The day was bright and clear as Wes and his group cleared up a warehouse loading area, yet another temp job. Lucas sighed as he carried a bag of trash to a dumpster. "Four years of training in Time Force, for this?"

"Get over it," Wes quipped with a smile. "It pays the bills. Besides, I'm sure it's better than having Yuuri go over tactics for an hour or so."

"I heard that!" the woman of the team snapped.

Domon chuckled as he picked up a huge piled of folded boxes and crushed them before stuffing them in the dumpster. "Bah, get over the fact not all of us are perfectionists, Lieutenant. Some of us like to improvise."

Shaking her head, Yuuri just cracked a smile, then noticed a car approaching, one that slowed down once in eye view of the group and coming to a stop before them. "Who would be stopping for us?"

Wes shrugged, then saw his father in the back of the car, frowning as he walked over to the opening rear window. "Hello dad."

"Wesley," Jeremy Collins replied, his voice dripping with disappointment. "So this is your big business venture you made and left home for? Picking up other people's trash?"

Wes sighed and shook his head. "I prefer to think of it as working my way up on my own terms. A job's a job, and I don't question it as long as it's honest paying work." Glancing back at his friends, Wes continued. "Everyone who works for their place in life has to start somewhere."

Collins sighed and shook his head. "You gave up succeeding me for this. I couldn't be more disappointed." Shutting the window, he nodded to the driver to move on. Wes frowned as he backed away from the departing car, Yuuri walking over and patting him on the shoulder.

"Forget about him, Wes-san," she stated. "I don't think he can remember what having to make your own place in the world means anymore."

It was then that they heard the gunshots and blaster rounds go off, Syon's eyes going wide while Domon's narrowed. "Trouble!" the tall man snapped, the five running off in chase of the noise and found Nadira and a squad of Reavers in a face off with a large group of what looked like soldiers!

"What the hell?!"

Worlds Apart

Nadira snarled in anger, seeing several of her Reavers on the ground in pieces from the weaponry of the soldiers. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"Silver Guardians," the leader of the group stated coldly. "And you are trespassing on private property! Come quietly, and you can avoid any more trouble!"

"Fleg off!" the mutant woman spat. "Let's go!"

"Fire!"

Firearms discharging, several more Reavers went down, several beyond any repair. As Nadira looked at her losses after having protected herself with a personal shield, she growled, then noticed the Time Rangers watching from the sidelines. "You'll pay for this...all of you!"

Tapping a device strapped to her wrist, she vanished, her remaining Reavers teleporting away as well. The soldiers quickly stowed away their weapons and examined the downed Reavers as the owner of the store ran over and thanks the commander. "Thank you so much! You Guardians are worth every cent we've paid."

The commander nodded silently and went to oversee the collecting of the Reavers. "Make sure these get to R&D, they'll have a field day."

The Time Rangers stared in shock of what they had just seen, Wes unable to believe the entire event. "Good god. Who are these guys?"

As one of the soldiers walked toward a cluster of SUVs that were nearby, he paused, noticing Wes, then walking over and pulling off the dark sunglasses he wore to reveal his dark eyes and asian features. "Wesley Collins. Long time no see."

"Eric?" the man asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Eric smirked as he assumed a stance of parade rest. "I'm with the Silver Guardians, we protect the city." Looking Wes up and down, the man continued. "What about you?"

"Me? Just making a living," Wes replied. "Me and my friends get by as we can."

Eric raised his brows, giving the impression he was a bit surprised. "You, doing your own work?"

"Okibi! Let's move!"

Looking back at the SUVs, Eric slid his shades back on . "Sorry, gott'a get back to work. See you around, Wes." He nodded, then ran off to join the other soldiers in the vans, Wes and his friends watching as they drove away.

"Who," Lucas finally said after several silent moments. "Was that?"

"Eric Okibi," Wes replied, his voice laced with a bit a sadness. "I knew him back in high school and college."

It wasn't much later when the five returned to the clock tower, Wes still a bit disturbed with his encounter with Eric. "Silver Guardians..."

"Where did those guys come from?" Lucas remarked as they all walked up into the loft. "We've done fine without any help so far."

"Don't question something we can use for help," Domon replied.

"Rangers," Circuit exclaimed as he hovered over. "I've picked up some televisions signals that you may want to see." He blinked momentarily, then turned and faced a wall, his eyes projecting a TV image.

"...with Bio-Synth's announcement of a private security task force, one that has met some disapproval from police representatives, but little can be done by them as this force has been approved by the city council and police commissions. We take you now to the official revealing of the Silver Guardians."

Wes frowned as his father appeared in the image, his eyes filled with disgusted. "I should have known."

"As seen earlier, the Silver Guardians have averted several robberies. Yes, they have had to use lethal force once, but that incident was with these aliens who seem to be attacking us, and the only casualties were machine soldiers."

"Is it true that the only people receiving security services are those who pay for them?"

Wes groaned as his father only confirmed what he himself had figured out. "Son of a...he makes me sick! Kill it, Circuit, I've seen enough!"

"First the Devastator," Syon muttered. "Now this. Wes, this doesn't make any sense. None of this is in our history records. The Devastator was used at Mars in our timeline, not as a weapon."

"I'm just as surprised at this move," Wes replied. "He's never shown interest in the defense industry before. But it doesn't surprise me that only payers get protection, he makes me want to puke."

Yuuri sighed as she looked at him. "Wes, I know you and your father have your problems, but is he really that heartless and greedy? This may be just a start."

"You heard the report," Wes snapped in anger. "Only people who can pay are protected! He's in this for the money, plain and simple!" He stormed toward the back of the loft, then stopped, turning back and pacing. "To think I used to look up to him, I had once wanted to be just like him. Then I realized that money wasn't everything, and that to him, it was. All his plans, even for me, it was just another business venture!"

"Your old friend works for him now," Domon commented.

Wes huffed a snort, looking away again. "Tell the truth, Eric wasn't exactly a friend. I knew him back in school, we used to train together in martial arts back in college, he was a natural fighter. He always acted like he had something to prove though. To be honest, I didn't blame him. Most of the other students in college were a bunch of rich kids who had their parents pay their way in, Eric was there on scholarship."

Sighing, he continued. "Most of the others acted like they thought they were higher than he was, always looking down on him for having had to work his way in, so I don't really blame him for being bitter at them. I was the only one really who didn't care how he got there, tried to be his friend, but he always seemed so detached. Then one day, he just dropped out and quit, left without even a second thought."

"What happened after that?"

Wes sighed as he shrugged at Syon's question. "I don't know what he did afterwards, that was two years ago. I haven't seen him since until today."

"Maybe it's not such a bad thing," Lucas quipped. "I mean, we need all the help we can get against Ransik and his consortium."

Shaking his head, Wes had a look in his eyes that said he wasn't so sure. "I really don't think either they or my dad know what they're getting into."

Meanwhile, at Bio-Synth's Guardian complex, Mr. Collins walked out of a meeting with the commander of the Guardians, heading for a staircase he looked up and saw one of the Guardians walk over and salute. "Yes?"

"Sir, I'm Eric Okibi, I knew your son Wesley in high school and college. I heard that he moved out of your home, I saw him earlier today and am willing to help you find him."

At the mere mention of Wes' name, Collins frowned. "Yes, Wesley moved out...but I have no intention of looking for him. I thank you for your willingness to help though. Excuse me."

Watching the man walk away, Eric had that look of surprise again, very confused. You gave it all up? I don't get it.

Two years earlier...

"Hey, Eric!"

Eric Okibi looked up from his seat on a bench to see Wes run over with a pair of sodas in his hands. "Hey."

"Grabbed a soda for ya."

"Thanks."

Wes dropped down next to Eric with a smile and popped his soda open. "So, gonn'a be in the competition coming up?"

"Might be," Eric replied, then looked up a bit as another student walked over.

"Hey, Wes," the young man greeted, holding out an invitation card. "My dad's holding a party on the yacht this weekend, you're invited."

"Thanks," Wes replied, then looked over at Eric. "Feel like tagging along?" he asked with a grin.

"Sure, why not?"

The other student frowned slightly. "Uh, actually, it's kind of a small, private party. Only you're invited."

"That's alright," Eric grunted, picking up his backpack. He could tell easily tell that he wasn't welcome at some rich kid's little party. "I probably wouldn't be able to go anyway."

As Eric walked away, Wes could feel his resentment at always being left out, then shoved the invitation back at the student, running after Okibi. "Eric, wait up!" he called, catching up with Eric. "Look, if you're can't go, why should I? I probably won't know half the people there anyway. Let's find something else to do."

Eric's sour expression softened somewhat, the man realizing that Wes most definitely wasn't like most of the other students.

You had everything, the money, the right friends...why did you keep giving it up? You knew how to use things to your advantage, why didn't you?

Eric continued thinking as he picked up his firearm and loaded a magazine clip. Picking it up, he tapped its barrel against the palm of his left hand three times, each time taking a breath, then snapping into position and firing at a target at the other side of the range. His aim was uncanny, nearly making a hit dead center with each shot.

You had all the breaks...we'll see who ends out on top.

Deep within the prison ship, Frax was searching through the back end of the craft, trying to figure out where a keycard he had discovered went. "Where is that...ah! this should be it!" he exclaimed, finding a door with a matching emblem on its face. "Hell's Gate? Oh, yes indeed. The worst alien criminals captured and tried on Earth, this is where they're kept for all eternity! This is most fortunate!"

Sliding the keycard into the lock, Frax walked into the chamber as the doors opened, laughing and looking around at the frozen prisoners. "Let's see, who to choose..."

It wasn't long before the city was attacked by a lone alien and several Reavers, people running and screaming in terror as the alien and his troops began killing who they could.

"Oh yeah!" the alien bellowed. "Now this is just like the old days on Centuari IV! Time for a slaughter!"

Circuit suddenly let out a low klaxon sound as his eyes lit up with red. "Alert! Hostile non-human lifeform detected in the storefront pavilion! Prisoner ID signal identifies him as..." The robot hawk gasped in shock. "Rangers, he's a Hell's Gate inmate!"

"Hell's Gate?" Wes asked in confusion. "What's Hell's Gate?"

"The worst of all alien criminals to be incarcerated on Terra," Yuuri replied, her expression going stone cold. "Mass murderers and assassins are the only ones that go there. Let's move!"

As the Rangers raced to the pavilion, the alien killer was continuing on his rampage when he saw the five arrive, the Time Rangers cutting through his Reavers as they made a beeline for him. "So, we have a group of Rangers here!"

"Time Rangers, you're under arrest!" Yuuri stated coldly as she aimed her V-Cannon and fired, blowing a hole in one of the Reavers. "Surrender now, and you can avoid any trouble!"

"Not likely!" the alien snapped, aiming and firing at the Time Rangers with his proton shotgun. He laughed as the blast sent the five sprawling to the ground, set his weapon for a high setting, then yelped as a bright silvery shot flew by him, turning in the direction it had come from only to see a flash of silver vanish in an instant. "What the hell fired that?!"

He didn't have much more time to figure out what had happen as the Time Rangers struck, the alien having to fight them back before turning to see the black SUVs of the Silver Guardians arrive. "And who be our new arrivals?!"

"The Silver Guardians?!" Wes exclaimed. "Damnit, this is no place for them, this alien's too strong even for us!"

"Attention alien!" the commander bellowed as his troopers took position and aimed. "You are trespassing on private property! You are to surrender and yield to the authorities at once!"

Flinging Lucas away, the alien snarled and gave the Guardians a universal rude gesture. "Go fleg yourselves!" he replied harshly. "I dare you to give your best shot!"

"Fire!"

Rounds fired off, cutting down the Reavers with hard shell bullets as the Guardians discharged their weapons. The destruction of the robots continued as both sides refused to stop.

Meanwhile, the Rangers continued battling the alien, Syon being flung away into Domon and knocking them both to the ground. The alien laughed and picked up his shotgun, turning toward the Guardians. "Now, to handle you pests!"

"No!" Lucas shouted, slashing hard with his Double Vector, turning the alien's attention away from the private task force.

As the battle continued, a Sudan drove up and stopped behind the Guardians, rear widow rolling down so that its passenger, Jeremy Collins, could watch the events. He frowned slightly as he took notice of the Rangers fighting with the alien. "Those Rangers...I should have expected them to be here."

The alien laughed as he slammed Lucas and Yuuri together then flung them to the ground, looking around as he readied his shotgun. "Alright, who's next?!"

"Back off!" Wes stated as he fired in close range with his V-Cannon, only to be sucker punched hard, then grabbed by the neck and flung away, crashing to the ground, and his weapon clattering not far from him. "Ah, shit..."

As the alien walked toward him with shotgun aimed, the Guardians took up flank and readied their own weapons, the commander standing just in front of Wes. "Alien life form, this is your last warning! Surrender now!"

"Should I be that concerned?!" the alien snapped.

"Wait!" Wes stated as he got to his feet and grabbed the commander's shoulder. "You can't beat him with those weapons, he's got a strong exo-skeleton that can't be harmed by hard rounds!"

Pushing TimeRed away, the commander growled. "Fire!" he ordered, discharging his handgun along with those of his troops, but as Wes had claimed, the bullets had no effect on the alien, bouncing off his exo-skeleton. "What the hell?!"

"That tickled!" the alien exclaimed, then aimed his weapon. "Now, I'll show you real firepower!" He laughed and fired, the blast impacting the ground and sending the center group of Guardians to the ground, Wes falling with them. "Looks like you're not as tough as you say!"

The commander yelled in pain as he grabbed his right shoulder, looking up to see the alien take aim at him. "No!" he growled, getting to his knees and aiming his gun.

"No, get out of the way!" Wes yelled, getting up and shoving the man aside just as the alien fired, the massive proton blast exploding as it hit. Energy crackled over him as he went limp and collapsed, Yuuri staring in horror as it seemed like Alex's death was happening all over again.

"No! Not again!"

Armor crackling and warping, TimeRed suddenly demorphed, his leather jacket and jeans in place of the armor. The Rangers stared in horror, then breathed with relief as Wes finally moved, Yuuri most of all.

As the young man groaned, he pushed up, Eric staring at his face in shock. "God, that hurt."

"Wes?"

Collins stared in shock from his car before opening the door and running over. "Wesley?!"

Wes blinked, then saw that his armor had shut down, realizing that he had nothing to hide his identity now. He ignored it, looking up to see his opponent take aim again, then get slammed into by Yuuri and Domon. The young man silently thanked them as the alien was drawn away and got to his feet, picking up his V-Cannon from the ground as he moved to join them, then was stopped as his father stood in his way. "Out of my way, dad."

"Wesley, what's the meaning of this?" Collins asked. "You're...a Time Ranger?"

"I wanted to tell you," Wes replied, then grew cold. "But I couldn't, you'd have tried to use me and my friends for your own profit." He glanced back at the commander of the Guardians as a pair of his subordinates helped him to one of the SUVs, then turned back to his father. "You don't know what you're getting yourself and these people into. People are getting hurt and dying, all cause you want more money...how much is enough?! How much more before you realize that you have no business at all in this?!"

"Wesley, look, you don't know what you're talking about," Collins tried to explained. "You don't understand about my business...I had the perfect future planned out for you."

"Your future!" Wes snapped angrily. "Your future, not mine! For the longest time, I did what you wanted and expected me to do. Mom always said that everyone has to make their own path to their destiny, and God bless her soul, I'm going to do things the way she would want me to, by making my own life!"

Walking past his father, Wes continued on his way to help the rest of the Rangers. "Wesley!" Collins exclaimed. "Please listen, and you'll understand that you don't know what you're talking about."

"No," Wes replied, his voice cold and harsh now. "Ever since I became TimeRed, I have been doing things to help other people, I've been saving lives, and the only reward I need is the knowledge that I am making a difference, something you can't seem to understand!" Turning, he raced away, his father gaping in shock at his words.

Yuuri and the others scattered as the alien fired at them, the killer laughing as he fired again. "Oh, you Time Rangers are pathetic!" he stated. "Looks like you all die now!"

Just as he readied to fire, a bright red blast slammed into his hand and snapped his shotgun in half. "Freeze!" Wes's voice bellowed, the armorless TimeRed racing toward the battle and firing again. "Time to head back to the ice box!"

Just as the alien drew a smaller energy weapon from his leg holster, Wes set his V-Cannon for full and fired, sending the alien flying back and to the ground. The Ranger ran to his friends and fired again and again at the alien killer, giving the rest of the team a chance to get up. "Lock 'em up!"

"V-Cannons out!" Yuuri order, the four armored Rangers summoning their cannons and locking them together with Wes' into one massive cannon weapon and aiming. "Target locked..."

"Fire!"

Energy from the five cannons pulsed and fired out, a quintette of blasts streaming and slamming into the alien, the pulse causing a size inhibitation and refreezing. Wes sighed in relief as the refreezing finished, the five cannons unlocking and returning to the subspace pocket in the Changers. "Let's get him back to the tower and put him in containment with the others."

He glanced back to see his father and Eric watching, then turned to join his team, smiling faintly. "Come on, let's go home."

Collins watched his son walk away once more, then started to smile slightly while Eric just watched in silence.

Frax chuckled to himself as he looked through the main prison area, carrying the Hell's Gate keycard tightly. "Interesting developments. True, our little friend was beaten, but we almost killed those humans..." He turned as he heard on of the doors opening and saw Ransik and Nadira walk through, nearly panicking at their conversation.

"Brother, where did that alien come from? I haven't seen him in the main block."

"I don't know," Ransik replied, very cold in his voice. "But I intend to find out...I don't want to be releasing killers!"

Knowing what would happen if Ransik found the keycard on him, Frax opened a cell holder and stuffed the key under one of the frozen prisoners. "You'll be safe here," he whispered, then looked back to seen the two mutants leave the block area. "Soon, I will have my own revenge."

It was late as Wes held an ice pack to his side. Yuuri and Syon had gone to run some errands, while Domon and Lucas were doing some jobs, leaving Wes alone with Circuit. He looked up as he heard the lobby bell, wincing as he got up from his seat and walked down stairs, only to frown as he saw his father was waiting. "Dad."

"Wesley, I'm glad you're here. I need to talk to you about something important."

"I doubt you need a temp worker," Wes replied coldly. "What do you want?"

Mr. Collins gave a faint smile. "Look, Tom Porter was injured badly, he'll be in care for a while. If you want to protect people, then you need to join with the Guardians. I want you to lead them. With the technology you have-"

"No." Wes glared hard at his father, the contempt in his eyes all to clear. "You just don't get it. This isn't about business, and it's not about money. Time Rangers protect all those who need defense, not just the people who can afford to pay for it. I don't want to have any part of your team. Now, I'll ask you politely to please leave my office."

Sighing in disappointment, Collins shook his head. "I try to understand you Wes, but I just can't."

"I hope someday you will," Wes replied, gesturing to the door. "Good day."