It felt good to be home. Or, at least, the closest thing Tommy had to a home in this ever increasingly strange future world. It signaled the end of a journey, the conclusion of many hard-fought battles, making up for defeats and mistakes, the victorious final lap in the first race of many. He expected to be tired or anxious for the coming days, and he was all of those things, but most of all a prevailing sense of relief took him. For the first time since being signed up for a future war he never wanted, Tommy Oliver could simply relax.

There had been plenty of great scenery to pass on the way back. Even after hundreds of years, Europe was still dominated by rolling hills, expansive plains, and thick forests. The juxtoposition caused by the great spires and walkways of the post-modern cities did not detract from the beauty. Indeed, both aspects seemed to exist at one with each other. There was a harmony to the world, a certain understanding that he had never observed in his own time. Perhaps the people of 2600 were more enlightened. Maybe alternative clean energy sources led to a revival of the natural world. Whatever the reason, when so high above the oppressive governments and terrible monsters, the Earth looked at peace with itself.

Yet, despite all of this, no sight was more precious to him than that of the approaching London skyline. He had seen pictures in books and on television of what this old city supposedly looked like from the air. The current silhouette bore no resemblance to those depictions. However, aided by the navigation system, Tommy knew this was his destination. That made it all the sweeter to see.

That he had the pleasure of sitting in the passenger's seat enhanced the experience even further, if that were possible at all. Thanks to a little number crunching from Flynn, and some data from the navigation, they had determined the trip back home would take a little more than exactly twelve hours. That meant splitting the time evenly amongst themselves. Each of them would have a four hour chunk of driving to do. Z had taken the first stint, followed by Tommy, which left Flynn to bring them home. He had insisted on being the last to drive.

These mathematics, though, presented another problem. It simply wasn't feasible for them to make such a long trip right after their journey for the Mythos Morphers. That would mean flying through the air at breakneck speeds on more than an entire day without sleep. Since none of them felt like crashing, they decided the best course of action was to find a place to lay low.

It was Z who had the idea for traveling to a nearby town called Nafpacktos. By her reasoning, the other Ranger team wouldn't think to look for them in a place they'd never heard of. So, that was their heading. They had no money, which was a problem, but the future thankfully still had truck stops. They even managed to stretch what few snacks and bottles of water they'd brought with them. None of them had expected to stay out so long, so they'd raided Fae's kitchen for things like chips and crackers. Junk food didn't exactly make for a great meal, but it did the trick.

None of that hardship mattered anymore. Just a few more minutes, and they would arrive back at the lab for a good meal and a long rest. Fae had promised them both after telling her they were on the way back. While Tommy hoped she wouldn't overwork herself in the meal part of that agreement, he was excited to see what she had in store.

Flynn brought them to those woods just outside that little town a few miles away from London. There, he opened up the bay doors leading down into the garage and set the Land Rover down inside it. A press of the ignition turned off the vehicle. The driver was the first to get out, followed by the two passengers at almost the same time. Tommy rolled both of his shoulders and took a deep breath. It was amazing to stand up and stretch.

Together, the three of them walked from the garage and into the main lab area. There they found Fae waiting for them, a big smile on her face, clad in glasses, a ponytail, a yellow sweater, and blue jeans. She still had her left arm in a sling.

"Welcome back!" She said. "I'm glad you're all safe and sound."

"Trust us, so are we. That was quite the trip," Tommy said.

"I know. A whole day of fighting. Must've been tough." Fae said.

"Nah, nothing to it. Piece of cake," Flynn joked. Both Fae and Z smiled at him.

"So, let me see them, then, your new Morphers," Fae requested.

Flynn and Z approached her, both understandably eager to show off their toys. They held up their wrists and Fae dived right in, pressing her face in real close to take in every detail. She ran her fingers along the detail work engraved into the dagger hilts, paying special attention to the gemstones set into each. If she hadn't already betrayed herself as the resident tech specialist on her old team, this moment most certainly gave it away. Only someone with a deep understanding for technology could be so fascinated by it.

"They're incredible," Fae said, straightening up. "The craftsmanship... whoever made them must've put a lot of passion into it."

"So you don't know who made them. I was wondering about that," Flynn said.

Fae shook her head. "No one does. I don't know where they came from, how old they are, or really even how they work." She paused, glancing at Flynn's wrist. "Realistically speaking, they shouldn't be functional right now. If our other Morphers don't work, than neither should these."

"But they do. Obviously," said Z.

"That's what I'm saying. There must be something inside here, a lost technology or something, that gives them a special connection to the Morhpin' Grid."

"Maybe it's the gems," suggested Flynn. "They're clearly important, but I've never heard of rocks things being used in a Morpher."

"Anything's possible. I really don't know," Fae said.

"Well, why don't you take one of them apart?" Suggested Tommy from the back. "You're smart, so I'm sure you could figure it out."

"After," Fae stressed. "I wouldn't want to risk breaking one while Avanth is still at large."

"About that," Z began. "What's our next step? Are we just gonna charge in there and take him out?"

Fae waved away the notion. "No, that wouldn't work. But we can talk shop later. I'm sure you're all starving by now."

"Now you're speaking my language," Tommy said.

"Yeah," agreed Flynn. "I mean, I like pretzels and chips, but they don't go that far."

"Well, then come on. I made sure to whip you up something nice."

Fae turned around and led them through a door in the back left corner of the lab. She pressed a button and it opened up, sliding in two pieces to either side of the wall. It led immediately into a hallway. The Rangers had been in this part of the lab before. The hallway contained the two sleeping areas they had stayed in after Tommy recovered the Red Mythos Morpher. That was, of course, back when they thought there was time to sleep between each fetch quest. Oh, how their plans had changed.

At the end of the hall was the living area, an almost perfect square divided into a kitchen, den, and dining room. The moment Tommy crossed into this space, his nose was assaulted with a glorious litany of smells. Sharp spices, clean herbs, earthy vegetables, and savory meat, they all bombarded him at once. He breathed deep, and heard his other homebound companions do the same. It might have just been the greatest thing to ever cross his nostrils.

The trip to the source of these scents was mercifully short. Just off the hallway entrance, connected in the east to the den, was a rectangular table big enough to sit eight people, but currently set for just four. Each place featured a a plate heaped with food, utensils, napkins, and empty glasses. The center of these had more napkins in a little displayer next to a pitcher of fresh iced water.

"This looks amazing, Fae," Z enthused as they all gathered around the table.

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"Thanks, I hope it's to your liking," Fae said. "I'm was never the cook on the team, that was Mark, but I like to think I'm pretty good at it."

"Mark?" Z asked.

Fae hesitated. "Yeah. He was our Red Ranger and my..." She trailed off, playing idly with a gold ring on her left hand.

"Well, if it smells as good as it looks, I'm sure it'll be amazing." Tommy spoke up before the air had time to grow stale.

Fae probably hadn't meant to bring up the past. It was so easy to talk about your loved ones, to let their names slip, even after they were gone. Indeed, it may have been even more tempting to speak of them when they were no longer around. If Tommy could spare Fae the pain of remembering, even if only for a few moments, then he was glad to do so. It was his duty as a leader, and as a friend. What better distraction than food?

He took a seat, and the others did as well. Whatever discomfort they may have felt at the shift in the atmosphere faded away the moment they all dug in. Fae had prepared for them a meal of chicken breast, sweet potatoes, yellow onions, celery, and carrots, prepared with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and butter, spritzed with lemon, and all roasted slow in the same pan. It was, simply, divine. If this food paled in comparison to what Mark was able to create, then Tommy shuttered to think what his recipes must've been like.

They ate as if it were their last meal and then all pitched in with the dishes, which there were surprisingly few of. Or, perhaps it just felt that way. With four pairs of hands all concentrated on the same task, it passed in the blink of an eye. No matter the scenario, it did a heart good to work as a team.

When the food was all eaten and the chores were all done, Fae chose a section of counter on the east, next to the white refrigerator, to lean up against. She had an uncertain air about her, one that caused all attentions to focus on her without the need for a single word. In the back of his head, Tommy found that remarkable. To gather everyone around without giving a command was a skill he very much wanted to learn.

"Alright," she said. "I guess it's time for that plan I promised all of you."

"You can wait until tomorrow, if it's hard to talk about," Tommy said.

"It's not hard to talk about," denied Fae, "I was just afraid you might not have much of an appetite after hearing it."

"That bad?" Z raised an eyebrow.

"No, just a lot to think about." Fae took a deep breath. "Okay. Remember when I said Avanth poisoned the Morphin' Grid?"

"Yeah." Flynn prompted her to continue.

"Well, that was an oversimplification. You see, the Grid isn't really... fallible like that. I mean, it is, but it isn't. Think of it like a living organism. It's not, but it has similar ways of protecting and repairing itself. If Avanth had just poisoned it, then it would have recovered eventually. If that were the case, I, we, could've just waited him out, and I never would have needed all of you."

"How did he do it then?" Tommy asked.

"The only way to both keep the Grid in a weakened state, and also siphon its power for himself, would be to make sure it has a constant dose of whatever he's using to hurt it. But, again, if it were just one source, the Grid could deal with it," Fae said.

"I think I see where this is going," Flynn said. "Avanth needs multiple locations to administer his poison from."

"Exactly," confirmed Fae with a nod.

"And he would also need a supply chain for them, I think," Z suggested.

Fae smiled and shook her head. "You guys really are smart. I guess that's why you're the best."

"Oh, we're not that great," Flynn denied. "But we're pretty good."

Fae continued. "You're right on both accounts. Avanth uses these things he calls nodes to administer a constant stream of poison to the Grid. He has a network of them set up all over the world, but I believe if we destroy enough of them here in Europe, we can weaken him to the point where you can take him down."

"That has to be the plan, then," Tommy said. "We destroy his nodes and then jump at the first chance we get to confront him."

"That's what I'm thinking," Fae agreed. "My theory is that whatever concoction Avanth uses doesn't actually weaken the Grid, but simply redirects its power into himself. So, every node you take down will lessen the amount of poison while also reducing the strength he is able to gain from it."

"Alright, let's get started, then. Do you know where any of the nodes are?" Z said.

"Not really. It's not exactly public information. I have an idea, though," Fae said. "There's an old print shop in the north of London that's been off-limits for several months, now. It's 2600, so no one uses physical media anymore, which means there's no good reason for Avanth to care about a print shop unless it has something he doesn't want anyone else to find."

Z shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Even if there isn't a node, there might be someone who knows where to find one."

"Good idea. Come on, let's go." Tommy said.

He made for the exit, and the others went to follow him, but Fae intervened. She popped off the counter.

"No, no, wait," she said while closing the distance between herself and them. She tapped Tommy's wrist to make him stop and turn around. "Whatever's there will still be there tomorrow. You guys have been pushing yourself hard. Take a day to recuperate, and then go out in the morning. It's important to rest and keep your strength up."

Tommy hesitated, but then let his posture relax. "You're right. We won't be stopping anyone if we're too tired to fight."

"Good. You know where your rooms are. Get some sleep, and then go after it when you're good and rested."

"Thanks, Fae," Z said.

"Don't mention it."

As Tommy walked down the hall, he found his head swirling with possibilities. In the back of his mind, he knew their quest could never be so easy as just finding some Morphers and taking down Avanth. After all, if he'd already taken down a far more experienced team of Rangers, what chance did they have against him, even with the Mythos Morphers? There's no way the solution would be that simple.

However, he also hadn't expected something so complicated. That there were multiples of these nodes in and of itself introduced an untamed element of mystery. Add to that how well-hidden they were, and the task seemed gargantuan, indeed. They could be anywhere, guarded by anything, and his team had no way of knowing what, where, or why. They'd be going in blind—or near enough—to almost every situation. He hated the implications of that. But, he would proudly charge into the unknown. He was a Power Ranger. Fighting on the backfoot came with the territory. It was his job to bring down evil, no matter the odds.

…

A chill ran across his skin. Avanth had always liked the cold, preferring it to even modest heats. So, he kept it quite cool in the throne room. But, that didn't mean he was immune to the effects of it. He just preferred the sensation. While his surroundings were chilly even to him, and downright uncomfortable to most, he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Before him, Adam and Shelby climbed the stairs up to his dais. Instead of sitting like he normally would have, Avanth chose to stand on this occasion. This was an attempt to make himself seem more inviting, to make his henchmen more comfortable. They were his most valuable assets, and so it simply wouldn't do for them to be nervous around him. H preferred to gain respect, instead of command it. How could they respect him, if they were afraid?

The two humans reached the top of the dais and immediately took a knee, eyes cast down at the black marble floor.

"Master Avanth," Adam said.

"Stand. Up." Avanth couldn't keep the irritation from his voice. "Seriously, I don't like it when people bow to me. It makes me feel weird."

Adam and Shelby shared confused glances, but slowly got to their feet. Each of them gave concerned looks to Avanth, as if they expected him to berate them at any moment. Avanth walked over and leaned with one hand up against the back of his chair, an attempt to abate their suspicions. It didn't work, however, as their eyes remained locked on him all the way until they were upright.

Shelby picked up where Adam left off. "Master Avanth, we're sorry. The Rangers got the Blue Mythos Morpher. I... I failed you again."

"No, no, it's fine. I had a feeling this would happen," Avanth said.

"You..." Adam hesitated. "You did?"

"Yeah. Not because I don't believe in you, but because the Power Rangers have a bad habit of succeeding at the most annoying of times. That's why I have backup plans for everything, every possible scenario. I knew this would probably happen, so I paid special attention to it." Avanth explained.

"So, you're not mad?" Shelby asked.

"Not mad, no. Disappointed, but not mad."

"I'm not sure that's better," Adam said slowly.

"Maybe not, but that doesn't matter anymore. I have new plans for each of you," Avanth said.

"Of course, Master. Anything you want. It's our pleasure to serve you," Shelby said.

"Very good. Adam, I'm sending you to a sight in the Teutoburg forest. You are to oversee an important project there," Avanth said.

"Your will be done," Adam said with a slight bow.

"Shelby, I want you in Ireland. I have very important materials coming from there, so you are to secure their delivery."

"Yes, Master." Shelby gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"Good, both of you. Now, while you're out, I want you to keep something in mind." Avanth took a breath. "I want you to remember that you are not just simple lackeys. I expect my orders to be followed, but I am also open to suggestions. If you come up with any ideas on your travels, please run them by me, and I'll see what I can do."

"It would be an honor, Master," Shelby said.

"I'll start a journal for you to review," followed Adam.

"Exactly as I would expect from you," Avanth said to him. "Waste no time. Go talk to Tracker, and he'll set you up with what you need."

Adam and Shelby gave respective confirmations and then made their ways back down the stairs. Avanth watched them go. They seemed in much higher spirits than when they arrived, which had been part of his goal. While the missions he sent them on were important, they also had been designed to keep their minds off of things. Sure, their past failures frustrated him, and they had every right to be angry at themselves, but that wouldn't help anyone moving forward. He needed his minions focused and ready to accomplish the tasks at hand, whatever they might be.

Speaking of which, he had his own objective to think about. From somewhere within his robes he produced a datapad and, still leaning up against his chair, began flipping through pages in it. He had a lot of information to go through if he wanted to solve his problem. Whoever was leading the Power Rangers clearly knew what they were doing, not to mention they had the means to make a time machine. All of that made them quite dangerous. Avanth had to figure out who they were and eliminate them, before they became too big of an issue to easily solve.