Things were quiet in the prison ship. Ransik and Nadira slept for the night while Frax, still in the dark over Ransik's forgiveness, rested his systems. It was all too peaceful, and perfect for the shadowed form that suddenly appeared in the corridors near the Hell's Gate area. The form looked about to make sure it was safe from being seen, then continued to the Hell's Gate doors and pulled out a key card much like the one Frax used to open the cell block.

He looked at the rack of prisoners, shifting through several before finally pulling out a block and taking it to the re-animator. "Computer, revive subject Vilkan," the figure ordered. Within moments, the cryo-chamber opened and revealed the freed prisoner.

"Ah!" came Vilkan's voice as he walked out of the re-animator, looking around at his surroundings. "I recall I was never to be let out...what the hell? Who are you?!"

"That is not of concern," the form stated. "My superior has need of your services. Your skill of mimicking voices is what the mission we have requires."

"What do you need of my...talents?" the alien asked.

Pulling out a holo-cube, the shadowed form activated it to display an image of the TimeFire armor. "The one called TimeFire is quite a thorn in our side...we need you to take the V-Fire from him and use it to command the V-Rex. When that is done, you can kill him, does that sound reasonable?"

Vilkan chuckled as he nodded. "Oh, all too reasonable. This...TimeFire, he got a name?"

There was a pause. "That's a bit of a problem," the figure replied. "The V-Fire itself seems to be constantly switching hands. However, I can tell you the two that it trades between. Get them both, we want no risks in this mission."

There was something of a prideful air about Eric as he walked down the halls of the Guardian main complex. With the V-Fire back in his hands, he was on top again, and the risk of his job being lost were none now. Granted, he was still worried about what could happen if Matt tried taking it back again, but for now, that was not a problem.

"Eric!" came the call from Mr. Collins. Okibi paused and allowed his employer to catch up with him, nodding to the man. "I assume that nasty business with Matthew Corbett has been handled."

"At least for now," he replied, though inwardly, he wasn't so sure. He glanced at the V-Fire for a moment, then raised his eyes to meet Collins. "I don't think he'll give up easy, but at least for now, I'm still the TimeFire." He inwardly pondered if he should tell Collins about the fact that Matt was the one who created the V-Fire, and more so, that he seemed to have his own he could use.

Something, however, told him that somethings had to remain a secret. At the very least, Collins didn't need to know that there was a possibility of another TimeFire running around. It was bad enough they both knew of the risk that Corbett would try taking back the V-Fire Eric had, he didn't need something else to worry about. "I assume that you'll want me getting back to training the new recruits."

Collins nodded. "Yes, business as usual." He smiled and headed off down the hall, leaving Eric to turn down another corridor toward the training facilities.

Storm of Fire

"Strange things fate brings upon you." Matt smiled as he glanced over to Circuit. "Strange how things tend to work out."

"Meaning what?" the eagle asked.

Matt, looking back out the window of the loft, shrugged. "I'm probably gonn'a stick around a bit longer, just to keep an eye on Eric. I'm still not so sure about him, and it's been bothering me that the V-Fire just fell off my wrist."

"Matt, come in, it's Wes."

Tapping his wrist com, Matt brought it near his mouth. "I read you, go ahead."

"Hate to make you the errand boy, but there's some stuff we need done before we get back from this job. Figured since you got nothing better to do, you could run out and grab some parts for that scanner you've been helping us with."

Matt smiled as he glanced over at Circuit then hopped down from the loft window. "Sure, beats hanging around here all day. I'll pick up some Chinese on the way back for dinner."

With a chuckle, Matt grabbed his jacket from a chair and ran down the stairs, stopping just outside the door to start up Wes' motorcycle and drive off. It was a bit strange, not riding his Galaxy Glider or his Cyber Cycle, but Wes' motorcycle was enough for the feel of being back to normal. "Alright, where's that tech store they told me about."

"Hey, Wes!"

Matt noticed Eric out of the corner of his eye, then pulled over and took off Wes' helmet. "Wrong Red Ranger," he stated with a smirk. "But I'm guessing it's me you want to see anyway. What's the Guardian boss need?"

"We need to talk," Eric replied, the look on his face very serious. "I'm saying this right now, don't come after the V-Fire again."

Matt was taken back by the demand. "Excuse me?" he spat. "You're the one who by all means stole it, Eric. You're lucky I didn't come after you the last time."

There was an understanding nod. "Yeah, and that's the reason I'm actually telling you in person," the man finished. "I don't know how long until Collins figures out why the hell you're so uppity about going after it. If he finds out you built it, there's a good chance I'll lose my job."

Matt frowned. True, Eric got his position as commander because he had abused the V-Fire, but he was also starting to soften up and understand Matt's thinking. Still, there was something about how Eric acted that just wasn't right. "Well, I appriciate the warning," he stated as he pulled Wes' helmet back on. "But in my eyes, you haven't proven yourself yet. Considering I created the V-Fire, I have a right to say that." He shrugged, then started up the motorcycle again. "I'll be nice and let you keep it for now so that at least I'm giving you a chance."

Just as he readied to drive off, a hand grabbed him from behind, getting his attention and Eric's from the fact that three men had come out of nowhere without the two of them noticing. "We'd like you to come with us for a ride."

Matt looked back, his eyes suddenly narrowing viciously as his mind tried to sense through this robust man's mind, but got a jumble of ill intent. "And you are?"

"That doesn't matter," the man stated, then glanced at Eric. His companions quickly moved and took hold of the man, making sure Matt would cooperate. "In fact, both of you are coming with us. Shall we?"

Not too long later, the five walked out onto a bridge that over looked one of the rivers near Silver Hills. Matt glared at the robust man as he looked at the V-Fire, holding it while Matt and Eric were restrained. "What the hell is the deal?" Matt stated as they were led to the middle of the bridge. "What do you want with us?"

"It's not you I want," the man snapped back, tapping the side of his belt and suddenly fading into the mutated form of Vilkan. "It's your battle machine, the V-Rex!"

Suddenly, the men holding Matt and Eric transformed into a group of what resembled Reavers, but had a different design. Their heads bore visor strips instead of the single eye that Ransik's Reavers had, the other differences were more in structure than overall design.

"So confused our little TimeFire is!" Vilkan chuckled, walking over to Matt. "Now, call the V-Rex."

"Fuck you!" Matt spat.

Vilkan merely laughed again and sucker punched Matt in the stomach. "How brave!" he taunted, pulling Matt back up by the hair. "You don't want to mess with me, snot. I don't know who it is that wants you two handled, but they let me out, and I ain't going back to the freezer. If you don't do what I say, I think I might just 'accidentally' hurt your friend here."

Matt's eyes narrowed at the threat. This guy knew his homework. Even if he didn't like Eric, Matt just couldn't simply let him get hurt like this. "Alright, I'll do it," he stated, finding his arms released by the Reaver-like robots. He slow reached for the V-Fire, then had his hand slapped away by Vilkan.

"I know it's voice activated," the alien stated with a grin. "No touch, only talk. Call the V-Rex, now."

With a sigh, Matt leaned down to the V-Fire, hating what he had to do. "V-Rex, engage systems and track to my location."

Within moments, a roar was heard just before the V-Rex appeared from over the nearby hills. Vilkan laughed in triumph as he walked toward the massive Zord, V-Fire in hand. "That's more like it! V-Rex, attack the city!"

V-Rex suddenly roared in protest, Vilkan growling as he realized he forgot something. "That's right, only responds to your voice. Not a problem." He pulled out a mask piece and placed it over his mouth, then turned to face Matt and Eric. "So we'll just handle this with a little thirty-first century technology," he continued, both humans staring in shock when Matt's own voice came from Vilkan's lips. "V-Rex, transform!"

"No!" Matt screamed as he watched the V-Rex forced to obey. "No, leave V-Rex out of this! You can't make him do this, he's a sentient machine!"

"A sentient machine?" Vilkan spat in amusement. "What kind of idiot makes a giant thing like that able to think for itself?! No one in their right mind, especially in the thirty-first century, is that stupid!" He continued to laugh as he placed the V-Fire on his wrist, then looked at Matt and Eric. "Thanks for the voice lesson, but I don't need you two anymore. Kill them!"

Matt and Eric were flung against the side railing of the bridge, the group of robots taking aim at them and preparing to fire. Eric glanced over at his teenage companion with a worried look in his eyes. "Looks like proving myself just got shafted, huh?"

"Not exactly, I've been in worse," Matt replied, then narrowed his eyes. "On my word, jump."

"What?!"

"One of us has to get back the V-Fire," Matt whispered. "You're the only one besides me that knows it enough to use it, and you're the primary user in the voice locks. Just trust me on this."

Just as the robots closed in to fire, a rain of shots ripped through them. "Matt, Eric!"

Vilkan turned to see the Time Rangers running toward them, V-Cannons drawn. "There's six of you?!"

"Eric, go!"

Vilkan turned to see Matt kicking away a robot while Eric leapt off the railing of the bridge, then ran over and fired his own gun down at the man. "Not while I'm around!"

Matt managed to kick Vilkan's aim off, but the shot still hit Eric in the arm, causing him to scream in pain. "Eric!" the boy called, then got swatted hard across the face.

"I'm on it!" Yuuri stated as she raced over and jumped down into the river after the TimeFire. She hit the water with a splash and was quickly lost to sight under the water.

Vilkan, now concerned with using the V-Rex against the Rangers than with Eric, turned to face the five and raised the V-Fire to his lips. "V-Rex, crush the Rangers! Kill them!"

"Did I just hear your voice come outt'a him?!" Domon exclaimed to Matt. "He's got control of the Rex?!"

"He's got a voice simulator that's letting him mimic my voice," Matt replied, keeping cover behind the Rangers. "I've got to get the V-Fire back, or he'll rip us and the city to shreds!"

Lucas tapped his Changer com. "Circuit, pull Provider Base's line, we need the TimeMega!"

"I'm not getting any response, they won't answer me with anything!"

"What?" Wes looked back as he and the others heard Circuit's panicked response. "They're not even saying they can't send?"

"No denial, no confirmation, I can't even get through! Something's blocking my signal!"

"We're on our own so badly," Syon muttered. "Focus on the alien, it'll keep the Rex off us!"

"Help has arrived!"

The group looked up to see the Shadow Winger boom into view and transform, before landing and taking on the V-Rex. Wes took the lead and rushed at Vilkan, Chrono Vectors out and ready. "Rip them!"

Meanwhile, Yuuri winced as she pulled Eric out of the river and made sure he was alright. To her relief, the man only had the laser wound Vilkan have given him and a few bruises. "Eric no baka," she whispered teasingly.

"Ow," the man muttered as he came too. "Damn, my arm."

"He got you good there," Yuuri answered as she finished wrapping the wound with a strip of cloth from the lower part of her shirt and a long strip torn from Eric's own sleeve. "Sorry about the uniform, but I don't exactly have much I can take off my own."

"Thanks," he whispered, rubbing the jury-rigged bandage. It was then he remembered what Vilkan had said about the technology they used. "I know," he whispered, now realizing what really had been going on. "You're from the future."

Yuuri stared in shock. How had Eric learned the truth? Matt certainly shouldn't have told him, and there was no way Wes would have either. "What makes you say that we-"

"That alien said something about thirty-first century technology," he continued, sighing and sitting down on a large rock. "And before, Matt said that there should be no way for your armors to be based on the V-Fire, so putting two and two together, you and those other three guys are time travelers."

Now Yuuri was worried. If Eric went back to Collins and told him the truth, it was all over. The future would be warped beyond repair, there would be no way for her team to go home ever, and they will have failed their mission to preserve time. "You can't tell Collins, it'll destroy everything we've fought to preserve!"

"Then at least tell me the entire truth," came Eric's reply. He smiled, a bit smug, but he knew that here, he held the cards. "I deserve to know what I got myself into, future girl. At least I should know why I'm about to lose my job and most likely my home."

Remorse suddenly flashed over Yuuri's face. She hadn't realized just how bad a situation Eric was in. For that matter, now she knew just how cold Jeremy Collins was. "You do deserve that much," she agreed. With a sigh, Yuuri sat down next to Eric. "Domon, Lucas, Syon and myself are part of an organization known as Time Force, we're pretty much police who patrol the timestream to prevent changes in history. The reason we're here is because the last great criminal of our age, Ransik, escaped here into the past to change history."

"And the reason Wes is Red Ranger?"

"He matches the DNA of the original Time Red," Yuuri answered, though she found that, unlike what she expected, it didn't hurt so much to bring the subject of Alex up. "We're still trying to figure out how, because the changers require an exact DNA match, and the differences between one's ancestor and the person themself can't possibly be the exact same." She paused, then glanced to Okibi with a look of understanding. "Now you know, and you can't tell Collins."

He looked at the woman. Part of him said to ignore that and tell his employer the truth, but a bigger part, the part that felt right, told him that Yuuri was right; Collins could not find out about where the Time Rangers came from. "I'll keep your secret," he stated. "But that doesn't mean I don't need to get my morpher back."

With a sigh, Yuuri shook her head. "You're stubborn, but at least I know you mean well in your own way. Just stay here, I gott'a go back and help the others."

Missiles exploded against the Shadow Winger, TimeShadow unable to keep it standing as the massive machine fell over. "Damnit!" he swore as all systems in the machine shut down. "Damnit, I can't go out and help, hatch is shut tight!"

Vilkan laughed as he fired at the Rangers, then was kicked from behind by Matt, making him turn around and grab the boy by the neck. "Very stupid, human!" he growled, then flung Matt away. The boy yelled as he went flying back and slammed into a tree.

Wincing from the pain, he struggled to get back to his feet, glaring at Vilkan in rage. "Son of a bitch...it's me you want, leave the V-Rex out of this!"

"Not happening!" the alien snapped, aiming his rifle at the former Delta Ranger. "Time to die, human!"

"I don't think so!" Yuuri's voice yelled as a shot from her V-Cannon slammed into Vilkan, catching him off guard. "No one is dying except maybe you!"

With a shot of his own weapon, Vilkan sent Yuuri slamming down to the ground and her V-Cannon flying to landed far from her reach. "Now, looks like I got six little Rangers to kill!"

"Not today, alien!"

The assassin looked back and saw Eric racing onto the scene, headed for Yuuri's fallen V-Cannon. He gasped, then laughed as he brought the V-Fire to his mouth. "V-Rex!" he called in Matt's voice. "Destroy that human!"

"Eric!" Matt screamed. "Get out of here!"

Ignoring the order, Okibi raced as fast as he could to stay ahead of the V-Rex's feet, reached the cannon, and grabbed it. He lunged forward in time to dodge a stomp from the V-Rex, then took aim and fired, the blast causing the V-Fire to go flying off Vilkan's wrist and into the air to his hand.

Catching the changer, Eric smiled and placed it on his wrist, bringing it up to his mouth. "V-Rex, halt attack!"

With its primary locks back on and a voice it was coded to, the V-Fire sent the command to the V-Rex, the massive Battlezord halting its movement to squash Eric. The man smirked as he turned to the alien assassin and took stance, aiming with the V-Cannon. "Alright, asshole. It's payback time."

"For you it is!" Vilkan bellowed, pulling out a hypospray and injecting himself with growth inducer to become a giant. He aimed his hand at the Battlezord and let off a blast that sent it to the ground, laughing as he turned toward Silver Hills. "Now, for some fun."

"Damnit!" Wes exclaimed, Matt managing to hobble over to him and the others. "Eric!"

Okibi look back at the group, then at Matt. "Sorry Corbett, but this is something I have to do. I'm not gonn'a let him get away with using V-Rex like that, and you're in no shape to handle him."

Bringing the V-Fire up, Eric steeled his eyes and started running. "Time...Fire!" he screamed, energy blazing over him as he was once more transformed back into the TimeFire. His speed jumped dramatically, reaching the city within minutes, just in time as Vilkan started attacking. "You son of a bitch! Hold it!"

The alien ignored him as a double squad of Reavers appeared and surrounded Eric. "Not likely! Have fun dying!"

Eric snarled as he was swarmed with Reavers, barely able to hold his own against them, but he knew that he had to prove to just himself that this was his fate. Matt insisted that he wasn't the right person to be a Ranger, but Eric knew he was, he just had his own ways, and being held to some kid's ideals of a hero was not something he should have to be concerned about. "Too many of them!"

Quickly drawing the V-Defender, he converted it to sword mode, trying to get an edge, but nothing helped, he was too outnumbered despite his best efforts. "Damnit!"

Suddenly, one of the Reavers shot him in the back, Eric wincing from the impact. He looked behind him, knowing that unless somehow he got some kind of aid, he was finished. "Damnit. I may not be that brat...but at least I won't go down without a fight!"

Just in that moment, the emblem on his chest flared brightly, data streaming across his visor. Eric tried to understand it, then saw what the V-Fire was trying to say. "Fire Storm Armor...I may have a chance yet...FireStorm, engage!"

Flaring brightly, Eric was engulfed as explosions erupted around him, vaporizing some of the Reavers in the blast. Fire seemed to course over his body and enlarge sections of his armor, his boots gaining enhancements while his torso was encased in a jetpack armor, wings jutting down from his backpiece in a reversed V.

"FireStorm, Gunblade mode!" he command, the wings phasing into bladerifles and reforming in his grip. He quickly shifted his hold to position them as swords, then rose an inch or so in height as his enlarged boots phased into hover blades. Eric leaded forward, moving on the repulsor cushion as if on motorized rollerblades. He flicked out his weapons, striking the Reavers with a vengeance.

Sliding to a halt, TimeFire turned and aimed his bladerifles, firing off a shot just as one of them swung up, then fired them together, blast after blast slamming into the Reavers and shattering them apart. "This'll show you not to mess with my friends!"

A trio of Reavers drove at him in a hot wired car, intent on running into him. Eric smiled, leaned forward, then jumped at the last minute and swung his rifles out to the sides, slicing two of the Reaver in half, then landing and turning in time to fire a double blast at the car, detonating it in a brilliant fireball.

"Time for you, alien!" Eric exclaimed as he looked up at Vilkan. "V-Rex, recovery system engage! Initiate beast mode and target alien life form!"

As the self-repair systems of the battlezord kicked in, the V-Rex got back on its feet and reverted to beast mode, racing to the city and locking its weapons onto Vilkan. It bellowed a roar to signal its readiness, then, on its own accord, fired its shoulder cannons at full power, energy beams slamming into the alien.

Eric smiled and shot toward Vilkan, leaping into the air. "FireStorm, engage flight mode!" he ordered, his rifles reverting to wing configuration. TimeFire swiftly drew the V-Defender, switched it to sword mode, then held it at ready, the FireStorm enhancing it into a bulked up claymore length weapon. "V-Defender, Storm Fire Inferno! Time to kick some ass!"

Vilkan turned from his assault on the city to see Eric racing through the air at him, the powered up V-Defender blazing with a red and white cascade of destructive energy. "What?! No way!"

Eric shot by the alien's underarm, slicing hard and causing Vilkan to scream in pain. He swung about, held his weapon at ready as it flared even brighter, and shot forward, weaving and jinxing as Vilkan fired. "Time's up, scumbag! This time, you're not going back to the freezer! Inferno Strike!"

Raising the V-Defender, Eric let its blade grow in length, then swung down hard, slashing diagonally across the alien's body and slicing him in half. TimeFire shot away as Vilkan was engulfed in light, then exploded, flames erupting from the death of the alien.

Eric sighed with relief as he flew down to the ground and landed, his boots phasing to normal enhanced form as they touched the ground. The rest of the Time Rangers ran over with Matt in tow as Eric shut down the FireStorm armor, then tapped a control on the V-Fire and demorphed. He looked at Matt, that look in his eyes of they both knew what he was going to do. "Sorry, Matt. The thing is, I need it, and regardless of you believing so or not, I can't give it back."

Matt looked at the man with cold eyes, then suddenly cracked a smile. The V-Fire had actively been trying to stay with Eric, there was no other reason for all the times it had gone back and forth between them. Maybe he's the one it's fated for, the boy thought. "You did good out there," came Matt's acknowledgement of Eric's worth. "Maybe I shouldn't be trying to hold you to the same standards as all the other Rangers I've known. God knows I certainly didn't fit them when I was a kid."

Okibi, taken by surprise, nodded slowly. Still, there was something bothering him in the back of his mind, and he knew what it was; he was finding himself starting to agree with some of Matt's ideals. At the same time, he felt as if he, as the TimeFire, had a mission he had to fulfill. "A greater purpose?" he asked, but they both knew the answer. "I'll keep it in mind, kid."

Glancing toward the direction of Bio-Synth, he frowned. "I'm still not going to just up and quit what I do, though. I'm saying this now, leave me and the V-Fire alone."

"Eric? Don't tell them about-"

Looking at Wes, the man merely nodded. "I won't say anything to ruin your efforts." He turned and started walking, the Time Rangers left to wonder what he planned to do, but Matt didn't have to wonder. Even without his telepathy, he knew that Eric was telling truth; he would, at least, keep their secret.

Collins was looking over some papers with Doctor Raimi when Eric entered his office. The older man stood up, then, upon seeing that the V-Fire was still on Eric's wrist, broke a smile and extended his hand. "Well, it's nice to see that the V-Fire is staying put again. By the way, very impressive display out there." He glanced to Raimi. "I assume that our lab rats managed to find something out about your little toy?"

"It wasn't us," Raimi replied, just as confused as Collins was. "We're still trying to sort out all the data we have."

Eric hesitated as Collins looked now to him. On the one hand, holding back information was vital to the Rangers, but on the other, it would help his own goals as well to inform Collins. He had made a promise though. "I'm not sure myself," he lied. "It's probably something that just now kicked it, but I'm sure we can delve into where it came from later."

For a moment, Collins stared at Eric with a gaze that indicated he knew that Okibi was lying, but he couldn't quite discern about what. He then sighed and nodded. "Very well," he muttered. It was evident though that the answer hadn't satisfied him. "Tend to getting a new uniform, and we'll discuss this at a later time. I expect then, at least someone will come forth with answers."