Disclaimer: I (unfortunately) do not own 'Power Rangers Time Force', Disney does. This fanfic is meant to fall between 'Uniquely Trip' and 'Worlds Apart'. Please do not reproduce without direct consent of the author.

Missing Man Formation
by CyberBlue

Trip climbed out of his sleeping bag, trying not to make any noise. He groped blindly to the side of him, being completely cautious the edge of the platform was only a few feet away.

The guys had drawn straws the night before, the short straw having to sleep closest to the edge of the loft. It had been their week to take the loft while the girls shared the sofa down below, and Trip had lost the draw for the second consecutive night.

Trip used the pipe railing to carefully guide himself down the wooden staircase, following the soft glow from the face of the Clock Tower over to the window. He stepped up onto the crate below the window, using both hands to grip the sides of the stone window to pull himself up. He stuck one leg out, his bare foot touching the dew-covered terrace. As he brought his second leg outside, he slipped just enough to hit his shin on the concrete.

He grimaced to himself as he sat himself down and pulled his knees to his chest. The sun was just beginning to peak over the hills, the first rays illuminating the drops of condensation on the face of the tower. Trip enjoyed waking early like this sometimes and take in the dawn of another century. Since he'd become a Time Force Officer, he had often been too busy catching an iota of sleep or working late shifts to be able to observe like he could in the 21st Century. As he rubbed his sore shin and took in the beautiful sunrise, he thought about how he still couldn't believe where he was.

No matter how many days he spent here, it was still amazing to him. Before he and the others had hijacked the Time Ship, he'd never dreamed of being able to travel back in time. Five years ago (or 1,994 years in the future - however one looked at it), he would have never thought of becoming part of Time Force. They were new back then, and subject to criticism. That is, until crime rates dropped and mutants began to disappear off the streets.

Trip had never planned on joining the ranks. It was witnessing a brutal apprehension of a mutant criminal that made him realize he needed to take action. He'd been into science his entire life, research and mechanics alike. With Circuit having been a complete success, Trip sought a way to apprehend mutants without hurting them. After months of research, he developed the Chrono-Blaster; a new type of weaponry designed specifically for handling mutants. The Chrono-Blaster emitted a pulse of energy that stunned the mutants, rather than harming them.

When he met with Captain Logan to pitch the new weaponry, Logan assigned him to an experimental group. Trip had become a Time Force Officer without training first, and being a Xybrian of peaceful nature, the last thing he wanted was to have to fight. Regardless, as a result of the success of the group, Trip became an official Time Force Officer and the Chrono-Blasters became the primary standard Time Force weaponry.

A dove floating towards the Clock Tower shook him from his reminisce as it perched atop one of the gargoyle busts. He smiled warmly, reaffirming why he loved to do this so much.

"Trip?" asked Jen, yawning from the windowsill, dressed in her usual workout gear.

"Oh, Jen, hey! Morning!" Trip exclaimed, caught off-guard by her sudden presence.

"Morning. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah.. it is," agreed Trip.

For a moment, the two gazed out over the freshly-lit Silver Hills, taking in the morning.

"Hey, I'm going to get in some extra training today. Would you mind putting some breakfast together for the guys?"

"Yeah, sure, I can do that. Let me know if you need anything else," Trip said, his unique, genuine smile spreading across his face.

Jen placed her hand on Trip's forearm and squeezed gently.

"Thanks Trip, you're the best. I'll be back in a few hours."

He waited until he saw Jen exit the Clock Tower to climb back inside -- being careful not to slip again. He hopped off of the windowsill, suddenly realizing the seat of his green flannel pajama pants were soaked from sitting in dew. He quitely went back up to the loft and stepped around Lucas and Wes, who were still sleeping. There was just enough room to change here without waking anybody, and Trip decided it was silly to have to hide again to change his clothes.

He was self-conscious about his body, and had been ever since he'd tried to improve himself to be like the others. He'd normally find a dark area to change in, since the designated communal changing area was just that -- communal. The others hadn't really caught on to Trip's insecurities, and he wasn't about to bring it up.

Trip noiselessly slipped off his heavy pajamas, wondering again how anybody could display their bodies as much as Wes and Lucas did. Sure, they both usually wore full pajamas to respect the girls, but there were often times they'd sleep shirtless if the weather was warm enough. Of course, they'd wait until lights had gone out.

Shaking his head, he slipped on what Wes called a 'wife-beater'. Trip had never had a wife, and had never used a beater -- except for the one time he attempted scrambled eggs. He wasn't one to question Wes, though, and he had actually preferred the fit it gave him over the standard black spandex top he was required to wear under his Time Force uniform.

"Mornin' Trip!" Wes exclaimed, causing Trip to jump.

"W-Wes, hey!"

Trip quickly grabbed his jacket and wrapped it around himself. Wes was always unpredictable when it came to mornings. Sometimes he'd be so tired he would drag himself around for the next hour or two, completely oblivious as to what was going on around him. Other times he would be full of like from the minute he woke up. Unfortunately, today was one of those 'full of life' mornings.

"Something wrong?" asked Wes.

"Wes, no, not at all. W-Why do you ask?"

He was nervous enough as it was. He felt trapped and vulnerable, and not quite sure why.

Wes shrugged, deciding to drop it. Trip didn't seem too open to discussion on the subject, and he certainly didn't want to push him.

Trip watched Wes pull on a 'wife-beater' of his own and some jogging pants and head downstairs. As soon as Wes disappeared, Trip's knees weakened and he fell back against the storage crates they had up on the loft. He put on his green pants and shirt quickly, deciding it was both a little early and warm for the jacket and hat. He rolled his sleeves as he walked downstairs to find Katie wide awake and Wes already starting breakfast.

Katie grinned at Trip as he sat down at the table, putting a glass of green liquid in front of him.

"Made fresh, just for you," Katie told him, patting him on the shoulder.

Trip smiled appreciatively and took a sip of the drink. The drink was something his parents had always made, which they had developed into their own business venture. This wasn't exactly the same, but Katie made sure to get the recipe as close as she could. Trip loved Katie in that older-sister sense. She was always there to comfort him. When they first had problems readjusting to the 21st Century they had helped each other get through everything. Of all of the Time Force Rangers, Katie was the one Trip would trust most with his life.

While Wes put together the semblance of a breakfast, Katie went downstairs to check messages and set up the odd jobs for the day. Trip, having finished the drink Katie had made, went over to Circuit's perch and turned off the manual charge. Circuit's CPU whirred and his metallic eyelids slowly opened as his black, red, and yellow eyes lit up.

"Morning Trip! Woah, my circuits definitely needed that!" Circuit quipped excitedly, flapping his metallic wings.

"Hey, why don't you take a test flight and make sure everything's working?" Trip suggested.

"Good idea, Trip!"

Circuit flew out the same window Trip was at earlier this morning, going for his semi-usual rounds about Silver Hills. Trip smiled contently to himself as he watched Circuit swoop out of view. It was hard not to think of him as his friend and confidant and not just a would-be nocturnal robot.

Suddenly, his morpher chirped. Wes, Katie, and Trip quickly congregated at the staircase and activated their transmission.

"Guys, get downtown, quick! Raficon's escaped.. Ransik's given him some sort of armor! We NEED to find a way to stop him," Jen informed her team, her morphed image digitizing above the Chrono-Morpher transmitters.

"I'll check out his records to see if he has any weaknesses," Trip said, heading over to the HoloScreen set up on the table.

"Alright. Wes, Katie, get Lucas and meet me at 5th and Figeuroa -- he's near Library Tower! Trip, catch up as soon as you find something. Jen, out."

Wes ran up to the loft to get Lucas, who had already heard his morpher go off and had quickly dressed. The three Rangers descended the Clock Tower to their Vector Cycles, Trip staying behind to scour the archives.

He hit buttons furiously. Time Force had updated their computer systems in the future and had not yet sent the updated software to 2001 which caused a lag in the archives. Trip tugged on his green hair nervously, waiting for the computer to process his search. Moments later, Raficon's image and statistics appeared on the screen. Trip analyzed the file as quickly as he could, saving some information to his morpher as he ran upstairs to get his hat and jacket.

He attempted to get to the Vector Cycles area as fast as he could, though his leg still hurt from when he'd slipped earlier that morning. As he ran towards his lone Cycle he lept into the air and landed square on the seat, morphing mid-air. He revved the engines and raced out of the Clock Tower, hoping he wouldn't be too late.

Trip wove in and out of traffic, the concentration of civilians becoming less and less as he approached Raficon's location and the streets becoming nothing but abandoned cars.

Trip was now able to see explosions not too far ahead, Cyclobots marching sparsely through the streets. He skidded to a stop when he saw Katie fly through the air and slam into a nearby building. The battle had apparently migrated nearly five blocks away from Library Tower, which gleamed in the morning light. Trip hopped off of his Cycle, Chrono Sabers drawn, and ran to a fallen Katie.

"Katie! Are you okay?"

"Ugh, Trip, I'm fine.. go, help the others.. I'll be there.. just give me a minute.."

Trip was worried, though nobody could tell through the diamond-faced helmet. Katie had always been the strongest of the Rangers, even of the entire Time Force Police force. If she'd been thrown that far and was obviously that weak, he was afraid of what the others were going through right now.

He raced down the city streets striking blindly at any Cyclobots that got in his way. The Chrono Sabers were a bit inhumane in his opinion, but he was at least satisfied knowing the cryo-freeze allowed for uninhibited healing of any wounds they'd cause. And besides, they were often necessary to recapture the mutants Ransik set free. They'd seen what cryogenic containment could do, and they'd become more intent not to go back.

"Jen, watch out!"

Wes shoved Jen out of the way of Raficon's blade, taking the blow for himself. Trip struck Raficon with one of his sabers, temporarily knocking him back. He kneeled next to Wes and propped him up against a piece of crumbling concrete.

"Wes, are you all right?"

Trip gently shook Wes, receiving only a muffled grunt in reply. The uniforms of the Rangers seemed worn, their helmets dirty. There was even a small fracture on the side of Wes' helmet.

"Ranger! You'll PAY for that," Raficon roared.

The enraged mutant charged toward Trip while the others watched helplessly. Trip tried to dodge the attack and summon his Chrono-Blaster, but it was too late. Raficon's heavy arm crashed into Trip's chest, hurling him through the air at such a rate that it surpassed the sound barrier.

It was almost as if time stood still. The Rangers saw Trip smash into the wall, fall to the ground, and demorph before they'd even heard the sound of Raficon's vengeful blow. They fought to get to their feet and protect their fallen comrade, but it was fruitless. Raficon bellowed in triumph as he scraped up the unconscious Green Ranger in his arms and dissipated in a burst of light particles.

The remaining Time Force Officers stared in disbelief. Their teammate, their friend.. was gone.

The mood in the Clock Tower was a grim one. As the day grew shorter the shadows on the face of the clock had grown deeper and more prominent as did the shadows inside the tower itself. It seemed empty somehow, each footstep and sound seeming to echo louder than the one before. Inside the remaining Rangers were busy at work.

Katie was put in charge of calling up those who had scheduled Odd Jobs for the day and rescheduling, and Jen, Lucas, and Circuit were using the HoloScreen to try and pinpoint Trip's location. Wes, on the other hand, sat out on the terrace. He looked out over Silver Hills, realizing how quiet and peaceful it looked. The orange sun nestled itself in the horizon, the light blues and purples of night descending from above.

"I'm SO sorry, Trip.." Wes thought to himself, holding Trip's black hat in his hands. It was all Raficon had left behind when he'd taken him.

"This is useless! They must've done something to Trip's morpher, or else we would've found him by now!"

Jen touched Lucas' arm gently.

"Lucas, calm down. We're not helping by getting angry. We've just got to keep looking.. there's got to be some way to find him.. something we haven't thought of yet."

Wes admired how levelheaded Jen was. She was truly meant to be the leader of this team, and her courses of action in the past few hours proved it. She'd been the one who realized they'd completely forgotten about the odd jobs and had delegated responsibility to Katie. Jen had brought them all back to reality when she'd told them that every minute they spent thinking and not acting was another minute Trip would be alone, wherever he was.

On the other hand, Wes felt utterly useless. Unlike the others, he didn't know how to use the HoloScreen. Sure, Circuit had tried to help him, but he didn't absorb the technicalities as quickly as he did other things. Punch this in, adjust this, decode this.. it had all been too confusing. He didn't regret being a part of the team - that was not the case at all. He just wished there was something he could do to contribute that didn't rely soley on knocking the bolts out of a Cyclobot.

"I think we should take shifts. We can't afford for all of us to be tired," Katie said from the doorway. Wes climbed back inside the Clock Tower, hopping off of the ledge.

"Katie's right. None of us are going to be worth anything tomorrow if we tire ourselves out," Wes agreed.

Jen tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear, revealing the darkening bags under her eyes. They'd all gotten enough sleep the night before, and it had barely been minutes since the sun had set. The orange and pink pastels were still visible through the hills. She placed her hands on the table and slowly pushed herself up from the bench.

"All right. I'll take first watch. Wes, I'll have you relieve me. Lucas, you'll take over for Wes, and Katie, Lucas. Any problems?"

Not one word was spoken.

"We're going to find him you guys. We have to."

Pain. Confusion. Dizziness.

So many emotions and reactions were running through Trip's head right now, none of which were connected to another. His vision was blurred, and all he was able hear were muffled sounds. He tried to concentrate. His chest felt as if it was on fire, and a subsequent, lesser pain stung his shin.

He propped himself up on his elbows, his vision sharpening a bit. He pushed himself back until he felt his back leaning against the icey wall and tucked his knees to his chest. His vision had almost completely returned now, and he began to observe his surroundings. He was in a completely square room with beige walls and no windows. There was a sink and a towel in the corner, and one wall was made entirely of steel reinforced bars.

Cyclobots stood guard on either end of the wall of bars, CycloSabers held in standby position. Raficon must have been somewhere nearby. Suddenly, one of the Cyclobots spoke in a language unrecognizable by Trip - a rarity in itself.

"Ahh.. the Green Time Force Ranger. You were a fool to try and fight me alone," said Raficon, stepping into view.

"Raficon!" Trip cried.

Trip used the wall to help himself to his feet, trying his best to condense the intense pain he was feeling. He clenched his fists tightly, the expression on his face tightening, as he staggered his feet to ready a stance as if to charge the bars.

"Ah-ah, Ranger. Don't even try," Raficon smirked.

Before Trip had time to think, Raficon grabbed the nearest Cyclobot and threw him up against the bars which prevented escape. The robot surged with energy, crackling tails of lighting streaming from its mechanical body. Within moments the Cyclobot exploded, hurtling charred pieces of cloth and twisted metal through the air. Trip inhaled sharply as a thin piece of metal slashed his right bicep. He grimaced, glaring hatefully at Raficon.

"What are you going to do with me?" he spat, grasping his arm and trying do hide his fear.

"You'll see soon enough, Xybrian."

Raficon's full laughter filled the the small cell as he walked away, his heavy steps causing small tremors and crushing charred pieces of the unfortunate Cyclobot.

Trip slumped back against the wall, slid down to the ground, and hugged his knees close. Another Cyclobot marched to the now-vacated space and stood ready.

There was no way out. All he could do was wait.

"Wes.. Wes, wake up," Jen whispered as she awoke her companion from his slumber.

This was not going to be one of those 'full of life' days for Wes. It was only one o'clock in the morning, but then again they'd gone to sleep around eight. He sat up on the sofa, realizing he must've accidentally fallen asleep while he was listening to Jen delegate orders. As he analyzed the room subconciously, he met Jen's doubting gaze.

"Wes, are you going to be okay for a few hours before Lucas can relieve you?" Jen asked, staring at Wes uncertainly.

"Yeah.. yeah, I'll be fine. Get some rest, Jen."

Wes smiled warmly at Jen. She reciprocated the silent appreciation and turned on her heels to head to the changing area. They'd converted it to the temporary sleeping quarters so whomever needed to sleep wouldn't be woken up by the research going on in the main area.

Wes thought to himself for a moment, then looked up.

"Jen?"

Jen stopped and turned back around.

"You were really great today. Well, yesterday.. whenever. You're a great leader. You'll get us through this."

Jen tilted her head thoughtfully and raised her eyebrows.

"It's my job."

With that, she walked out of the room. Wes smiled inwardly, his admiration of Jen never stopping short of amazing. Sure she wasn't much of an open book, but he was almost certain time would change that. He stood and stretched. He didn't have to check the activity log on the HoloScreen to know Jen had already exhausted the available resources. Next to Trip, Jen was the next best when it came to research. Rather, Wes decided to take a more scenic approach. He quietly retrieved his black leather coat from the closet and headed towards the garage.

The dark city streets were completely empty as Wes rode down them. He'd always known Silver Hills to be pretty dormant much later than ten o'clock with the exception of a few office buildings. This would make it easy to spot any unusual activity since Wes had driven this late many times before becoming the Red Ranger and knew what would and wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

As he drove past Bio-Lab's corporate headquarters, he could see a few curtained windows lit on the top floors. A few offices may have belonged to some scientists on the brink of new discoveries. He knew for a fact, though, who was in the second and third windows from the left on the highest floor. There had been times when Wes was out late driving that he'd stop by the building and stare at those same lit windows. Those windows belonged to the office of A. Collins, Wes' father. He smiled to himself not because it was funny, but because he realized that some things never do change.

He spent several minutes weaving intricately through the warehouse district, which seemed to be a safe haven to many of the escaped mutant convicts. He even stopped to manually check out the inside of a few of the would-be abandoned buildings. At every lit warehouse he became anxious, half expecting to peek through the window and see Trip. Instead he found countless large rooms filled with rusted fixtures and beaten cardboard boxes.

After anothing disappointing venture, Wes saddled his bike once more and slumped his shoulders.

"Help me, Trip.. help me find you. Please."

Trip rubbed his left wrist anxiously. He only had two possible ways of contacting the others. He'd been so panicked and rushed before he hadn't noticed that Raficon had confiscated his morpher, so that wasn't a possibility. He then tried using his precognative powers to call out mentally, but it was no use. His powers were not yet fully developed -- though they should have been -- and sometimes the slighest emotional setback would block him from accessing them.

Trip hadn't migrated much in the past few hours, or so he thought -- there was no way to keep time --, as he was now huddled in the corner. It just felt safer to him, and this way he had a slightly better view of the hallway the cell was located in.

He imagined the others were out looking for him, but he toiled with their reason in his head. He was a weak officer, he'd been abrasive to regulation in battle, and because of this he was taken prisoner. Maybe he didn't deserve to be rescued. This wouldn't have happened to Wes or Lucas.

As he wrung his hands, he heard (or rather, felt) Raficon approaching. He quickly climbed to his feet and flattened his back against the wall. The memories of his last encounter with Raficon still lingered in his consciousness. He'd been forced to tear off a piece of sleeve from the shirt Wes had provided him when they'd arrived in the past to serve as a makeshift bandage. It was not until he heard Raficon's deep voice that he snapped back to the present.

"Green Ranger.. it is time."

Without so much as an order, the cell bars retracted and several Cyclobots marched in. They seized Trip simultaneously, each grasping a limb and hoisting him off his feet. It was hard to see what was ahead of him, as the ceiling was low and even the slightest craning of his neck might cause his head or worse yet, his face, to come into contact with the ceiling. The Cyclobots marched for what seemed for several minutes when the ceiling opened up into what could only have been a hangar.

The Cyclobots who had been holding Trip's feet and legs let go causing him to swing freely in the air by his arms, the muscles in his shoulders burning. He yelped in pain, his face twisted in agony. He was numbed to everything around him, the intense feeling making him oblivious to Raficon's fits of maniachal laughter or his order to release his arms.

Trip wasn't even aware he'd been released until his knees gave out as he collapsed on the smooth concrete floor. On the positive side, if there was such a thing, he hadn't broken any bones. Not as far as he could tell, anyway.

"Bring him to his feet," Raficon ordered.

Cyclobots seized Trip's aching arms once again with more roughness than before. He gritted his teeth as he tried to minimize the pain in his mind. He glared at Raficon, his vision blurring from such intense pain and anger. Raficon stood still, his eyes burning into Trip's conscience.

Suddenly, Trip jerked as the triangular gem on his forehead began to radiate with a green iridescent glow. He shut his eyes tightly, and he made tight fists with his hands. His mind was racing, spinning through time. He saw flashes of his own future. He saw himself writhing as electricity surged through him and through the wires that had been connected to him. His eyes shot open as he gasped at his realization. A bead of sweat slid down his temple as his look of surprise turned to one of fear. He swallowed hard, turning his attention towards Raficon.

"Y-..you're going to use me to power a time device? But, you can't.. why would you?" he asked confused.

"Ranger-"

"Trip. My name is Trip."

"Fine, Trip. Ransik is smart.. but he's not the only 31st Century mutant of marginal intelligence. Many have tried to time travel before.. Ransik's just the first mutant who had the resources to perfect it. Lucky for him, one of your own deferred to his side. The records he obtained contained important schematics to Time Force's temporal prototypes. However, since resources here are much different than in the future, I lack an adequate source of power in order to efficiently activate the device. You may be disposable as a Ranger, but as a Xybrian you're a valuable battery all the same," Raficon uttered with contempt heavy in his voice.

Wes absently ran his hand through his sandy-blonde hair. He'd must've checked every warehouse 2 miles inland by now. Idly tracing his finger around the digital oval on the face of his Chrono-Morpher, Wes systematically punched in a few keys, projecting a holographic display of the city above the oval. He checked the map twice, making sure he'd hit every building that had been inactive for more than two months. In the intensely competitive and rapidly developing Silver Hills the only inactive sites had been those same warehouses.

"Wes!"

Wes jumped as he heard the high-pitched voice of Circuit chime in. He pressed the communications button to estabilish transmission. The map of the city gave way to a hologram of the robotic aide of the Time Force team.

"I may have located Trip! There was an abnormal energy flux on the other side of town that resembles the waves given off when Trip has his premonitions. It came from the airfield!"

"Right, I'm on my way! Tell the others to meet me there," Wes said.

His mind at least three seconds ahead of him, Wes revved his cycle and pulled his helmet down over his head. He shot through the streets, disregarding any colors of the street signs. Fortunately for him the police force had recessed lately, and he wasn't pulled over. Not that they'd dare give Wesley Collins a ticket anyway.

"Hang on, Trip. I'm coming."

As Raficon busied himself punching entries into the large console against the wall, Cyclobots completed fastening the wires that had been connected from Trip to the structure that cradled the time device. While there were wires attached to a headpiece, the cuffs that locked the arms and legs into place were also designed to draw energy.

"Don't do this, Raficon. It's not too late to stop."

"And do what? Spare your life and throw myself back into Chrono-Freeze? Highly unlikely."

"No, it's not--"

Trip was cut off by the whirring that could only signal the activation of the machine. It could only be powering up in order to prepare the energy transfer. He eyed the few doors and windows in the hangar longingly, hoping his teammates would barge in and save him from certain destruction. He also noted the unusually large presence of Cyclobots circled around the hangar and wondered if Ransik had any clue what was going on.

"It is time, Trip. Cyclobots, initiate the portal, on my signal," ordered Raficon as he stood before the arch that would stabilize the temporal gate.

"Raficon, please--"

"Standby, Cyclobots."

"--you don't have to--"

"Set year to 2231."

"--do this.. Help! He--"

"On my mark. Ready.."

"--lp.. somebody..!"

"Initi--"

Raficon was interrupted by a red pulse of energy blasting into his back, sending him staggering forwards.

"Stop right there!"

"What? YOU!"

Trip opened his tightly-shut eyes slowly, unsure of whether he was alive or not. He opened his eyes to see Wes standing on a beam far above him, unmorphed, wielding his Chrono-Blaster at a readied position. With a yell, he lept from the beams and fired several shots as he corkscrewed to the ground below, taking down several unsuspecting Cyclobots.

"Trip! Are you alright?"

"Wes, I'm okay, I think--"

"You're too late, Ranger! Cycobot, initate the time device!"

Trip's face broke momentarily, looking sadly at Wes before being ravaged with purple rings of energy. The energy was ripped from his body, a colorful vortex forming in the metallic archway. His eyes rolled back as he screamed in agony. He felt as if the very essence of his soul was being ripped out of him, all the while Wes watching helplessly. He stared with his mouth gaped open in shock and horror, and suddenly realized he needed to help Trip. His lips curled and his fists clenched tightly and his foot pivoted slightly. He sprinted towards Trip, the color seeming to almost have left his body completely.

"Chrono--"

Jen, Katie, and Lucas ran into the hangar, seeing everything as if it were in slow motion. They rushed towards the action, but were halted by the steady flow of marching drones.

"--Saber!"

"Wes..!" screamed Jen, disabling two Cyclobots at once.

Wes joined the two blades of his Chrono-Saber together, bringing it back slightly as he prepared for what he was about to do. He grasped the Saber with both hands and brought it down upon the pulsating time device.

"Trip...!"

A flash of white immortalized the moment, making all movement still. For one brief instant, sound ceased to exist. Sight ceased to exist. Feeling, unity - that's all there was. For one brief instant.

The explosion sent both Wes and Raficon crashing through open space, pushing them out until walls stopped them both. The armor Raficon had been given by Ransik landed in a heap of mangled metal not far from where the archway had been standing.

Trip's damaged morpher skidded across the floor, stopping as it hit Jen's foot. It erupted with sparks, then projected a distorted image above what was left of the oval face.

"Jen, look! It's the Time Force file on Raficon!"

Katie gingerly picked up the morpher in her hands and peered into the hologram.

"According to this, without his armor, we can put Raficon back where he belongs!"

"Alright, let's take care of this guy," said Jen.

Meanwhile, Raficon managed to balance himself on two feet.

"What have you DONE? You've destroyed my only way out of this place.. you will pay DEARLY!"

Before he could advance, the three remaining Time Force Officers stood shoulder to shoulder. Jen stepped forward from the middle, displaying her badge.

"Time Force! You're under arrest, Raficon.. surrender or face the consequences!"

"Never!"

Raficon summoned his sword and held it out as he charged, roaring, toward the Rangers.

"V-2!"

"V-4!"

"Chrono-Sabers, TIME STRIKE!"

Jen leapt into the air, the face of a clock appearing behind her as her Sabers began to pulsate with a pink energy. Below, Lucas and Katie carefully aimed their bulky machinery at the raging mutant.

"V-Weapons, FIRE!"

The three rangers simulatenously laid their attacks against Raficon, hurtling one combined sphere of chrono-encoded energy at the weakened mutant. It was all they needed to defeat Raficon into submission and force him to revert to Chrono-Freeze. He reached into the air as he shrank, as if to hold onto his near victory like the mutants before him.

"Good job, guys. Power down!"

Lucas immediately went to collect Raficon while Katie ran to Trip and Jen to Wes.

Katie hurriedly released Trip from the shackles which he limply hung from, cradling him in her arms. His body coarsed with heat and electricity, but Katie's compassion overpowered her pain. Trip had scorch marks all over his face and arms, especially where the shackles had been, and his clothes were tattered.

"Hold on Trip, you're going to be alright.."

His eyes fluttered open.. The instant flash of white light blinded him, then fizzled to a blurry mix of shapes and colors. His head felt moist, and he ached all over.

"It's about time you woke up," remarked a smiling voice.

Wes groaned, every movement sending a sharp pain shooting up his side. He felt what must've been a moistened towel cloth lifted off of his forehead.

"Careful, don't hurt yourself. All we need is for you to be out of commission for another six days," laughed Jen.

"Hey, show some respect for the hurt guy.." Wes replied weakly.

Suddenly the events of six days ago flooded into his mind all at once. The initial battle, the search, the face-off with Raficon.. it's why he was here. Wait, the search. Raficon. Trip!

"Trip! Jen, where's Trip? Is he okay?"

Jen pushed Wes' shoulders down until his back settled back onto the medical table he'd been recovering on.

"Trip's doing fine, Wes. Better than you, even. He's worried about you."

"Worried? But he was the one who--"

"I know."

"But he shouldn't be--"

"Wes, I know. But it's Trip.. he feels responsible for your getting hurt. He's spent the past few days more isolated than usual, but that's expected. He's been spending most of his time sitting outside on the terrace," she explained.

"Can I see him?"

"Sure.. but take it easy, okay?"

"Promise."

Even when he was wrapped up in blankets and bandages, Wes' smile still took Jen's breath away. She hesitated, then turned and walked into the main area of the Clock Tower. Wes noticed that they'd converted the changing rooms again from a resting area to an infirmary. He saw a similar set-up to his own table and supplies on the other side of the room which could have only been used in nursing Trip back to health.

"W-..Wes?"

"Trip, hey, come on in."

Wes noticed Trip only took a few more steps inside the room, almost as if he were afraid of Wes. He'd gotten a fresh pair of clothes, identical to the ones Wes had given him earlier. He also had bandages, two on his wrists and one on his forehead. He still looked fairly beaten down, but at least he was moving around.

"Trip, don't be afraid--"

Trip suddenly rushed towards Wes, hands outstretched.

"Oh Wes, I'm so sorry! This is all my fault. Thank you so much! You shouldn't have tried to stop Raficon, it's all my fault.. I owe you everything!"

"Woah, Trip, slow down. One thing at a time.. I'm still medicated, you know."

Trip paused, then cracked a smile.

"Wes, I guess I just wanted to say thank you.. I'm sorry you're hurt.."

"Trip, you would've done the same for me. We're a team, and we help each other. I did what I had to do.. it's not your fault.. it was my decision. You were only where you were because you tried to step in and save me. And you did. Tell you what.. you saved me, I saved you. We're even. Besides, I'm the lucky one. I get to spend all this time in bed while you get stuck with odd jobs," Wes said with a grin.

It was at that moment an unidentified bond formed between the two rangers. Somehow they'd become closer, perhaps on a unique and uncontested level. Perhaps it was a brotherly bond, or maybe more of a father-son bond. Either way, it was a moment that forever changed the course of their friendship.

"Agreed.. we're even. I'll leave you alone then, Wes. Feel better.. get some rest.. thanks," Trip rambled as he backed out of the room.

"Oh hey, Trip?"

"What is it, Wes?"

"Take care of those Vector Cycles. Don't want 'em falling behind on my account."

Trip smiled to himself. Wes was so cool.