Are you sure you want to do this, Kira?" Connor asked, his expression and voice both grim.
Kira, being the only one demorphed after that soul-wrenching pain, smiled bitterly and replied, "I have to save it. We promised we'd protect one another."
Ethan placed his hands on Connor's shoulders and sighed. "Let her do it, dude. It's her choice."
"But it's too dangerous. She could lose her life." Connor shot back, barely keeping his voice steady as Tommy's earlier words replayed in his mind.
––– ✦ –––
A few minutes earlier
After Peter and Gwen alerted the Rangers about the corrosive blood seeping into the ground, panic instantly flooded the team. They knew what that meant. Either they obliterated the Goblin in one decisive attack… or they stopped Trent's rampage.
And given the current situation, Trent was too overwhelming. Too fast. Too unpredictable. They couldn't take that gamble.
As they all struggled to decide their next move, Tommy—who had been silently observing—finally spoke from Connor's Morpher with a tone that carried weight and urgency.
"There's only one way to solve this. It's through soul connection."
Ethan blinked. "Soul connection?"
Tommy continued without pause. "Yes. And the only one who can achieve it… is Kira."
Connor's head throbbed. "Hold on, Dr. O. Can you explain what that even means?"
Tommy took a deep breath, preparing himself to drop a bomb on them.
"Kira will have to establish a soul-connection with the Ankylo-Zord through her Morpher, using the Morphin Grid as support. Even though the contract between her and the Zord has been broken, the soul imprint on the Dino-crystals takes time to fade. She can still form a weak temporary bond. With that bond, she can infiltrate Trent's Morpher system through the grid and either destroy or purify it. Doing so can also break the mind-control on the Zord."
Kira's dim eyes lit up instantly. "Can this really work?"
Tommy's voice softened. "Yes."
For a moment, Kira forgot the pain in her soul and the chaos around her. But just as hope lifted her spirit, Tommy continued.
"But… the risk is extremely high. If the connection breaks or she's disrupted, her soul and the Zord's could perish. Or worse… be imprisoned in the Morphin Grid for eternity."
Everyone—including Peter and Gwen—went silent. A cold silence filled with fear and hopelessness.
––– ✦ –––
Present
Kira stood up, bracing herself. Her body trembled slightly, but her resolve was unshakeable. She looked at her friends and spoke gently.
"I have to do this, guys. I have to save it… and I have to stop Trent. It's my fault he's like this now."
Gwen paled. "But—!"
Before she could finish, Kira raised her hand, stopping her. Tears glistened in her eyes.
"If I don't make it… remember that I love you all. You were the best friends and family I could ever have hoped for."
"NO!" Gwen lunged toward her, but Ethan caught her at the last second, holding her back as she fought against him.
The others felt the same urge to stop Kira, especially Tommy. He didn't want to let his student walk into something this dangerous—but being a Ranger meant accepting these moments. Facing them. Owning them.
Kira wiped her tears away and whispered to herself with a shaky laugh, "I guess I'm definitely not dating him after this, huh…"
She chuckled sadly, gaze shifting to the two titans clashing and tearing the battlefield apart.
"Well… I chose this life. And I'll see it through."
She placed a trembling hand on her Morpher.
"Dino Thunder, power up, Ahhh!"
A burst of yellow engulfed her—and she vanished.
––– ✦ –––
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters — Helicarrier
Fury and his agents finally made it back to the airship. Relief washed through the exhausted squad. One agent carried the unconscious Anton Mercer on his shoulders; others were panting and wobbling like newborn deer.
Natasha looked like she had lived through three months of missions in one afternoon.
"I need a vacation…" she groaned internally.
Fury's face was blank, but his mind was a storm. He expected this mission to be simple. In and out. Then everything spiraled into chaos—and what he hated most were miscalculations. Especially dangerous ones.
And even worse?
He tried placing a tracker on the Omni-Ranger earlier.It didn't fail.It didn't break.
It simply did nothing.
He even tested the tracker on his own agents just to be sure, and of course, it worked perfectly fine on them.
Fury muttered under his breath,
"I hate surprises."
He pointed toward the agents. "Lock Anton in a cell. I'll interrogate him later."
Then he turned to Natasha.
"Romanoff. I have a mission for you."
Natasha internally screamed. Outwardly, she only grimaced and nodded. There was truly no escape.
––– ✦ –––
As Anton was carried into the S.H.I.E.L.D. cell block, the agents whispered among themselves.
"I am never going on a mission like that again," Agent 1 said with trauma in his voice.
Agent 2 nodded vigorously. "Yeah, dude. If it wasn't for that Ranger, we'd be red paste on the forest floor."
The third agent exhaled deeply. "It's our job, guys. Do or die. We signed for this."
He was right. They knew what they signed up for. They only hoped their "die" date wasn't anytime soon.
After talking for a bit, the agents split up and headed to their rooms. All except Agent 3.
Once inside his quarters, he closed the door, removed a special ring from his finger, and tapped it against the wall. The cameras in the room flickered off instantly.
He pulled out a strange, angular radio device and tuned it carefully.
Ring… ring…
A click.
A cold, emotionless voice answered.
"Is the plan advancing smoothly?"
Agent 3 straightened, eyes gleaming with fanatic loyalty.
"Yes, commander. We currently have Anton—codename Mesogog—in custody."
The voice hummed with satisfaction. "Good. Very good. I'll make sure the higher-ups hear of your performance. Just ensure nothing disrupts our plan once it begins."
Agent 3's lips stretched into a wide, hungry grin.
"Thank you, sir. I'll make sure everything proceeds perfectly."
The voice spoke again, sharper this time.
"Very well. HAIL HYDRA."
Agent 3 raised his fist.
"HAIL HYDRA!"
––– ✦ –––
This chapter is relatively short. Yeah, I'm giving Kira a hurdle. If she's going to date Zayne, she has to be strong and qualified. I don't want my FML to be weak and always need to be saved. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the support, guys.
Recharge power stones to help Kira boost the success rate of her mission.