Deep in the forests near Silver Hills, the Hades prison ship lay resting, hidden by the trees. It was well masked by the expanse of the forest, the perfect place to hide from those that searched for it.

Within its corridors, Ransik sat in the warden's office, doing some adjustments to his cybernetic left arm. His fate plate sat on the desk, the man letting the disfigurations on his face get air. "Damn you, Time Force," he muttered. "Can never get the idea, that we don't want to be persecuted anymore."

He sighed as he finished his repairs to his left arm and laid back, suddenly starting to choke. He looked at his right arm and snarled, noticing that it was starting to deform rapidly before his eyes. "Damnit!" he bellowed, opening a case and pulling out a hypospray, loading it with a medtube.

Pressing the hypospray to his neck, Ransik pressed the injector switch, breathing deeply as his arm's disfiguration subsided. The man sighed and picked up his face plate, placing it over the left side of his face and walked out of the office. "Frax, get down to the cryofreeze station, we've got work to do!"

The four Time Rangers from the future shifted through the wreckage of the time ship at the beach, looking for any equipment that was still working.

"Any luck?!"

"Found a holoscreen that's working," Lucas stated as he brought the communications device over to Yuuri. "A few blasters and medpacks, but not much more."

"Plus the fact we're gonn'a be freezing come nightfall without real shelter," Syon remarked as he walked over, Circuit hovering behind him. "I found some cases of rations, but other than that, most of this stuff is fried."

"Syon!" Domon called, holding up a yellow case and throwing it to the Xybrian. "Found something that survived. The case says Time Flyer, I figured it's right up your ally."

Syon opened the case and smiled, nodded. "Yeah, we got a way to get around now. The ship had a mass compressed time flyer on board, this is it."

"So now our only concern is a place to stay," Yuuri concluded. "Not going to be easy, we don't have any currency of the era."

"Hey guys!"

The four turned at the call to see Wes running over, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black jacket. He smiled as he reached them, setting down a big paper bag he had been carrying. "Thought I should get you four some food, you have to be starving, so I picked up some burgers from BK for you."

"Thanks!" Syon exclaimed, pulling a pair of hamburgers out of the bag and handing one to Domon. "Uh...what is a burger anyway?"

Domon smiled as he unwrapped his burger and took a big bite. "It's a patty of meat put between two piece of bread, with sauces put on to add extra flavor. Big fast food of choice in the twentieth century. Good food, thanks Wes."

Wes smiled and shrugged. "Hey, we're a team, right? Gott'a help each other out. Speaking of which, how about a place to stay? You guys are gonn'a freeze if you plan to sleep here at the beach tonight."

"We could use some place to set up station," Lucas commented. "Lieutenant?"

Yuuri sighed and nodded. "Hai...Our problem is, we don't have any money for this era."

"I've got the perfect place," Wes stated. "Get your stuff, and follow me."

The Secret of Ransik

The four looked around at the city as Wes led them toward a large clock tower in the middle of the main square of Silver Hills, the man carrying a pair of large yellow cases. He stopped to pulled out a key and unlock the door of the tower, walking inside and smiling. "Come on, you guys are gonn'a love this!"

Domon chuckled as they followed him up a long flight of stairs, easily hefting a large case on his shoulders. "For all the exercise we're getting, we best! Reminds me of training back when I was a grapple fighter, those were the days of fun!"

"Trust me, it's worth it," Wes replied, walking up the last set of stairs and setting down the cases he was carrying. "Here it is!"

The four reached the top and stopped in their tracks staring at the huge room. "What the..."

"It's a dump!" Lucas exclaimed, fingering at the extremely dusty walls. "Wes..."

"Hey, it's the best I can do without raising attention with my dad," the man replied. "Granted, it's a fix'er up'er, but it's better than freezing your butts off on the beach. I'm gonn'a help clear the place up with you guys, so don't worry. Oh, and if you guys are gonn'a be out and about in the city, best get some new clothes to blend in, I'll cover that too."

Circuit chuckled as he hovered over the floor and grabbed a post with his claws, lifting it up and setting it down as a stand. "Well, I have to admit, it's not all that bad. With some work, it should be fine."

"Guys, over here!" Yuuri called from a window, the other three officers walking over to join her. "We can see everything from up here, it's the perfect lookout post!"

Domon chuckled and nodded to Wes, slapping the man on the back. "Good job, you've impressed the lieutenant. Guess we stay then."

Wes smiled and shrugged. "I'll try and get the title for the place from my dad, I'll tell him it's a business venture, he'll buy that up. As for blending in..."

Lucus smirked as he nodded and unstrapped the blaster and holster on his leg. "You heard the man. He's the expert around here, so let's get to work."

Yuuri nodded and turned to Wes. "Arigatou, Wes-san. And like Lucas said, let's get to work on this."

Wes smiled and lead the four down the stairs, glancing at a sign that was fastened to the wall just outside the door. "Get your jackets off so you don't raise that much attention, and we can get going." He looked back as the Time Force officers removed their uniform jackets, then walked over to Syon, ruffling up the Xybrian's green hair. "Best keep the forehead covered for now, I don't know if this town's ready for someone with a jewel in their forehead...where'd you get it anyway?"

"I'm from the planet Xybria, it's a telepathic gemstone," Syon replied. "All of my kind have them."

"You're an alien?" Wes quipped. Now that Syon had mentioned it, it should have been obvious; the young Ranger had an odd bright orange tint to his skin. "Well, that's not something Earth isn't used to anymore, not since ninety-six...best keep it covered though."

It wasn't long before the group was going through a clothing store. Domon had easily found something, now clad in an orange sweat shirt, a pair of black jeans and a cap to finish off his look. Lucas hadn't had much trouble either, exchanging his black undershirt and uniform pants for black jeans, a blue t-shirt and a black leather jacket.

Syon had decided on a pair of ash gray pants and a yellow shirt, a dark blue jacket over that. Wes had stuck a hat on the Xybrian to cover his telepathy crystal, then went to the task of paying for the assortment of clothes.

"What's taking her so long?" Syon commented as they wait for Yuuri.

"Guess even in the future, women like to shop," Wes cracked, Syon looking at him strangely while Lucas and Domon chuckled. "Don't worry about it, she's just blending in already."

"And just what do you imply by that, Wes-san?"

The four turned and saw Yuuri walk out of a changing room in a light brown jacket and skirt, a white shirt underneath that. She had opted to clad a pair of matching boots on her feet, making herself look almost like she belonged in the era. "Whoa," Lucas remarked. "Nice outfit."

"Eyes where they belong," Yuuri cracked, smirking as she walked back into the changing room and dressed back in the undershirt and pants of her uniform. She walked back out and smiled, Wes chuckling as he followed her and paid for her new outfit.

"Well, I have to say that was interesting," he commented as they headed back to the clock tower. He looked up and frowned, noticing that it was getting dark. "We best hurry and clear the place up when we get back, unless you wann'a sleep in that pile of junk in the tower's loft."

"Clean up sounds fine to me," Domon stated, then noticed Wes stop at a store. "Wes?"

"One sec!" he stated, walking into the shop. He came out about twenty minutes later with a package under his arm, the man smiling broadly as he continued back toward the clock tower. "Okay, now we're set."

"What did you get in there?"

"You'll see!"

Ransik smiled as he pulled a cryofrozen form out of the containment blocks, setting it in the cryo freezer and shutting the door of the machine. "Now...if we're going to get the attention of this era, we need to do it well. Frax, ready a squad of Reavers when you get a chance, our friend could use a force of them in case the Time Rangers show up."

"And what of TimeRed?" Frax replied as he watched Ransik work the cryo freezer's controls. "If he has indeed survived his defeat at your hands..."

"I doubt it's him, probably an era native that resembles him greatly, perhaps one of his ancestors. This new TimeRed is probably the best person to use to stop the pain of our future." Ransik tapped at the controls and sighed as sounds of laser energy came from the chamber. "Mutants are not just a sub-race of our time, Frax, they exist here in this era as well. I want to make sure that this era is told of the prejudice and persecution of our time, so that we can keep it from ever happening."

"But mutants of this era were shunned as well, were they not?" Frax stated.

"Yes, but I hope to head that off." Ransik turned as the cryo chamber opened, releasing a large alien form from within. "Mister...Jetra, I believe. My name is Ransik."

The newly freed prison growled in an alien tongue, Ransik frowning. "Alien...Frax, do you know the language?"

"It is the Rakorian language, I have a translator," the robot replied, handing Ransik a small device.

The man nodded and turned the translator on, looking back at the alien. "Jetra, my name is Ransik. I'm the one who freed you from stasis."

"Why, and what do you get out of it?" Jetra snapped. "Never mind, I don't think I need to know, since I won't bother with your needs anyway!"

"What?!"

The alien laughed as it vanished, Ransik snarling in anger. "Damnit, now I know why he was sentenced to eternity in stasis! Frax..."

"There's nothing we can do right now," the robot stated. "I expect the Rangers, however will. Perhaps we can go and observe, and if they fail to stop him, we will do the job."

"And I have a chance to make them see why I'm doing this, excellent idea!"

The five finally returned to the clock tower, Wes pulling out a bronze sign from the package he had bought. "One of you run into the main office of the tower, get me a drill and a flathead screw bit for it, we need to get this old sign off."

Syon nodded and ran inside, Domon taking a look at the sign Wes was going to mount on the wall. "'Tomorrow Research'? Wes, what's the idea?"

"This place was a temp service office before my dad foreclosed on the owners," the man replied. "An odd-jobs shop. I figure, so my dad leaves you guys alone, and so you have a way to earn some money, we reopen the place with a new name, reflect the new management in a way."

As Syon came back out with the drill, Wes nodded his thanks and proceeded to remove the old sign, holding up the new one and placing the bolts back into place to hold the metal plate up. "There we go. I'll get an ad in the paper, and you guys should be in business."

"And the land title..."

"I'll get it covered," Wes replied. "You'll be fine, as long as you brush up on the customs of the time and adapt. I'm sure Circuit has some info you can use."

Lucas smiled as he patted Wes on the back and walked through the building doors. "Well, at least we know we got you to help out. Now what say we clean up the dump up there?"

The other four laughed as they ran up the stairs to the loft, starting a clean up job when Circuit flew over, his eyes lit up with red. "Guys, we've got a situation, my sensors are detecting non-human lifeforms in the city!"

"You have anymore info on it?"

The eagle robot landed on a stand and went silent for a moment before continuing. "Picking up a prison tracer signal...beacon IDs as Jetra, he's a Kordavian fugitive that was tried on Earth for the murder of several leaders of state, sentenced to eternal cryostasis."

"Ransik's making his move," Yuuri stated, suddenly going cold. "Location."

"Uh, tracing to sector one five point six, data banks listed it as being called the Baker Mall Plaza."

"Let's move!" the woman ordered, racing back down the stairs with the rest of the Rangers behind her.

Jetra laughed as he gutted one of the people that tried to flee from his rampage, flinging the body to the ground. He let out a yell in his alien language, moving to kill more innocents when a series of shots flew down from above, the alien looking up to see the five Time Rangers riding on a jet craft of some kind, Yuuri at the machine's controls.

"Hold it!" Domon shouted as they landed, getting off the jet craft and raising their blasters. "You're under arrest, Jetra!"

The alien screamed at the five, their helmet computers quickly scanning for translation. Lucas frowned as the alien began walking toward them, firing and barely missing Jetra's head. "You seem to be lacking in communications skills, so I'll repeat my friend! You're under arrest, now don't move!"

"You really think I'll go back into cryo?!" the translation of the alien's screams stated. "You'll die first, along with everyone in this city!"

"That rules out this being easy," Syon remarked just before the alien ran at them, the five moving out of the way and holstering their blasters.

Domon quickly tapped his V-Cannon sequence on his Changer and grabbed the massive rifle as it burst from subspace, firing at Jetra in attempt to bring him down. "A little help here!"

Yuuri quickly summoned out her Chrono Vectors, striking hard with the twin swords as she fought Jetra in a melee battle. "Guess we do this the hard way!"

"I'm picking up a mutant DNA signature near your location, Rangers, it may be Ransik."

"I'll handle it!" Wes called, following the signal on his helmet as the others fought Jetra. "I don't see anything here. Circuit, are you sure you..."

The man was cut off as something reached out and grabbed him, a mechanical arm wrapping around his neck. "I'm going to assume your a native of this era, would I be correct in this, TimeRed?"

"What's it to you if I am?!"

Ransik smiled as he released Wes and pushed him away, holding a rifle up to keep the Ranger at bay. "Simply this. We need to talk, and I think as someone who didn't grow up in the prejudice of my time would be more willing to listen."

"Prejudice of your time?" Wes' brow narrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

The mutant sighed, but kept his weapon trained on Wes. "They haven't told you, have they? About the 'genetic perfection', about the oppression of the mutants just because we are different? No, I'd imagine not, it's possible even your fellow Rangers don't know the truth. I have no doubt that their superiors do, however." With a resound sigh of sorrow, the mutant nodded. "Very well, TimeRed. I'll explain what I am, and why I am a fugitive. Imagine a time when science has perfected genetic manipulation, where parents can have their children enhanced in any aspect they wish, and where disease is a thing of the extreme past."

"Sounds like the creation of a super race," Wes replied. "But why? I'd think after the attempts of Adolf Hilter to do the same would have taught the world not to try that."

"This is different, humanity didn't try wiping out an unwanted gene pool. Everything was perfect for them, no deformations, no sickness, and the children could be skilled in what ever their parents chose. However, something evidently went wrong. Nature decided to play a cruel trick on the perfect humanity, and gave them the first mutant since the uprising in twenty-five fourty-three, except that he wasn't just different, he was, to humans, a monster, disfigured beyond their tolerance. When I too was born, disfigured as I am, my parents abandoned me, and I was forced to live on the streets! Few people tried to help me, and those that did help me ended up being murdered by men in black armor. Is it any wonder now why I formed my consortium, uniting the outcasts and the rejected of the universe?!"

Wes said nothing for several long moments, then finally nodded. "I can see why you were so bitter, and what happened to you was wrong, but coming back here for revenge isn't the answer! Innocent lives that have nothing to do with what happened to you are being punished by that murderer you unleashed! This isn't the way to handle your problem!"

"Revenge isn't why I came back," Ransik stated. "I came back to change everything, to change the flow of time so that the pain those like me endured would not happen!"

"Then why did you kill Alex?!"

Ransik was taken back with those words. "A strange sense of pity for him...if he had lived, they would have lied to him and brainwashed him to go after me again...he's the only person I have ever killed, Ranger, and despite the reasons I give myself, trying to justify it to my own heart, I still live with that pain and guilt." He turned to see an explosion flare several blocks away. "I had no idea that Jetra would go and murder innocents, this was not my intention. I suggest you go and stop him while you have the chance to minimize the losses."

Wes frowned as Ransik turned away and vanished in a blast of light, racing back to rejoin his friends in time to see Yuuri get flung into the air by Jetra. "Damnit!" he yelled, jumping up and catching the woman, both crashing to the ground. "Didn't we do this one already?"

"Wes-san!" Yuuri exclaimed as they got to their feet. "What happened with Ransik?"

"I'll explain later, we've got a nutcase to handle first!"

Yuuri nodded, tapping her Changer and summoning her V-Cannon. "V-Five! Everyone, Cannons out!"

Wes tapped the sequence on his Changer, grabbing his own V-Cannon as Lucas and Syon did the same. "What now?!"

"Lock them together," Time Pink replied as Domon, Syon and Lucas ran over to join them. "The combined energy blast will mass compress him and put him in cryo freeze!"

Wes had no argument as they hooked the five weapons together, Yuuri adjusting the power output of the combined cannon. "Yuuri, he's heading for us!"

"Fire!"

A huge combined beam flared out from the five weapon barrels, slamming into Jetra and shrinking him down. He fell over, paralyzed from the blast as Yuuri ran over and pulled out a device, holding it over the alien to form a cryo holder. "One down...a good hundred to go..."

Sometime later, the five finally got to the task of clearing up the loft of the clock tower. Yuuri glanced over at the cryo holder imprisoning Jetra, sighing as she sat down in a chair. "Wes-san, I need to ask you something."

The man nodded as he tossed his broom to Domon. "Sure. What's up?"

"What happened with Ransik? You obviously didn't capture him, but..."

"He didn't even fight," Wes stated. "But...he told me what happened, why he's here. Yuuri, he told me about the genetic manipulations of the future, how that's what cause him to mutate like he did, and how almost no one tried to help him. I know he killed Alex, but after what he told me...I can't help but feel sorry for him and the other mutants."

That instantly got Yuuri to glare at him coldly. "Don't let him fool you, don't believe his words that he's just a victim. Yes, science perfected genetic manipulation, and yes, it was an accident that he was disfigured, but he's not looking to make peace. All he wants is to have power over the world. People did help him, and those that did ended up dead! He's evil, Wes, and nothing but!"

Wes sighed and shook his head. "I wish I could believe it's that simple...but if it was, then he wouldn't have let me live, nor would he have not even fought against me. Something doesn't add up Yuuri, and I have to wonder if even you aren't being told the whole story. All I heard until now was Time Force's side, and now that I've heard Ransik's, I'm starting to wonder if it's all as simple as you say it is."

Yuuri's cold stare softened as Wes walked away and down the stairs, somehow feeling that he was right; all she knew was what Time Force told her. She had never heard the mutants' side of it all. "Wes-san...you're too open minded...maybe you are what this team truly needs."