What's going on, Bridge?" Z asked. Leah ran over and stood next to her.
"Massive amounts of post energetic fields." Bridge answers. Sky bents over and picked up some wire. "Troobian robotic foot soldiers. Lots of them."
"And not just that." Bridge adds. "They were moving in geometrical patterns, similar to those used by intergalactic search parties."
"Cruger was right. They were looking for something." stated Syd. "Z, Leah, think hard, was there anything you had that they might have wanted?"
"No, after the food and clothes, all we have left was some piece of junk some guy gave Jack." said Z.
"Which he threw away." said Leah. The three other rangers looked at them. "What? What did I say? I swear that I didn't take any spare parts from clean up duty." said Leah. Jack was in his cell when it began to fill with smoke. R.I.C. let him out and they found Boom turning crispy under heat lamps.
"Are you ok?" Jack asked him.
"I was uh...just testing Kat's new fire suit. Works pretty good." Boom replies. "Didn't even know I was smoking. thanks." he pulled out his hand. "Name's Boom."
"Jack." he said.
"Oh, you must be the new power ranger." stated Boom.
"No, I'm not a power ranger." said Jack. "I turned down the position.
"Excuse my bluntness, but are you whacked?" Boom asked. "I would give anything to be a power ranger. Me, I flunked out of the academy after only three days, that was five years ago. Luckily for me, the big blue dog, saw my potential and made me their chief gadget tester."
"That sounds very important." replied Jack.
"The way I see it, we're all important, you know, we all make a difference. Even R.I.C." Boom stated. The robot dog just made a sound like a monkey. The B-Squad cadets went back to the shipping and receiving yard. "Well, here it is." Z states, pulling out the proton accelerator. "See, its junk."
"Straight up junk." said Leah.
"Maybe it's what they were after." said Syd.
"We'll bring it to Cruger." answered Sky, taking it from Syd, who took it from Z. Bridge grabbed it from Sky. "Yeah, good idea. Bring it to Cruger or we could, like not bring it to Cruger, just not right away, but like later, you know, maybe after we check it out first, give it a little once-over or something?"
"I could take a look at it. And maybe even give Bridge a brain scan while I'm at it." Leah said, reaching for the proton accelerator. Z swats her hand away before she could even touch it.
"Okay, maybe not." she said, retracting her hand.
"Yeah, that's against regulations." replied Sky, taking back the object in question.
"Not according to the S.P.D handbook." said Z. "Rule 473-B: Rangers on active field duty, have the authority to investigate any possible leads that may pertain to their investigation."
Sky, Bridge and Syd stared at Z like they didn't know her. "Was it the wrong regulation?" asked Leah.
"No." said Sky, still staring at Z.
"What? I'm a quick study." said Z. "Now, who's with me?" Bridge raised his hand.
"Count me in, Z." said Leah. The five cadets went into an alley where most of the homeless lived. Z went up to a garbage can and she knocked on it. "Piggy! Get out here, its Z and Leah." The door slide open and out popped an alien. "Yikes! S.P.D.!" he said, ducking back inside and sliding the door. With that announcement, the homeless ran for it. "It's cool, they're with us." said Z.
"Is it alright that I go wait on the street where it's..." Syd began to say.
"Safe?" Bridge asked.
"Clean." finished Syd.
"Hey!" said Piggy.
"Don't worry, I got this. Piggy! Open up! Don't make me come in there!" said Leah, banging on the door. Piggy remembered exactly the last time that happened. Leah teleported into his garbage can, scaring him half to death as a practical joke. "Found some space junk for you, Piggy." said Z, moving the missile like object temptingly.
"Ah, space junk." Piggy said as he reached for it. However, Z moved backwards, pulling the object with her. Green slime came out of Piggy's nostrils. "Worthless trash, I'll throw it away for you."
"Let's get out of here. He's wasting our time." said Sky.
"Bridge." Z called out. Bridge passed over a smelly bag. "Mmm, half eaten baloney sandwich but have been in the trash for weeks." said Z, holding out the bag.
"I had to do a whole lot of digging around for that, ya know. It was disgusting even for me." stated Leah. Piggy licked his lips and was almost begging for the rotten food. Z pulled the bag back with a serious expression. "Fine, all that is you're run of the mill proton accelerator. There's only one on earth and that must be it." Piggy explains.
A blue head suddenly appeared from nowhere. "Oh, it looks like he may want it too." said Piggy before ducking back into his garbage.
"Hand it over or be destroyed." said the blue head.
"Ready?"
"Ready!"
They pulled out their morphers. "S.P.D. EMERGENCEY!"
"Space Patrol Delta!"
"Now this is the bright side!" Z grinned, feeling the power of the fill her. Leah looks down at her color. "Not bad. Only thing is, how did they know that...this is my number 1 favorite color?" she said, pointing to herself.
The five rangers rushed into the fight against the blue head. While they were fighting, Piggy snatched the proton accelerator and the rotten sandwich. Jack was walking by the command base as he heard Sky's plea for support. Cruger replied that they were 27 blocks away from their position and back up wasn't possible; they were on their own. Jack watched the monitor, getting worried by the second. Cruger turns and sees Jack. "Z and Leah's in trouble." stated Jack. The rangers were out powered; they needed a complete team.
"He's tough." said Bridge.
"I'm just getting started." responded the blue head.
"So are we." replied Sky.
"S.P.D. Blue!"
"S.P.D. Green!"
"S.P.D. Yellow!"
"S.P.D. Pink!"
"S.P.D. Purple!"
"Rangers, ready!"
The lights on the side of their helmets flashed.
"Space Patrol Delta!"
Each ranger took their strikers and went after the blue head. "You're through." the blue head promised. Working together seemed to work. "You're outnumbered." Z informed. The blue head held up a metal sphere in his hand. "Not for long." said the blue head and threw the metal sphere. More Krybots appeared from it. "He wasn't kidding." said Bridge as the rangers grouped together.
"You can say that again." said Leah.
"Who dressed these freaks?" Syd asked.
"Destroy them!" the blue head ordered. The rangers began to fight off the Krybots that surrounded them, throwing punches and kicks but there was too many of them. The blue head was about to leave when someone kicked him back into the warehouse. "We got company." stated Syd as they all looked to see who it was.
"Friend or foe?" Bridge questions. Leah smiles under her helmet. "Definitely friend." said Leah.
"It's Jack." answered Z.
"You guys need any help?" asked Jack. "S.P.D. Emergency!"
"S.P.D. Red Ranger!" Jack exclaimed, "Let's get this party started. S.P.D. Red!" Sky was shocked at what he had seen. "You got to be kidding me; he's the red ranger?"
Leah looks over at him. "Dude, you seriously have some issues that you need to work through." she commented. The blue head summoned more Krybots. "Ah, these guys again?" Jack asked. "No problem."
Jack used the delta blasters to get rid of his share of Krybots. After he finished with them, the other five caught up with him. "Not bad for a rookie." said Jack.
"Now's he's just showing off." said Syd.
"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet." replied Z. Jack was putting his own spin on fighting the blue head. "He'd not following Academy Regulations." stated Sky.
"Everyone has their own fighting style, even me." said Leah.
"Delta Blaster Combo mode!" shouted Jack, combing his weapon together and destroying the blue head. "Fully charged! Fire!"
"Where did you get that?" Sky asked, referring to the delta blaster in his hands.
"Came with the suit." answered Jack. An alien with a fish bowl on his head, pressed a controller. "Here's where the real fun starts."
"What's that?" asked Sky as a giant robot appeared. They were blasted as they struggled to their feet. Sky pulled out his morpher. "Sir, blue ranger requesting squad runners. Looks like were about to battle a giant robot."
"B-Squad, I've sent A-squad." answered Cruger. "Your orders are to stand down and evacuate your position." Jack came running up behind Sky. "We're not going to fight that thing? Thank you, thank you, thank you." B-Squad did as they ordered and watched the battle between A-Squad and the giant robot. The B-Squad rangers stood in front of Cruger in the command base.
"I congratulate you for such noble instincts and exceptional teamwork." Cruger praised.
"Yes!" Bridge exclaims.
"But you disobeyed a direct order, the Troobians got what they wanted and now have unobstructed passage into our galaxy. Great battles lay ahead for us. You may make fine rangers one day, but today is not that day. Dismissed." The three cadets saluted while the three newbies stood there as they walked out. "I am pleased with the new members of B-Squad, but this doesn't change the fact that you committed crimes and that will have serious consequences." said Cruger.
"Excuse me?" Jack asked, surprised at hearing this. "We were giving people food and clothes; I don't see that as a crime."
"Look, we said we're sorry, what else do you want from us?" Z asked.
"Do you guys hire a tutor or something? I still have that math test that I need to make up for today." said Leah.
Cruger looks down at Leah. "You have a unique mind, don't you?" he asked.
"I've always wondered about that." said Leah, scratching the back of her head. The three stood outside SPD Headquarters, staring up at the many windows of the building. "How many windows are there?" Jack questions.
"How should I know." said Leah.
"I have no idea." said Z. R.I.C. made a sound like a sheep, gaining the three former thieves' attention, displayed on his faceplate was the answer: 1,273.
"Looks like you've got your answer, Jack." said Leah.
"I think I liked it better when I didn't know." said Jack as he and Z stared at the windows of S.P.D. with buckets of soap and squeegees beside them. "Let's take half."
"Sounds good to me." replied Z.
"Me too."
"Race ya, loser buys dinner." Two more clones answered as well.
"Z, that is so not fair." said Jack, then started to begin playing in the soapy water instead of cleaning.
"I think it's totally fair. As for me, I'm glad that I'm doing my punishment of cleaning Kat's lab from top to bottom. I don't want to see how this ends." said Leah and she heads inside before they dragged her into their water fight.
In the distance, the alien with the fish bowl was hanging upside down. "Laugh while you can, rangers..." he said and starts laughing.