Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jason looked up from his morning paper quietly as the new seven year old poked his head around the corner cautiously. His eyes where a wild mix of chocolate brown and large almost black speckles that scanned the room with practiced procision.

"Jayden?" He asked cautiously, putting down the paper and mug of nearly cold coffee. "Do you need something little man?"

The younger boy swallowed hard before shaking his head indefinitely. Jason sighed, standing up slowly and taking careful steps towards the jittery seven year old. Jayden looked up at him with fearful eyes before shaking his head. The fear was replaced with an unnatural neutral look that spread as his tiny body stood to attention.

"Water?" Jason questioned and Jayden responded quickly with a silent shake of his head. Before Jason got another question in a loud grumble came from Jayden's small stomach. He bit his lip, clenching his tiny fists as Jason nelt down. Jayden slowly held out his wrist and scrunched his eyes shut, silently holding his breath.

His wrists where covered in small scars and red welts that seemed to be engrained into the small boys arm. Jason winced and picked up the young boy.

"No one here is going to hit you jay." He whispered as the boy tensed against his body.

"Trini?" He breathed so quietly that it was barely there.

"Your mums at mariner bay. She will be back in a few hours." Jayden had only been with them a few weeks. The strict discipline of the samurai way had clearly ventured into mental and physical abuse for the young boy. Ways of strict timetables for training, eating and sleeping where evident by his lack of willingness to ask for anything and his panic stricken mood swings when the older rangers stayed up to watch movies.

"What do you want for breakfast little man?" Jason smiled, placing the boy on the kitchen table next to his discarded paper. "Rice?"

Jayden gave a hesitant nod. Rice was one of the few things he had been willing to eat over the few weeks he had been with them. The words he spoke where few and far between, often only circulating between 'trini' 'please' and 'arigato' which Jason had quickly leaned was thank you in Japanese.

Jason cooked in silence with the young boy perched on the table. He sat perfectly still, hands sat in his lap in silent contemplation.

Carefully Jason placed the rice in front of him and dug a set of chop sticks out of the draw. It had quickly become evident that Jayden had only been taught to eat with chop sticks at his clear hesitation and confusion at the sight of a fork.

As the small boy munched on the white rice, Shane had come swinging into the room, chucking his training clothes in a basket in the corner.

"Hey dad. Class finished early so I'm gonna grab some clothes and head out with Dustin and hunter. Gonna try and catch a movie." Shane paused, eyeing Jayden with a small amount of pity as he continued eating as though the older man wasn't there.

"Any progress?" He asked, raising a eyebrow as he tugged on some old joggers.

"He's eating and it's 9:30. I'd say that's something. Asked for his Mum as well." Jason had hesitated to speak of the boy in front of him as he was very good a picking up on things but, he decided, it could be taken as positive renforcement. "Do you need any money?"

"Nah." Shane waved a hand around dismissively. "Love ya." He laughed before turning to the door and exiting.

The idea of a ranger family had been originally bought up by tommy, presumably as a joke but the idea had been second by tj of all people.

When tommy, Billy and himself (Zack and Trini being off planet and Kim being invited with Tommy) had been picked up by the ranger initiative at lightspeed rescue to start a junor ranger program the three men had been hesitant to say the least. Billy, surprisingly was the first to take up the offer. They where asked to get in contact with as many old rangers as they could to ask for their assistance. It was at this time that they where introduced to the ninja storm rangers that had been locked in battle with lothor.

The original idea had been to give future ranger teams a safe place to train and give them the option of backup and a range of new tech at their finger tips.

Tommy's idea to basically adopt the rangers had been laughed off a first but the more it was thought about the more it made sense. The power was undeniably choosing younger rangers and, as previous rangers, they knew the loneliness that the secret could trap you in. The ninja storm rangers had happily adopted a custom of referring to the older rangers in parental terms. As a fellow red ranger Shane had adopted Jason as his father. The others mostly followed with the colour corilation excluding cam. Hunter and blake had also seemingly adopted tommy and rocky on top of their colour choices of Jason and Billy respectively. The new team of Dino thunder kids had grown too used to referring to tommy as dad after doing it by accident several times. The rest seemed to follow the colour corilation of the others.

What had undeniablely thrown a spanner in the works was the small boy Trini had bought home one afternoon. She had been in contact with Carter one afternoon as he had pulled the child from a fire at a secluded location. He believed it was a training house, similar to the ninja academies. This one was not on their radar however.

Trini was the only one he would respond to. A week of questioning had lead to the conclusion that his name was Jayden shiba, an hier to the title of red samurai ranger. His real parents where presumed dead in a fight against a century old demon known as master xandrid. The young boy had been put into intensive training after the death of his father.

A bout of abuse, that Jayden had so upsettingly referred to as disciplineary training, had set the boys fire spirit alight, burning the house to the ground with no sight of his master.

Carters station had been called at the sight of smoke deep in the local woods. He had pulled the young boy out of the wreckage and called Trini.

Jason looked over at the young boy. His soft hair was regrowing, the tips still bearing the dark tint of charcoal. A large burn that ran up his shoulder, over his neck and up his cheek was the only injury he seemed to have sustained from the fire. It had a large piece of gause taped over it and his small fingers dawned several bandaids.

Jayden made his way off the table, picking up the bowl on the way down and took it over to the sink. He made a small face when he couldn't reach the sink and lowered his arms in thought.

"I've got it little man." Jason smiled, gently taking the plate from him and placing it in the sink. Jayden bowed slightly at the help and turned to exit the room. Jason knew he was going to practice and even though it was clear the boy had no idea about his own physical boundaries or safety, it was easier to let him try.

Rocky rounded the corner quietly, looking questioningly at the other man. Jason stood silent for a second before grinning and shrugging.

"Did he say anything to you?" Rocky asked in a hushed tone as if he feared the boy hearing.

"He asked for Trini." Jason responded quietly with a wave of his hand as he picked up his paper again. Rocky placed a piece of toast in the toaster, nodding solemnly.

"Think he's ever gonna get better?" He words carried more weight then they should have because the answer should have been an easy yes. But Jason quietly shook his head.

"I'm not sure... he still won't tell us exactly what kind of training he was in, or what happened before the fire. He won't ask for things and expects to get hit for insignificant things. His body is covered in welts." Jason gave a dismissive shake of his head again. Jayden had to get better. They would have failed him other wise. Every ranger at lightspeed had jumped at the opertunity to help the juniors.

"He will get better." Rocky sighed, pulling the toast out of the toaster. "Trini, at the very least, will ensure that."

-

"Trini? Your at the base right?"

"Yea Carter. What's wrong? Your brigade was just dispatched." Trini's voice rang out though the reciever at Carter's end.

"Can you and Dana come out to the cordanance I send you. Maybe bring Shane with you."

"Carter what's wrong?" Trini questioned, already on her way to the medic bay to pick up the pink lightspeed ranger.

"I don't have time. Just get out here quickly please." His voice had grown agitated and urgent as he hung up. Trini's phone let out a loud beep as a text containing a set of cordiance came though. Glancing at them she swung into the medic bay, shouting.

The small boy sat quietly, tears streaked down his small face as Dana attended to the burn that lead up his right arm to his cheek.

"When we got here the place was nothing more than a smouldering wreak. He was sat in the center, clutching at his sides and breathing heavily. He hasn't spoken a word." Carter filled them in.

"He's got a fire element." Shane commented. "I can feel it from here, very strong. Possibly the cause of the fire? That amount of energy would be hard for some of our students to handle, let alone a child."

"So you think he started the fire?" Trini asked, but Shane shook his head quietly.

"I'm not saying it was intentional but if something had set him off I'm saying that it would have been very difficult to control." Shane amended, glancing at the small boy who was still refusing water.

"The wood was burnt at a very high temperature. It's a surprise that he only had one burn. For the wood to burn that quickly he would have been exerting a huge amount of energy." Carter nodded, eyes flicking back between the boy, the ashes of what was once and the two rangers.

"Any ideas for what the house had been?" Trini asked, craining her neck to look at the smouldering ashes once again.

"Possibly some form of training house but." Shane paused, deep in thought for a second. "We don't have any knowledge of any academies in the area. Also from what we can see it wasn't a ninja associated house."

-

Conner gave a shout before entering the kitchen swiftly.

"Has anyone seen dad?" He huffed. "I need a hand with something."

Rocky moved to help but Jason held a hand up.

"Have some breakfast, I'll handle it." He sighed. "What's up Conner?"

"It's the white ranger!" He shouted.

Chapter Text

"So basically this 'white ranger' fucker is really powerful and huge pain in my ass!" Kira hissed violently as she flopped face first onto the lounge.

"I bet he's hot." Dustin commented, not looking up from his comic book. He was rewarded with a heavy beating of pillows being projectiled in his direction.

"Can you not be gay for like five minutes?! The entire world is in danger and all you can think about is good looking men." Kira laughed heartily as she reached over to smack the already cowering yellow ninja upside the head.

Dustin beamed back at her in defiance when she sat up and returned to her corner of the lounge.

"Ugh what ever! I have to get ready for my date with Tori." She sighed, pushing herself up and running a hand though her thick hair.

"I didn't know you where into girls." Hunter mused quietly from the edge of the hall way. The smirk on his face only widened as he eyed Dustin's confusion from afar.

"Im not. Not yet a least. Call it an experiment, If you will." Kira laughed lightly, picking up her stuff.

"So your stringing the poor girl along?" Dustin offered a hurt look for his old team mate and fellow teacher.

"No. No! Don't. It's an experiment on both our parts. We both agreed that we want to try something new. This is how we are gonna do it." She explained, pinching the bridge of her nose, a habit she picked up from Taylor. "Alissa said she was going to do my hair so I gotta bounce. See ya dorks latter." With that she took off around the corner, waving dismissively at the two boys. "I've got my morpher if you need to contact me."

"I still bet the white ranger is hot." Dustin laughed quietly at hunter, who had made his way to the lounge, switching on the tv.

"Evil ones always are." Hunter chuckled to himself. Dustin elbowed him sharply in the rib with another laugh.

"Red rangers are hotter." He smirked, eyeing hunter carefully.

"You have a point, I might steal Shane for my self."

"Don't you dare!" Dustin shouted, leaping up with an acuditory finger pointed at hunters chest. The two boys burst into a fit of hysterical laughter for a second.

Cole quietly sat in front of the young boy. Jayden sat with us feet tucked underneath him and his hands neatly lay in his lap. Cole sat cross legged, elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his hands. The two boys where looking at each other inquisitively.

"You have a lion?" Cole asked finally. He had really taken to the young boy when Trini had bought him home. Cole too had had a different upbringing and his lack of social skills had given him an emotional tether to the boy.

Jayden quietly nodded. Cole furried his eyebrows together in though for a second.

"Bet mines better." He whispered, smirking.

"Nuh uh! Mines a fire lion!" Jayden blurred out, wrinkling his nose and Cole let out another chuckle.

It had been about two weeks since the evil white Dino ranger had shown up and Cole had been put in charge of keeping Jayden distracted while the others tried to formulate a plan to fix him. Or defeat him.

Jayden had quickly offered to help fight the rouge ranger dispite his young age and busted morpher. After a small argument, Jason had asked Cole to 'keep him out of danger' which could have also been taken as keeping him out of the way but Cole had been happy to comply.

Cole pushed himself up onto his fingertips and toes as he stretched out like a large cat.

"What ever. Mines bigger." He laughed. "And mine came from a flying island." Jayden eyed him carefully, watching his movements.

Over the two weeks Jayden had warmed up to Cole, quietly of course. He would never admit it to anyone that he would stick his tongue out at the older ranger, or that they had bonded over their red lion zords. This had bought the count of "Jayden's trustworthy people" to three. Cole, Jason and Trini. Tommy was still being debated and rocky was more often at lightspeed than in the small "ranger house". Justin was still being heavily debated by the small boy and the ninja storm and Dino thunder teams where just a bit to relaxed, to full of loud energy and late nights for Jayden to really bond with any of them. The two teams had also been wrapped up in battles for the past few weeks so time together had gotten scarce.

"What are you doing?" Jayden asked, tilting his head to the side, looking the older man up and down.

"Stretching." He shrugged. He walked towards Jayden, still on all fours as the smaller boy looked on inquisitively. "Wanna try? It's a good fighting technique." Cole chucked as he picked up a galloping pace, running circles around the boy.

"Your running like a lion?" He asked, twisting his body to maintain eye contact with the older ranger.

"Yes."

"Why?

"Because. I feels right. In my spirt. Jason ever tell you about Pai Zhua academics?" Cole shrugged again quietly, slowing to a halt and crouching before the boy.

Jayden thought back to the many talks they had had before nodding quietly.

"Well maybe you could go there one day. Do some study. Merrick and I did a bit of work with them last year. Taylor too. You've got a big heart and a strong spirt, you just gotta learn how to use it." Cole leaned forward, poking him in the chest lightly. Jayden let out a soft giggle.

The two boys stood up and began the trip to the kitchen.

"Where's Mum?" Jayden asked quietly.

"Trini's at mariner bay. She'll be back this afternoon." Cole spoke with a caution evident in his voice. Trini had been spending most of her time at the lightspeed base, much to her own distress.

"Mmmm. And what about dad?" He asked wirily. Jayden had taken to calling Jason dad, possibly due to Shane and Conner both doing the same.

"Work also, little man." Cole laughed as he ruffled the smaller boys hair.

As they made their way into the kitchen, they where quick to notice Tanya sitting quietly on the phone.

"Aisha you know I love you but are you sure about this?" Cole questioned her lightly with a confused look but she waved her hand dismissively at the two boys.

"Yes I know about Serge but this is a child. A child who might not accept the strange lives we lead. You said he was a fisherman's son and no offence but I doubt he has much cultural awareness." She glanced apologeticly at Cole as he propped the seven year old up in the bench. Every inch of Jayden's expression stiffened as the conversation continued.

"Ok so the kid speaks Spanish when he's nervous? Is this supposed to convince me? Aisha you have a big heart but sometimes I think you are love blind." Tanya let out a heavy sigh as Aisha had clearly won whatever argument had been happening.

"I'm not making this decision on the phone nor am I having this conversation without consulting the others. nakupenda." With that she hung up and turned to Cole, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Yellow rangers?" Cole offered with a wary grin as Tanya chuckled before smacking him upside the head.

"Hey!"

Jayden flinched at the sudden act of violence and tried to slink away into the corner of the kitchen bench.

"Sorry but it's true. Name one yellow ranger thus far that isn't stubborn at the best of times." Cole's voice was rough with laughter and distraction as he thought back.

Yellow rangers had a point of being strong headed. He could easily vouch for Taylor if she needed. Ashley had taken matters into her own hands during Andros and Zhanes wedding, out of sheer stubbornness, as neither where familiar with earth marriage customs. Even Dustin and Kira, though just teenagers, leaned into the ranger stereotype with ease, almost too happy to comply with a more than fitting personality trait. The stereotypes that surrounded each colour had been used as laughable conversation starters and even as cop outs, with fraises like "what can you expect, I'm a red." Or "it's always the same with you blues!" Being thrown around in casual conversation.

Tanya let out a soft humph and folded her arms in a childish manner. Cole rolled his eyes, laughter still light in his voice as he turned and reached to pick Jayden up again from his new found corner.

"Hey I just came to get the little man some lunch, you cant fight me because I'm right." He sighed, raising a single hand in sign of truse.

"Sawa. You win." Tanya smiled to herself lightly.

"Hey why aren't you at the base?" Tanya looked somewhat taken aback by the question as Cole dismissively placed Jayden on the table.

"I have a life outside of my ranger duties and job Cole. Didn't realise that lsr and zeo where all I was aloud to be." There was an uncharacteristic sharpness in her voice as she spoke. Now it was Coles turn to look taken aback. "Pole. I'm sorry." She corrected herself, seamlessly slipping between languages.

Nearly all the rangers where bi lingual to some extent, some more than others. It gave each of them small tethers of closeness and privacy between each other. Many knew French, Spanish, Japanese or Chinese. Others where more specific, like Tagalog or Swahili.

"I'm just wound a little tight this week." She sighed and Cole gave an understanding nod.

"I think everyone is. The white ranger is reeking havoc with 'thunder storm'."

The nickname of the somewhat fused team had slowly caught on. When trouble arose with mesagog the ninja storm team had jumped at the opportunity to continue ranger work and had jelled easily with the new team. Both teams where roughly the same age, between seventeen and nineteen. Billy, Justin, cam and Tommy's friend haley had rebooted the wind morphers when the time arose that they where certain that the Dino thunder team could use the back up. Billy had worked out it was less effort and less dangerous to reinstate the newest of the discontinued morphers as it created less stress on the grid and was much less of a risk to the ninja kids.

Nicknames for miss matched teams where not uncommon. When Cole had done some work with the time force rangers, back in the future as they may be, Jason had jokingly referred to them as 'wild time' and as any ranger knew, no suggestion was a joke for long. The 'light force' or 'time rescue' and 'galactic Astro' had been laughable inclusions.

"I really hope we can get our old morphers reinstated soon. It's killing me to see them in trouble. They are just kids." Tanya continued.

"And we weren't?" Cole asked cautiously. "I mean you where around the same age, no? And I was only nineteen. We never had this kind of support or back up."

"I know. And I know that they can do it but-" a slice of toast popped out of the toaster that Cole had forgotten about. Jayden was carefully following the conversation and distantly Cole thought that this conversation may not be suitable for him but, he reminded himself, Jayden was going to be a ranger one day, and was already fully aware of the risks, seven and a half as he may be.

"Don't you remember feeling scared? Just because we got by without backup doesn't mean that these kids should go without it. I mean we had to call Jason back as a last resort, and we nearly got Billy killed. That should never have to sit on a teenagers shoulders alone." Tanya finished, instinctively taking over the food prep for Jayden. Cole shrugged and sat down.

"Is it a yellow thing?" He asked quietly.

"What?"

"Motherly. All the yellows are motherly." He smiled, thinking about Taylor distantly. "Stubborn but motherly." He corrected.

"I guess?" Tanya laughed. She placed a plate of toast in front of Jayden as he nodded, muttering something in Japanese that neither understood.

Translations

Swahili
nakupenda- I love you
Pole- sorry
Sawa- okay

Chapter Text

Conner threw a small ball across the room in frustration, startling hunter and Dustin in the process. Trent looked up from his book with quiet curiosity.

"What's got ya down?" He laughed as Conner shot him a threatening glair.

"Jay and I had a conversation." He whispered begrudgingly. "If I ever find that man I'll string his neck out!"

Dustin and hunter fell silent as the younger red ranger rang his hands together.

"He was just a child." Conner whined again, throwing his head back. "Who does that to a kid? If they want jay to go be a samurai ranger they can go threw me and my zord!"

In less than a year Conner had basically adopted Jayden as his younger brother. The now eight year old had slotted into ranger life like a charm, slowly but surly opening and warming up to the other rangers. Cole had been the first person he had called brother, slowly followed by Conner and then Shane.

After Aisha had adopted another little Spanish boy, Jayden had opened up like a spring flower.

The little boys name was Antonio. Him and Jayden had known each other from their time on panorama island in japan. When Antonio's mother passed away, he and his father had moved to California in hopes of creating a new life for themselves. Two years later Antonio's dad had been killed due to heart failure and Antonio had been put into the orphanage circuit. Aisha had calmed a certain 'feeling of power' in the little boy and he had been bought home.

Jayden recognised him immediately and the two had found close comfort in each other. Antonio's presents had loosened the young boy up and encouraged him to tell the rangers about his past.

"So when I did something wrong, I was displined. I had to learn the ways of the samurai if I was going to take my fathers place as the red ranger." The seven year old rambled off, swallowing hard.

"Master hit jay when he didn't understand things or showed weekness." Antonio amended. "His father believed that he needed training to become the next red ranger in time to defeat master xandrid."

Something of anger flickered in Jayden's eyes with the mention of the three power figures in the child's previous life.

That same anger flickered threw conners as Kira and tori slinked into the room, hands interlocked.

"Is everything ok?" Kira said lightly, treading carefully on the severity of the situation.

"Conners mad about jay." Hunter whispered before being shot a cold glare from the younger man. "How was your date?" He shifted, desperately trying to distract the conversation.

"Oh it was great." Tori smirked with amusement evident in her eyes.

"I got fucking soaked!" Kira let out a soft laugh, disolving any bitterness in her words. "Note to future Kira, no more beach dates."

"Or just don't date a water ninja?" Shane mused from the doorway before placing himself in Dustin's lap. Hunter made a snorting noise of mock discust as he jammed a finger down his throat in protest.

"You wouldn't complain if it was cam." Dustin shot back, raising an eyebrow before chuckling at the crimson rangers crimson face.

"Are all the red rangers gay?" Trent smirked in mock confusion.

"I'm not gay!" Shane stuck his tongue out. "I'm bisexual."

"I have literally never seen you take interest in a woman." Kira mused, tori taking a place on her lap in one of the lounge chairs.

"Shut up. I can be bisexual and mainly like men." Shane narrowed his eyes at the yellow Dino ranger.

"What about you Conner? Are you gay?" Hunter laughed at the thought for a second before dropping any expression from his face as the red ranger glared at him with murder in his eyes.

"I can't believe you guys." He snarled. "Jayden has literally told he was abused, that he didn't trust us, that he still believes he has to return to the people who put him in physical danger and all you want to do is make gay jokes?!"

The room fell into an uncanny silence as Conner threw something across the room again.

"He's just a kid." Something in his voice cracked slightly. Trent turned to face the Dino ranger first, slightly startled by the tears streaming down his face. "He- He was afraid of us. All because- all because some fuck head had the bright idea to lay his hands on him." Conners fist had made its way to his mouth, bitting down on his fingers in some desperate attempt to stop the onset panic.

Conner had taken to the little boy as the months had gone by. He had confided his own childhood abuse in the young boys feelings. When Antonio had come back into his life and given jay the opportunity to open up, Conner had practically adopted the two as younger brothers.

"Conner?" Trent was the first to speak as the other 'thunderstorm' rangers sat quietly. "Conner! Look at me."

Something of anger and betrayal flashed though the teens darkened eyes as he reluctantly turned to face the white ranger.

"Sitting here blaming each other and getting stuck in the past isn't going to help jay at all." Conner gave a reluctant nod, swallowing the threat of a sob in his throat. "We all want him to be ok, but being bitter isn't going to make him feel any safer. And it's not going to help you either." His voice softened on the last sentence with the weight it carried.

Conner let out several breaths, heavy and soft as he wiped his face clear of tears. Blake locked eyes with Trent for a second in the silence.

"I'm not gay." Conner let out shakily. "I mean I've never been with a guy but..." something in his voice trailed off as he tried a little to hard to focus. "I just can't picture it." He finished, swallowing another threat of tears.

Ethan let out a slow laugh in some attempt of consolidation to his friend and teammate.

The laugh was quietly respiprcated by the other rangers until Conner joined in too.

"Ok so tori and Kira are together, Shane and Dustin are together, Hunter is clearly gay for cam." Blake let out a steady laugh, eyeing his red faced brother before continuing. "Anyone else want to fess up?"

The other rangers blinked in mock thought, slightly caught off guard by a hearty laugh from Blake. He raised his hand, a thin smirk plastered across his face.

"You?" Ethan chuckled.

"Well half half. I'm bi I guess." He mused with a mischievous intent shining though his dark eyes.

"Is this your idea of coming out?" Ethan gave an embarrassed snort.

"If you say so." Blake's eyes glinted with amusement and mischief as he looked around the room.

Shane lay sprawled out in Dustin's lap as the brown haired boy played aimlessly with hunters fingers. Kira and tori sat intertwined with each other in the one man seat opposite the kitchen.

It had been just under a year since the two girls first 'experimental' date and the two had completely gone head over heals.

Trent was sprawled out on the other lounge, Conner next to him in another one man seat. Ethan lay draped across a bean bag in exhaustion.

The only one missing was cam and it was known to everyone that he was in the labs back at mariner bay with Billy and Justin.

"You guys think you will ever get used to the idea that we live in a house, connected to a space ship, just down the road from an international peace agency, that contains portals to each of our ranger bases?" Kira laughed quietly in the silence.

"I think the only ones with a chance to get used to it will be Jayden and the kids." Ethan added with a soft chuckle.

The 'thunderstorm' rangers where the first fully conjoined team of rangers. Ninja storm had been in a constant battle against evil for nearly four years now, and Dino thunder had taken the task head on just over two years ago.

The ten teen rangers, not including tommy, where aware of the upcoming final battle. Over the two years, they had received back up from several unexpected teams, including a furious Taylor sprinting into battle completely unmorphed. Other knowledgeable team ups had involved what had been deemed the 'mighty morphin dads' as Jason, Billy, tommy, zack, rocky and Adam had pulled their morphers out of the archives and surrounded the teenage rangers in a 'protective parent circle' and the single instance of Leo teleporting infront of them mid battle after receiving a call for back up from Carter.

Some battles they had lost. And they quickly found out that messing up means someone has to pay, normally with their life. These two times, it had been fellow rangers.

Conner let out a soft chuckle at the thought of the drastic change in the ten teens lives over the past four years.

"I'll be honest though." He whispered, the cracks in his voice fading. "I'd die before I let anything bad happen to those kids."

Several of the rangers nodded in silent agreement.

"Still though." Tori spoke up. "I'm kind of glad we all got dragged into this. Think of the family we are now apart of because of it. We have full support for anything we want to do and without the need for rangers we could have never met."

Kira laced her fingers with Tori's again for a second in agreement.

"It's been an honour fighting with you, ninja storm." Ethan laughed with a mock salute.

"And I'll always be proud to stand by your side in battle, Dino thunder." Shane chuckled back from his spot almost sandwiched between hunter and Dustin.

"Thunderstorm?" Trent laughed, pumping a fist in the air.

"Thunderstorm!" The eight other rangers ecoed back, throwing a fist into the air with enthusiasm.

Chapter Text

"You broke his nose?!" Andros voice rang though the hallways of lightspeed from the medical bay as he scolded the older ranger.

"He was asking for it. Billy told him he wasn't interested." Jason retaliated, moving to put a hand on his husbands shoulder. "I never though he would actually hit Billy back though."

Dana stood in between the arguing men as she worked on clearing the blood from Billy's nose.

"What did you even say to him? Did you try and be reasonable?" Andros shouted again, digging his nails into the desk he was leaning up against.

"I said, and I quote; 'that's my husband! Back off.' And he pushed me so I socked him. He fell back a bit and then grabbed Billy by the shirt and tried to sock him too." Jason gave an exasperated sigh as andros cracked a rare smile was a shy laugh.

"It is fun to say before you try and knock some one out, isn't it." Andros laughed, remembering several times he had tried to knock out others who made advances on zhane.

"Big part of the reason I got married." Jason laughed, leaning back on the medical bed.

"And all this time I though it was because you loved me." Billy said with a soft laugh, muffled by the cotton ball stuck in his bleeding nose.

"Naww of course I do, Bill." Jason threw an arm around the younger man. "Never would have put up with the torture of homophobic high school in the 90s if I didn't."

"This is great and all but can you guys try and be a little less violent next time." Dana chuckled, placing a small bandaid on the cut above Billy's lip.

"Don't let people insult my husband and I won't need to." Jason laughed.

"You really do like calling me 'your husband' don't you dear?" Billy scuffed the bottom of his lip on his wrist in caution before standing up.

"It really is a lot of fun to say." Andros butted in.

——

The lightspeed protical head rangers where currently in meeting, discussing several plans for new training regimens and maintaining contact with udonna about the return of evil in briarwood, and weather activating the mystic ranger protocol was necessary yet.

Thunderstorm where out in battle, backed up by Kelsey, Taylor, Joel and max for good measure and Haley was monitoring them from the cave. Andros and most of the Astro team where with the galactic rangers on a diplomatic meeting about 'necessary assistance' from spd on earth.

Jayden, Antonio, Charlie, Jordi and the ranger kids sat on the training room floor.

"This is so boring! I hate when dad has to go to meetings." The seven year old Charlie shouted as she flopped over backwards on a training mat.

"Dad said we have to take care of the kids while uncle zack, uncle richie and uncle Damin are busy." Jayden said, shoving the younger girl playfully.

"Aunty Cowra, aunty trini and mum will kill us if we don't." Antonio laughed, pushing the hair from the one year old tiffs face.

"But it's sooooo boring!" Charlie threw her hands in the air in exasperation before sitting up. "I hate baby sitting."

Jason had introduced Jayden to his adopted daughter just a little over a year ago. Charlie had been adopted by Jason and Billy as a three year old after the death of her mother and father in a car accident. Jason's cousin had been the young girls mother and he had accepted the roll of father to the young girl, accompanied by his long time boyfriend, Billy.

Charlie was only a year younger than Jayden and Antonio but was taller than both of them. She was strongly built, with shoulder length black hair, a single red streak braided into it by some strange natural events.

"What if you have a baby one day Charlie. Your going to need to know how to look after it." Antonio laughed again as Charlie rolled her eyes, flopping backwards a second time.

"It is good practice." Jordi chimed in, shuffling forward.

Adam had been the first to introduce his foster son to Antonio after the adoption papers had gone though. Jordi was rather quiet in nature but had gelled with the three children easily.

"I'm not going to have a baby because I don't want one." Charlie huffed. "Besides, to have a baby you need a boyfriend and boys are gross. They have germs and everything."

"Except for you three." She muttered quietly as Jayden and Antonio high fived before Antonio turned to high five his brother as well.

"Only ranger babies are good." Antonio said distastefully as he picked up Sasha. "I mean look at her."

Sasha squirmed irritably, trying to push Antonio away.

"Oh god your heavy." He muttered, placing the six month old on the ground again.

"I don't think I want a baby either." Jayden said quietly. "What if something happens to me and I can't take care of it."

Charlie swallowed her words for a second and Antonio froze.

The three of them where "abandoned babies". All three had had both parents die and where left with no one in the world. Without the rangers, the three would have been placed into the orphanage circuit for years before the potential idea of a home would come up. Even jordis fate had been unsure without Adam.

The idea of them leaving their own children in the same situation struck the young, to be rangers, to the core.

"Nat! Don't touch that." Charlie glared at the eight month old before she knocked over a set of neatly stacked clay shooting discs. Two or three shattered on the ground with a clatter as Charlie lept up, grabbing the one year old and pulling her away from the shards of broken clay.

"Ugh Aunty Aishas going to kill me." She said, placing Natalia down with the others before flopping over again. Jayden picked up tiff for a second as she babbled something at him.

"Better Aunty Aisha then dad." The eight year old laughed. At that moment, a young dark haired boy came though the doors of the training room, stopping to servey the situation in front of him.

"Come sit down drill." Charlie said, waving her right hand around uselessly.

"Your dad still not back?" Antonio asked as the younger boy sat down.

"Nah, and Mum kicked me out of the labs." Drill was the six year old son of joel and ms fairweather. The green lightspeed ranger had married their head scientist not long after the team and lightspeed it's self was intergraited into the spd rescue department and the two of them rejoined after Wes and carter had reached out. The two had also bought along their young sons drill and cliff.

He sat down next to Charlie as she continued to complain about how bored she was.

"Where is Jarvis, do you know?" Antonio asked.

"Haven't seen him. He could still be on the ship with his Mum." Drill said as he shook his head.

Jarvis was the son of kamera, the humanised version of the yellow psycho ranger.

Andros and Leo had been brief about how the transformation had occurred, even more brief about how it had killed the blue and pink rangers in the process. The red, Patrick, the black, micheal, and the yellow ranger, kamera had survived and joined the Astro rangers at lightspeed. A year later kamera had had her son, Jarvis.

Because of the residual effects of being created of pure evil and not having normal human vocal cords, Jarvis was mostly mute, though he had learned sign language as a form of communication. The young boy befriended drill and Charlie in a jr training activity held by Wes and Eric.

With that the training room door slid open again and Blake and Trent walsed into the room in exaustion.

Blake flopped over on the floor next to drill with a loud sigh.

"Next time we just let them kill us. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Kira seconded, making her way though the door with tori proped up in her arms.

The several other kids made their way in, one by one collapsing in a pile on the floor.

"Where's Aunty Kelsey and Aunty Taylor?" Jordi asked as cam fell on top of hunter with a loud 'oofff'.

"And uncle Joel and uncle max?" Charlie propped herself up with one hand, watching the teenage rangers carefully.

"Probably, Like, into the meeting or something dude." Dustin mumbled from his place under Shane and Conner. "You couldn't kill them with a gun."

"They have better stamina than us." Cam mused from the top of the pile.

"Does that mean dad's back?" Drill asked, moving to stand.

"Yep." Several of the older rangers mumbled, a few hands sticking out of the pile to give a thumbs up.

Drill stood up, barely waving good bye to Charlie before heading to the door.

Mear moments passed before the soft sound of snoring could be heard from the pile of thunderstorm rangers.

The door slid open again, this time reviling Alyssa and Justin. The two young adults moved quietly around to help take the ranger kids out to be given back to their parents. Jayden, Charlie and Antonio followed with tiff, sash and Natalia in their arms.

Chapter Text

Jayden stood, blinking at the new teenagers in front of him.

His dad had bought them back to the lightspeed base after Udonna had called. Jay had only caught the tail end of his speech as he stopped his survival practice with Antonio when his dad walked past.

Jason had waved at him, quickly introducing him before continuing on with the new team of teenagers.

“Jay! You’re so bad a hiding! You’re lucky you’re so good with your sword cause I would have eaten you by now.” Antonio huffed, the 9 year old stomping his foot aimlessly.

“Sorry ‘To.” He hummed. “Are they the new rangers?”

“Ma says so. Their magic!”

“Their not magic you little tyrants.” Kira hissed, attempting to pick up the two 9 year olds. “What are you two up to? Snooping around! Are you spies for the forces or darkness?!”

Antonio squealed with laughter as he wiggled out of his older sisters grip.

Jayden however stayed still.

“Stop picking on the juniors.” Trent scolded playfully as he walked past, Conner by his side.

“Jay? You ok little buddy?”

“Are the forces of darkness back?”

The three Dino rangers looked at each other, alarm passing over them.

“Um Jay. It’s being handled.” Kira started.

“Should I get Tommy?” Conner began before Jay started marching forward, a scowl written across his small face.

“Jay! Wait!” Antonio called, running after him.

“Definitely get Tommy.” Kira nodded, wide eyed as the three of the bolted for the meetings room.

“Jay! Don’t leave me behind. You promised.” Jayden slowed, blinking at his best friend. “If you’re going to fight then so am I!”

“Ok. And we’ll win together... right?”

“Yea! And then we’ll get married and help all the new ranger teams!” Antonio nodded excitedly. “Promise?”

“Promise.” Jayden reached out to lock his pinky finger around Antonio’s and shake before a gloved hand landed on top of them.

“What are we promising?” Charlie asked, her face scrunched up in confusion under her long fringe.

“That we are gonna fight the forces of darkness and win and then we’ll get married!” Antonio babbled excitedly, Jayden nodding along silently.

“Oh.” The younger girl pulled a blank momentarily. “Can I do that too? The fighting and winning not the getting married part.”

An excited smile broke across the young cadets face as she waited for the two boys to respond. Antonio looked at her with a wide smile before turning slightly to face Jay.

The future red ranger looked stoic but nodded twice.

“Yay!” Antonio cheered, looking their three pinky fingers together to shake.

“Jay, Nio and Chuch to the rescue!” Charlie cheered back, jumping up and down.

“Jayden? Antonio? Oh shit! There you two are.” Tommy called before racing over. “What are you three doing? You really scared Kira, Jay.”

“We are gonna help fight the forces!” Antonio cheered, Charlie nodding quickly while Jayden only stared down the older ranger.

“Uh no you are not. You guys are just kids.” Tommy scolded.

“But you let Uncle Justin fight when he was 12?” Charlie argued. The green ranger drew in a sharp breath.

“No, I didn’t, the grid did. And that doesn’t mean I agree with it. Also yes. 12. Not 8 and 9.” He sounded tired. “You three are not fighting. We have enough teams on reserve to handle this.”

Jay kept his glare steady, eyes aggressively boring into the older mans scull.

“Jay? This is not up for debate ok. I’m not sending you three out there.” Tommy shook his head lightly. “Why don’t you guys go do some training? That way-“

He hesitated.

“When we need you you’ll be ready.”

“I am ready.” Jayden barked, narrowing his eyes. “The forces of darkness are demons. Nilock. This is my fight!”

“Jay don’t make me call your dads.” Tommy warned. He took a deep breath. “Chuch? Antonio? Can you two go find Jordi? I wanna talk with Jay for a bit.”

Antonio moves forward, like he wanted to fight back but Charlie gently pulled him away, a quiet “he’s ok” whispered to him.

Once the 8 and 9 year olds where down the corridor Tommy turned back to the small red in front of him.

“Jay...”

“Shiba’s weapon.” The 9 year old mumbled. “What good am I If I don’t fight?”

He was surprised to see the tears well up in his uncles eyes.

“Jay you are not a weapon. You can’t say that. You can’t think that!” He sucked in a breath. “Jayden Cranscott. You remember your name. You remember your purpose. To stay safe.”

The older man wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve.

“Jay. You promise me. You have to stay alive for me ok? For your dads. For your mum. For all your aunties and uncles and brothers and sisters and cousins. You won’t be safe out there.”

“Neither will they.”

Tommy thanked every fallen ranger and the entire grid when Billy and Trini rounded the corner.

Because he needed to cry. And it couldn’t be in front of the kid.