Expect the Unexpected

Wormhole

Warning: Author does not condone teacher/student relationships at all!

Newtech City, 2028

"Power Rangers, report to Delta Command immediately."

The doors opened with a whoosh and seven teens rushed in. Each of them wearing a similar uniform with various colours threaded over their jacket. They each crowded around around the main console in the centre of the room.

"What's going on?" the leader, Jack, asked. He was wearing a grey uniform with red threads.

"Grumm is gone, and so is his ship," SPD Commander Kruger explained.

A gasped of surprise rippled through the group.

"He's retreated," said Sky. He was wearing a grey uniform with blue threads.

Jack turned to the others. "We've won!" he cheered, high-fiving and hugging the girl beside him. She was wearing a grey uniform with black threads.

"Enough!" Kruger ordered.

The squad fell silent, confusion etched into each of their features as they faced their commanding officer. Why wasn't he as excited as them?

"Hello, hello, you said it yourself," said Jack, still grinning. "Grumm is gone."

"Yes, he's gone," Kruger confirmed. "But I know my enemy. He does not retreat."

"Commander," said a feline woman near the computers. "I've found something. I was scanning the far reaches of the Turnerian Nebula when I found this..." she brought up an image on the screen, showing a strange metallic hole in the centre of space.

"A wormhole?" Kruger asked.

"Yes. A temporal wormhole," Kat said, nodding. "And there are traces of Troobian energy inside the rim."

"Sounds like retreating to me," said Jack.

"That's what he wants us to think," said Kruger, sharply.

"Sir, then where he is going?" Sky asked.

A girl in a grey uniform with scarlet threads shook her head. "Better question: when is he going?" she asked.

~X~

Reefside, 2008

The bell rang, signalling the end of the school day. Students filed out onto the grounds, some heading towards school buses, others towards the parking lot. Anabel and her friends, headed towards the green opposite the main building and claimed a bench for themselves.

"What's everyone doing now?" Circe asked, sitting on the back of the bench, her feet resting on the actual seat. "Do you have practice?" she looked to Anabel.

"Yep," Anabel nodded, brushing her hair out of her face. She looked to Kira, Ethan, and Trent. They were the only ones of their group that didn't have an after-school activity to get to, whereas she and Conner did.

Kira shrugged. "I have my guitar, so I'm happy to sit here and wait," she said.

"Same," said Trent, claiming a spot on the grass. He pulled out his notebook and a few pencils from his backpack.

Anabel turned to Ethan, noticing that he had already pulled his hand-held game console from his backpack. "Guess that answers that question," she said. "Practice shouldn't take long," she added. "Shauna's got relatives in town, so she's ending it earlier than usual."

"Just go," said Kira. "We'll be fine."

Anabel smiled and turned to Circe.

"Last time I watched you practice, Shauna tried making me a squad member," said Circe, shaking her head. "Cheerleading is more your speed. I'll stay here."