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Fandom Power Rangers Sentinels

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His hands went up. Clay knew when he could leave. "Golly I'll bet that pot over yonder sure is good. See ya," he said jokingly, indeed having a seat in the designated booth. Sliding into it he paid attention to the decor of the diner. Comfortable but presentable. It's very clean, they must work really hard. This isn't his first time eating here by this point in time, however he hasn't sat down anywhere other than home to eat in a while. Homecooked foods always beat out a restaurant. Restaurants can have homestyle food, yes, but it isn't the same. Not a care in the world for him since defeating that reject Lucky Charms mascot. Godhood temporarily took his body with the power of the talisman. Reeling back from something so powerful is nowhere defined in the human experience. One night after feeling it he couldn't sleep. He barely ate anything and his mind would not stop. Power is fun, and all while it allowed him to do what he had to do he didn't regret smashing the thing. Nobody needs that power, not even one of the good guys. "Fresher the better. One little packet of sugar, please?" Clay asked April kindly. Weird telling your order to your friend and having them wait on you.

Benji rolled his eyes and stayed quiet. He let Erin know through body language he wasn't genuinely upset with her forgetting his name. It's fun to toy with her, still. Waffles...the mention of them made his stomach roar. Looks like Dmitri isn't the only one. "Curse my high metabolism," Benji stated as they started walking. He's skinny and eats often, yet there isn't much to show for it. "You guys have any idea how much it sucks to look like you're 14 based on your body shape? What I would give to bulk up just a little bit..."
There's a weird confession. Benji wants to get bigger. Masculinity peaking? He did tangle with real life knights of the round table for comparison. He's traveling with one now, even. Here he is wanting more masculine features with paint unknowingly still on his fingers. Derek would tease him if he saw this. So big and strong with your paint and pretty colors. Siblings suck sometimes. Visiting will be great but that teasing is bound to take place. While through town Benji took mental snapshots of scenery and potential things to paint. Being back home really gets him in the mood to be artsy, for what good it does him.

Mouthful of bacon and fork raised to his face, Clay awkwardly waved at his friends on their entrance to Brubeck's. He down a big swallow. "Howdy."
Benji facepalmed, entering after the girls. Quinn was right about the scent. "It does smell good in here. Your mom in the kitchen, April?" In the least misogynistic way Benji wanted to compliment her moms cooking. Never will be expect a woman to be in the kitchen because its 'her place' but damn if the place doesn't smell divine when she's cooking. He slid int the booth, scooting along to make way for everybody else funneling in.
 
"Yes, sending a single Spawner should do," Vorkalth nodded. "Let's disguise him as a simple moral. I do not want the Sentinels to be alerted until everything has been put into place." The Sentinels should nog get a chance to ruin the plan before it could even be properly be put into motion. So many wishes to twist, so many souls to reap. If this plan succeeded, their forced would grow tremendously. Vorkalth gestured for a Spawner, and with a simple magic movement later, the Spawner was disguised as a mortal man with a little bit of a dumb look on his face. He wore a bowler hat and was clutching onto a briefcase which he could use to store a sample of the well. Kind of like an odd businessman. The Spawner may get some curious looks, but at least it won't draw as much attention as a creature from hell smelling like a dead fish left out in the sun for too long.
---
Although Erin told herself Benji was just poking fun at her - clearly he was - it didn't help her feel any better. Forgetting to mention her friends, endangering them all... And all of that because she insisted they'd check out where the weird lights coming from the woods came from the day the Spawners showed up for the first time. How would the world look like if she hadn't? Would Avalon have fallen? Would their world still be the one they knew? Or would Vorkalth already have taken over? Kind of strange to ponder on that on a nice and fun day out with her friends, but still the thoughts were roaming her mind. She slid in the booth with the others, smiling at April as she went to grab their menus and laughing at Clay's somewhat awkward greeting. It was so typically him. Charming in a strange way, and just what she'd expect of him.

"Looks good what you're having there," she grinned with a nod to the food on his platter before eyeing the menu. Everything on the menu looked good. And smelled even better. The many smells of pancakes, bacon, waffles and whatnot wafting from the kitchen into the diner made her mouth water. Had she mentioned skipping breakfast so she could wolf down more pancakes now? Definitely had nothing to do with her appetite being non-existent after the weird nightmare/dream thing she'd been having. Perhaps something she should discuss with Fate and Novus at a later point? Then again, if it was a bad thing she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Without paying it much mind, she rubbed her lower arm where Garm had struck her in those first days as a Sentinel. Her sleeve slid up, revealing the reddish-purple scar that just wouldn't fade. It looked nasty still, and it could be a sensitive spot. You know how Harry Potter has that scar on his face that starts to hurt when Voldemort or his influence is nearby? That's her scar with Vorkalth. The searing pain burning through her arm like hot iron whenever he spoke from his hell-portals sent ice cold chills down her spine. A sharp contrast if anything. Right now it was just tingling a bit. In a rather annoying matter, too. Not particularly painful. Just irritated. From the scar on her arm and the potential bad news of recurring nightmares, her thoughts wandered back to a more basic matter. Pancakes, or waffles?

Seemed like the guys had one thing in common here: a very strong appetite. Gawain's hungry as if he hasn't eaten in days. The contrary is true. He'd had a large and hearty breakfast. He's just hungry again. Smelling food always made him hungry. The foods of this time where still odd to him. The flavors much stronger than anything he'd been used to. Sweetness especially was so overwhelming! Nope, if given the choice, give this man as much meat as possible. Gawain looked at Benji for a long, long second. The boy was incredibly scrawny. Especially so for Avalonian standards, where kids half his age would already help working the land. They needed their muscles. But to say he looked frail like an old man rather than a child seemed not the right thing to do here. "I'm absolutely certain we'd all want to help you.... bulk up, you said? I'm still getting used to the phrases around here." He glanced at Dmitri and Quinn. Were they as lost as he was when it came to the foods and phrases of Earth? From the corner of his eye he caught the scar on Erins lower arm. A nasty battle wound, it seemed. He glanced at the three Sentinels that had known her the longest, wondering if they'd seen it too. And if they could somehow signal him what this was about without having to say it out loud. Poor Erin seemed especially quiet today. Or was it distracted? Either way, something seemed off about her. They could technically have their mental-link chat and exclude her, but he wouldn't be the one to initiate that.
---
Outside the diner, across the street, wandered the odd-looking businessman, tipping his bowler hat at everyone he passed by. So by now the hat was a bit off to the side, due to the constant tipping in all possible directions. He put his briefcase down when he reached the well in the park, carefully studying the interesting architecture. The well was old, older than the rest of the park. Like the Witchwoods outside of Ebongrove, a little sign told a story about the well. A local legend on a man called Oliver Brady who had built the well many centuries ago, and how he'd tossed in the last of his coins, wishing for his settlement to prosper. Ebongrove has flourished ever since, and many people believe this well to have magical properties: the ability to make a wish come true. The businessman seemingly read the sign and ran his fingers across the stones. Just a small fragment was all that was needed. However, the businessman seemed slightly distracted by something else as well. Something no passerby would notice. A smell... a bacony smell coming from just across the street. It made the businessman swallow back way more slime than a human could produce. By the Old Gods, he was hungry. After all, it had been centuries since he had eaten.
 
Errand-running Spawner will move inconspicuously through Ebongrove. It will pass through like any other common citizen undetected. Nenet does not fear being caught like Novus' little band of mages is authoritative, she only fears they will get in the way. That and she doesn't want to be the one retrieving the brick from the well. Taking a human form of her own? Repulsive.
---
"It isn't a successful business if my mom's not cooking," April replied to Benji, smiling and greeting him and the rest of her friends as they entered the diner. Freshness and home style cooking await them. With a wink April slipped Clay not just one, but two little sugar packets for his coffee. He did say please. Slowly but surely everybody slid in the booth. In order it was Clay one end, then Benji, Gawain, Quinn, Dmitri and Erin with just enough room in the booth for April herself to take. Seven people aren't exactly meant to fit in the booth but if their butts can squeeze then they sit where they please. A little saying her dad taught her when she was little. Every time they went out to eat and they didn't think there was room he said, 'Kids we don't have to pull up chairs to our booth. If your lil butts can squeeze just sit there please.' April modified this a tiny bit but its got that dad vibe nonetheless. Not that she is a dad. God that would just be weird.
Orders taken, given everyone had time to decided, April kindly jotted them all down and went into the kitchen. Her brothers both clocked in for their shifts. One up front, and one in the back to help mom out. Dad had the day off. And he deserves it, really. That man has worked his entire life. Plus it's either one person has a day off or nobody does. Closed on Sundays, though! Old people aren't happy about that.
"Mom I'm going on my break now," she said, punching out for a 30 minute rest.
"Okay, hun, make sure ya friends eat all their food or I'll get my wooden spoons on them!" Mrs. Brubeck is... nice, she swore.

"She's kidding...but I would eat if I were you guys," April said. She slid in beside of Erin at the end of the booth, smiling slightly at her roomie as her brother passed out everyones orders. "This is my brother Augustus," she said.
Dmitri and Quinn smiled softly and waved. "Nice to meet you, August....wait. April, he's named after a month too?" Dmitri paused and asked in disbelief.
"Yup. At least he didn't get two months with April May Brubeck." Sounds like the name scheme is not as whimsical once living with it. Augustus ruffled his sisters hair before going to take a new customers order.

Waffles, pancakes, biscuits, muffins, bagels and french toast. Somebody is carb-loading. Quinn had never seen such things before. Well, she had... but things like this were more associated with status in Nexilis. Her part of Nexilis, that is. Duncan and Dahlia kept all of the good food. Slaves got bare minimum. Berry-picking in secret at night for a treat. Now there's berries--get this--IN the pancakes! At no additional cost, even! "I. Am. In. Love... " Quinn trailed off, mouth full of food. Syrup dripped from her lips but she didn't even care right now. This is delicious and she is going to savor every last second of it.
Dmitri laughed and cleaned her up as if she were younger. He did clean her up a lot back in the day. Cleaned her, looked after her, took up with her and they just picked each other as siblings. That's of course the short version of the story. The synopsis to be placed on the back of the book to get a reader to buy it in a store. Oh, they should go to the bookstore after this! She would like that, too!

"Bulk up.. I think that's self explanatory. You wanna get bigger? Fatter? I say, Benji, fat is nice to stay warm in the winter but you aren't a hibernating fox." Dmitri almost had it.
"No, guys," April giggled, "bulking up building muscle. Get bigger and stronger. But Benji you look fine as you are. Plus you've got superpowers, who needs to be Dwayne Johnson?" Muscles are great and healthy but she wants to know he's wanting this for the right reasons.
Quinn stuffing her face, Dmitri learning slang and April being a mom, everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves. Erin's a little quiet, though. She has been for some time, too. Ever since...well...
She's no doubt still blaming herself. It isn't her fault. She's putting so much on her shoulders that doesn't have to be there. That wound from Garm all back then is still very much present. But that's just been part of her for a while. She's being distant and quiet again. April knew why, or so she may think. Dmitri is newer and has less to go on but he knows the story. So... is Erin acting quieter than normal? April asked all but Erin mentally. I have a funny feeling she's back in that state she was in for a couple of weeks after...

Quinn, not part of that conversation, started another with Erin. "Does that hurt?" she asked in reference to the Garm scar. "Sorry if that's really blunt, just its showing again and you're always rubbing it. It looks like it hurts but you never say much about it. Could there be a spell to take the pain away? I know one but... no, you'd lose your arm..."
 
"I am not about to go against a momma on eating her food," Clay said, savoring a big helping of food on his plate with his eyes. Cooking like this may as well be a sin to waste. Food is the way to love, peace and understanding. Gatherings always have food because food is the one thing everybody on this planet can agree is just fantastic. Had orders not been on their way, Clay would have let Erin in on what he's having. But she's ordered now and it will be ready in nary a minute. His stomach grumbles, his mouth waters, he cares but... his food. It is his. And not to be rude but April's brother sort of caught him off guard. But that shouldn't be the case since her family owns and runs he place. Mouthful of food, Clay swallowed it nearly whole. "Howdy there, Augustus." Well son of a bitch, another month child. Mr. and Mrs. Brubeck clearly have a thing happening. What's their other sons name, Junebug?
Benji waved, thanking him as he got his order. "Hi. Nice to meet you," he nicely greeted April's brother.

Benji bulking suddenly became the topic of conversation. A little uncomfortable to be the center of attention so suddenly. "It's just that I would like to look the part more. Maybe if I spent more time working out and less time painting I would have the body somebody with powers should have. And I'm saying this while looking at a stack of pancakes and other carbs on my plate. Such sacrifices to be made...oh well, maybe I'll at least get hips?" Benji took a bite. Delicious! His hips are boney like the rest of him. Anything would be nice on the body. Sounds like there's a deep rooted body image issue under there somewhere. This is new? Clay and Erin aren't body builders but they're tough as nails. April and Dmitri effortlessly look amazing and Gawain's a knight of the round table. Benji's...Benji. One more bite of pancake for the issue within.

Funny how the others not from here misunderstood what bulking up was. They're getting the hand of things around here but the simple things like that can get them more than complex things. Cars make more sense to them than expressions, or so Clay would think. "Hey there, lil nelly. Slow down or you'll be seeing all that food again real soon," Clay laughed softly in warning to Quinn. Nasty visual but he'd hate for her to get sick. Tempting to scarf it all down when its finally been made available to you. If pizza were just made available to Clay for the first time ever he wouldn't control himself. He wouldn't know that he'd feel so full and bloated after three slices of that extra large goodness... oh, he's drooling. It's breakfast, not lunch. Get it together there, cowboy.
April spoke to them mentally. Now that she mentioned it... I didn't really notice it until you brought it up. She is a little low. Definitely reminds me of the time when Dylan died. Clay glanced around the table for all of them in the talk.
Her arm looks like its getting to her again, too. See the way she messes with her sleeve? Benji felt bad for taking about Erin behind her back. But also talking about her right beside of her.
 
Absentmindedly, Erin listened to the exchange between Benji and April on her mother being the one to cook food in the diner. It looked amazing, smelled delicious, and the taste was undoubtedly going to be an even better combination of both. "Pleased to meet you, Augustus," Erin nodded politely at him. Gawain merely grinned and raised a hand in a greeting, as he currently had his mouth full of food. Talking with a full mouth is so barbaric and uncivilized! However he too took note of April's brother being named after a month as well. Or perhaps he was named after the Roman Emperor instead? And then the parents just decided "well, it's also a month so let's stick with that for the other kids too"? Who knew... Gawain didn't, for sure. Still plenty of things in this strange new world to get used to. At least he wasn't alone in his bafflement.

Erin quietly chewed on her pancakes, watching in amusement as Quinn, eyes wide like saucers, was so impressed with the food that was so common to the people of this part of Earth. It made her feel sorry for her and Dmitri, really. When they met the two were in less than poor circumstances, held captive by those who worshiped the very demon that had driven Nexilis to its current state. They were free now, and so much better off, but it was clear they were still adjusting to their new lives as free people. And in Dmitri's case, as a superhero with a destiny to protect the entire Wheel from being torn to shreds.

She does seem rather... distracted? Or perhaps lost in thought. When we were meeting earlier up I apparently seriously spooked her, simply by calling her name. She hadn't seen nor heard me approach. Blamed it on a poor night's rest. Gawain explained, quickly glancing towards Erin before focusing on his food again as to not seem suspicious. I cannot really say how she was before Sir Dylan passed. You've known her longer than I did. But I have to agree she does appear sorrowful. Gawain had taken note of the scar, reddish purple, not quite properly healed. She'd had that scar for as long as the knight knew her.

Oblivious to the conversation going on behind her back - or rather right beside her on the mental channel - Erin smiled faintly at Quinn.
"Usually it doesn't really hurt," she explained. "Most of the time it's just sensitive and annoying me a bit. One day it itches to the point I'd want to keep scratching it, but that's risking tearing the skin open again. Other days it's a little stingy, like now. When it hurts... Oh trust me, you'd know if it hurts. It feels like a thousand burning daggers when it does, and usually it means Vorkalth himself if around somewhere close."
The pain in Avalon had been unbearable, both when they heard Vorkalth speak through the portal when they faced the Questing Beast, and when Vorkalth physically showed himself in the battle that had killed King Arthur. The limb body being flung off the Castle Walls still gave her nightmares. Not to speak of the fact they had to handle that battle with just four of them, five counting Gawain. If I hadn't told Dylan to... No. This was supposed to be a fun afternoon, a nice lunch with friends. She didn't want those dark thoughts clouding her day. And yet they were there. This just really wasn't her day, was it? First that weird recurring nightmare she couldn't place, then completely forgetting to mention Benji for their lunch, and now the scar and memories of Avalon bothering her.

"If I may be so blunt, how did you get that scar?" Gawain asked, finding a way to maybe subtly hear Erin out now that Quinn openly brought up the question. Not quite the subject you'd want to talk about, but with any luck it wouldn't give Erin the idea they were talking about her without her knowledge just now.
"Ah," Erin quickly pulled her sleeve down caught slightly off-guard by the question. Of course her messing hadn't gone unnoticed. She glanced around to make sure nobody else was listening in on them. Imagine someone just enjoying their waffles and then hearing some chick in the next booth over claim her arm had been torn open by a dog-like monster when kicking demon butts. She'd be one call away from an asylum in a far-off corner of the state! She lowered her voice, not much louder than a whisper.
"One of our first encounters with the Legion was a monster called Garm. I tried to block his attack, but his claws cut right through my arm. Novus and Fate did what they could with their healing magic, but it doesn't appear it's going to heal any further," she shrugged lightly, trying to act as if it wasn't too big of a deal. They mustn't know the truth.
---
The little bell above the door to the diner chimed. In walked a businessman, tightly clutching a briefcase and with a bowler hat pulled slightly over his face. He walked over to the counter and grumbled a takeaway order in just a few words, mostly just pointing at the pictures on the menu. Perhaps a foreign businessman not fluent in English? Someone late for a meeting and turning slightly hangry, so they're grabbing a quick bite before being on their way again? Either way, the man didn't quite look like he wanted to be there. Didn't look suspicious, but maybe somewhat out of place. He looked around the diner, eyes resting on the colorful group enjoying their food at the booth. Erin caught a brief look at his face and had to rub her eyes. For just a second there, she was convinced the man didn't exactly have a healthy skin color and an awful lot of needle-like teeth. Couldn't be real, could it? This was just her tired mind playing tricks on her. Unless the others would take note of the strange appearance too.
 
I had noticed she isn't sleeping all too well. I can catch a quick glimpse of of her if I wake up in the night. Her side of the room sometimes doesn't even have her in it. She may be in the bathroom, outside, who knows. I can't confront her abut it... and the scar... Fate and Novus already looked at it, didn't they? It's so weird having this conversation behind Erin's back sitting right beside of her. Ironically it's like Erin lost her inner fire. Recently she's been off. It would have been smart to assume being turned into a gemstone had weird aftermath but that clearly is not the case. Every time she looks her way April just smiles and eats her food but she's worried about her. It's similar to when Dylan died. Her entire being just off.

"I'm sorry it hurts," Quinn managed to say before Gawain asked a question. She was just about to ask how she got the scar! Erin's answer also re-established April's thought of it being looked at already. "I can read about it. Tell me, what kind of monster Garm was exactly and I could research how to properly care for it. Fate and Novus might have already paid it attention but there's always something even the brightest minds miss. Oh jeez, don't tell the I said that! I wouldn't want Fate mad at me for thinking she missed something! Or Novus! For being so little that fairy is scary..." Quinn really wanted to help. Not by insulting Fate or Novus...wow, is she really scared of that fairy? Little dog, big bite it sounds like.
You guys told me about Dylan. When she met me, she was kind of like this. I thought it was just her personality normally. I met her right after his death... you don't think its my fault she's like this do you? That I'm a reminder of something horrible? Dmitri sounded worried over the tele-chat. He has a lot of empathy for Erin. Her mood looking like when she saw those horrible things, losing a friend, and now an old wound bothering her. Quietly Dmitri scraped around on his plate, now fearful of that truth. He's only a bad reminder. He can never be Dylan... does Erin regret meeting him now? If he's secretly the root of all of this he would feel terrible!

The odd man walking in drew quick bursts of attention from all. Augustus took the mans order from the grumbles and picture pointing. Maybe the man isn't good with English? He doesn't look like he speaks any language, he's kinda weird. But he is never one to judge a customer! Thinking maybe this guy is down on his luck, Augustus comped the order with his tips. The guy gave off a weird vibe so why not help him out a little. Quinn got chills out of nowhere from the guy. "I won't stare but he gives me the creeps... is that mean?" she asked everyone quietly.
"No, I get that... something's weird... hmm," Dmitri added. It's probably just a weird feeling.
"Is it just me or is he eyeing us? Maybe it's my eyes playing tricks on me... " April said, unknowingly wording out Erin's thoughts. Like he does ave weird skin...teeth maybe? She only saw for a fraction of a second.
 
I hope she isn't still on Dylan's death. It happened. It was tragic... but nobody could have prevented it. After the battle in Avalon we all know just how real this threat is. If we can't get it together then we maybe aren't cut out for this, Benji chimed mentally to the others. He knew it sounded a little cold. But having seen so much death in Camelot made this all so much more real. And if one death shakes someone up that much can they really do this? He knows she's great at this whole Ranger deal. Just if that's what's making her so distant as of late?
Aye now, Clay replied. Be easy. I get what ya mean but she made the call, she probably blames herself. Hell, I tackled that kelp monster before he did and I came out just fine as far as I remember. Should have been me. That ain't easy to live with either. Clay apparently took it hard, too. They all did. But he thinks he should have been the on to...pass? Morbid. How have they gone from pancakes, to Benji bulking, to this? Oh not for a second, Dmitri. Ain't no way it's your fault. You were in the right place at the right time. You're fine. Clay reassured the newbie. They're all still sort of new at this, really.
"I remember Garm. He was something fierce. I reckon my boots still smell like a wet dog's behind," Clay said. The encounter with that thing left a bad smell in his nose for days. Seriously, had that thing never taken a bath?

"Garm was a real monster if there ever was one. He, my statue coming to life, and that spirit monster April and Dylan found at the lake. Fate herself went with them, didn't she April?" Benji taking a trip down memory lane. He mentioned Dylan but it wasn't to upset anyone. He existed; they can speak freely about him. All of it kept to whispers matching Erin's. Asylum-bound Sentinels would not be of much use to anybody. "You still skating, by the way? I remember how the water turned to ice and you kicked that thing's butt while ice skating right out of an anime."

Businessman walking in to a diner is something not many people would bat an eye to. Said business man of this demeanor is another story. "Oh now he ain't much trouble. I guess he's a little odd but he probably just down on his luck. Or he ain't that good at taking care of himself," Clay said. Everyone's so judgy about this odd man getting food. His skin doesn't look normal, but that could be a variety of reasons. Time for a little southern hospitality. "Howdy there, partner. Hope you're having a mighty fine day here," Clay hollered at the man. He totally had eyes on the group so why not say hello? What can possibly go wrong? Clay gave a big wave with his big arm. Benji sunk his head down into the table with a look of 'oh god man please shut up' on his face.
 
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"It doesn't hurt that bad, really," Erin forced a smile on her face. "It's just an annoying sting at times. It flares up sometimes, but that only seems to be so when there's an open Hellgate nearby. Or like in Avalon, when we heard Vorkalth's voice booming from the sky." She chuckled a little. Erin might not be fond of kids, but she'd make an exception for Quinn. She was just so sweet and trying to do the best she could to help them. Which was exactly why she couldn't tell the girl what Garm was. She's clever enough to figure out he was a Barghest. Nothing Fate and Novus didn't know yet. But would Quinn be able to stay silent? One of them had already died. They didn't need to worry about her inevitable death too. The Barghest leaves wounds that never heal, and those who're attacked are marked for death. Not too long ago she would've laughed it off as fairy tales, but now? Now she definitely wasn't sure anymore. In the few weeks that had passed since they became Sentinels, too much had happened. All of their legends and fairytales suddenly holding a core of truth. Or even being true. It bothered her.

She directed her attention to the conversation about the other things they had faced, glad it would at least for a little while keep her from having to answer Quinn's question. She wanted to add in on the conversation when Clay hailed the strange man. Much like Benji, she wished she could just disappear into the ground. There was something ominous about the businessman. Something otherworldly. It wasn't just her who got a weird feeling off the guy, so that somehow set her mind at ease she wasn't losing her mind.
"No, there's definitely something odd about him," Gawain whispered, kicking Clay under the table as he called the man over. For a moment, the illusion over him flickered again. Sharp teeth showing as he very much intended to hiss at them, and then realizing the mission his masters gave him. Clearly the creature hesitated. Mission, Sentinels, Food. All three things were for a moment equally important. The illusion lost its power, and the Spawner, still wearing his bowler hat and clutching onto a suitcase, ate his food paper bag and all before leaping out of a window, leaving their smelly slimey trail behind.

"What in the name of actual....?!" Erin stammered. She was tempted to get up and rush after the creature, but that would surely raise suspicion. Plus... they had their food! Where there's one Spawner, however, more are soon to follow. Erin eyed the others. "Quinn... as soon as we're getting out of here, head back tot he Coven. We don't want to see you getting injured," she said. Now it made sense why the scar had been feeling the way it did. As she'd just explained, an open Hellgate was nearby for the Spawner to go through. And for more of them to come back here. The question is... why was there a Spawner in the diner, dressed as a human? One thing was clear: The Legion was conjuring up some other plan. And when they made plans, things were bound to go to shit. She finished her food as quickly as she could. Best they'd all make sure they could go back outside and be ready for when the Legion would strike.
---
As the Spawner returned to the Coven, Vorkalth impatiently glared it down. He smelled bacon and syrup. Had the stupid, mindless thing put their mission in danger for the sake of something to eat?! Vorkalth was well aware that the Sentinels could often be found in the diner in the city. One day, that place would make a fine target for obliteration, but that day was not today. Now, the Sentinels had seen the Spawner, and if they had destroyed him before he'd get back here, Nenet's work would have been for nothing. His plan would fail. Calm, but burning with fury on the inside, Vorkalth raised a hand, pointing a bony finger at the Spawner. "You FOOL!" he thundered through the caverns. "You were this close from ruining the work we have been preparing." With one flash of magic, the Spawner was nothing more than a smoldering pile of ashes on the ground. The briefcase laid beside it. The Spawner mattered nothing to him. Only what's inside the briefcase was important. "Nenet, get to work on your ritual. Now that then Sentinels know we're up to something, there is no time to waste."
 
Erin can withhold anything she wants but Quinn is already compiling a lost of creatures in her head. She has a lot of reading to do. Not like she's got anything else to do. She doesn't go to school in this dimension and she isn't out in the line of combat saving the world from the Legion. Books, books, some sticks, and more books make up Quinn's activities for the afternoon usually. Training under Fate slowly becoming a humble honor rather than a big one. There's humility to be learned here. Everyone is so humble and not freaking out about how they have fought and defeated some of the nastiest things like...ever. They just want to go out for pancakes. No parades or glorious parties! Name another factor as to why she doesn't care to spend possibly days looking at books about whatever Garm was and how she can help Erin feel better. "I'm happy you don't suffer from it a lot, at least. Looking at it and remembering pictures I saw in some books Fate had me study...maybe its a...varghast….marghast...compass?" She led herself down a line of thoughts and odd pronunciations. Instead of 'g-aw-st' she was saying 'gass.' Vargass, margass, compass. Makes it sound like comp-ass. Like someone has a computer for a butt! This is contributing to her being a great healer.

April grinned, thinking back to the Fishermen Spirits. Poor souls never had names beyond that. Their names are in the records of Ebongrove somewhere, definitely, but in the banks of April's mind she drew a sad blank. "I try skating when I can. Now that we're all home I take time going to class or working. I skate at night, still. Helps me cope and brings back some good memories. We haven't been doing this that long but I like to look back." They've done this a couple of months. Not like they've been Sentinels dragging out their journey for multiple years.
Dmitri frowned slightly. Faced with some layer of guilt for taking Dylan's place still stung. He thanked Clay for the reassurance. "You guys at least started together. I joined the club and immediately got a face full of fish and turned into a cloth."

That sentence he just said should never be said by anybody on this green Earth. Immediately on instinct, April, Quinn and Dmitri hid their faces behind menus as Clay allowed the strange man to just join in on their day and speak to him. There's being a friendly person and being a total fruitcake. It's the 2010's--who the hell just screams hello at a stranger in a diner? A creepy stranger, too. Everybody gasped in the horror. The man's a Spawner! A Spawner wearing stuff clearly off the sale rack of a thrift store! Not thrift shaming! Some of April's favorite sweaters came from thrifting.
April's family thankfully saw nothing. At least the window's open..."Okay that was literally too close to home," April said, being her home is only one floor away.
"You guys saw that right?" Dmitri asked, filing out of the booth with everybody else. "What was in that suitcase, do you think?"
"I don't know. But shouldn't you guys go after it like...now?" Little did Quinn know it was already long gone. As they finish their food, it may be best to go out and investigate. Didn't have to tell her twice to go back to the Coven. She survived an attack once and she isn't gonna again.
---
Nenet beheld the demise of the hungry Spawner, opening the case and taking the sample she needed. Placing it upon her alter she did exactly as her master instructed her do to. The scent of the Spawner , however, smelled rather delicious. Human cuisine is a larger part of their culture. Must be why. Kneeling before her alter, she began to pray. "Forces unseen, darkness around us, hear me! Bring unto me power of animation. Beseech me not, foul forces, for I am your humble servant. Ick'thala grestu bou!" Dark tendrils covered her person. Power within and around her surfaced. The alter shook, the fragment from the well glowing a bright light. She repeated her chant. Ick'thala grestu bou. Ick'thala grestu bou. "Arise!"
 
"Well plum my word and honor," Clay grumbled after being kicked under the table. He rubbed his shins. God, what are those shoes of Gawain's made out of--steel?! Actually, that would be fitting. A little southern hospitality never hurt nobody. The man looks a little weird but that didn't bother him. Before the reveal, Clay just gave Dmitri another nice nod. "Aye, you got a crash course in this business. April's right. We're all kinda new still. Feels like we been doin' this for years tho with how long it takes to git something done. I wonder if any other Sentinels had this much trouble," Clay said, keeping his voice to the table.
Benji still planted himself to where he couldn't be seen. Get it? Planted. "If you ever shout at someone like that again I'll sand down the bottoms of all your shoes," he jokingly threatened Clay. The cowboy got the message. "I'm glad you do, April. Memories... I can't go the gallery without thinking about what my statue did when it came alive." Benji shuddered.

Clay's calling caught the 'man' off guard. What illusion was cast over it weakened and it showed itself to be a Spawner in Brubeck's. "Hey now!" Clay called after him. Again with the loud cowboy! Gahh! He'd almost startled April's family had it not been for Benji's hand over his mouth. Just one Spawner against the six of them is no threat to anybody. Still, he got away with a briefcase of whatever he was carrying. Scoping out a diner? What, the Legion gonna go into the sandwich shop business?
"What, the Legion gonna go into the sandwich shop business?" Benji rhetorically asked everyone. Huh, word for word what had been asked in the narrative. He'd lost his appetite. Seeing one of those things reminded him of the smell.
"Tarnation... we'd best git on out of here as fast as you can say honeysuckle," Clay said, shooing everyone out of the booth. Scarfing that food down like a vacuum cleaner on the fritz! Just because that thing got away doesn't mean it will stay away. He'll be back with friends, no doubt. "Where should be ought to look? We didn't see where he went or nothin'."
Benji laid out something for a tip on the table. "We need to look and contact the Coven. We don't want the diner being torn to shreds."
 
It worried her slightly that Quinn was already on the very verge of figuring out what kind of monster Garm had been exactly. If she figured it out, she'd soon enough learn what... Erin slightly shook her head. There were more pressing matters at hand. How nobody else in the diner saw what they'd seen... it's a mystery. But they'd best all get into action before the Spawner would go get his friends and rain doom down onto the people of this city on such a nice and sunny day. "Don't tell me you've given up on art, Benji. That'd be a shame," Erin said. "You were so passionate about it, and it's not your fault the Legion sent an evil spirit to possess the sculpture." For someone who's that good at telling others not to worry and that the bad things aren't their fault, she's awfully terrible at listening to her own advise.
"Whatever's in that suitcase, if the Legion wants it, it ain't any good." She was about to exit the boot when Clay shooed them out.

"You two have a point," Gawain said to Clay and Benji. "We haven't got the slightest idea where that Spawner has gone. For all we know they're slowly surrounding the entire diner and planning on blowing the place up!" Goodness, he hoped they weren't truly planning that. Both for the sake of their favorite place of getting lunch, and more importantly for the fact that April's family lived there! "I'd hate to ask, Erin, but is your scar giving off any signals of a nearby Hellgate?"
Erin chewed the inside of her cheek and shook her head. Shortly after the Spawner had leaped through the window, the irritation she'd been feeling in the scar had disappeared. As far as she knew, that could only mean the gate had closed, and the Legion was hatching some new evil plan. But why send a spawner dressed as a businessman into the diner? Had the Legion known the Sentinels were there? It hadn't seemed to be the case. The Spawner seemed equally annoyed and surprised to run into the Sentinels as they were to run into a Spawner. Maybe the undead actually had a day off and wanted to try some human cuisine? Can't exactly walk inside in their usual stinky undead form. It somehow made an odd kind of sense to her. Once again Erin shook her head. They had to focus.
"Quinn, please get back tot he Coven. Warn Novus and Fate and see if the three of you can figure out anything as of what the Legion might be cooking up this time around.. The rest of us, split up. We can cover more ground if we each go into a different direction and see if we can find anything suspicious."

Perhaps the Legion had opened a portal elsewhere in the city in the hopes of distracting the Sentinels with the lone Spawner in the diner. Small distraction in one place, big attack elsewhere. Wasn't that a very common tactic among villains anyway? Erin watched everyone go into their respective directions. She herself headed back to the park across the street, once again losing track of her thoughts as she tried searching for traces of the Legion. The burden of being a Sentinel wasn't hers alone to carry, but if she truly was the Son of the Archon there were many things that did come down to her. Leading the others to victory, for one. Erin tried her best at being a leader, but she all but felt like one. They had survived so far... most of them did. The battle at Avalon was a disaster. King Arthur murdered, the realm almost fallen to Venecorva and Vorkalth. Dylan dying... She kept up the appearance rather well, but down inside she still struggled giving everything a place. What probably hurt her the most was that Dylan's grandparents had no memory of him ever having existed. His death in Avalon had erased his existence on Earth. A terrifying thought that made the threat so much more real.

Chosen by Fate. Literal Fate. A duty given to her by a higher power, something she had no control over. She didn't feel like the Son of the Archon. Then again, she didn't have the slightest clue how that was supposed to feel. How was she supposed to lead everyone to glory and save the entire Wheel when she didn't feel like a leader at all? "Maybe I'm just not up to the task..." Erin sighed, fiddling with a coin she found in her pocket. She sat down on the edge of the old well, looking at the people passing by. Everyone leading their lives, mostly unaware of the supernatural threat lingering deep down below. An evil whose desire was to tear the veil to shreds and rule all realms as a god. Ebongrove had, so far, largely been spared. A lot of their fights had been in a realm the people here would think it just a storybook thing. Nothing suspicious to see... Just a peacefulness that was so unfitting for the things the Sentinels had seen. Maybe everything would have been different if the others never met me. Sometimes I wish they hadn't... She tapped the uneven cobblestones with her fingers. One of them appeared to be chipped. Erin heard a coin drop into the water below. She tapped the pocket of her jeans. "Huh, the coin must've slipped out as I sat down..." she mumbled to herself.

Then Erin felt it. Just for a brief moment, a headache pierced her skull. Erin closed her eyes and pressed the palms of her hands against the sockets. As quickly as the headache came, it faded. A deep rumbling from below knocked her off the edge of the well and into the grass. "What the...?" Erin turned around and gasped. The well was no more. In its place stood a monster, made of stone, wearing a roof shaped head. It was clad in bits and pieces of various old armors, weapons sticking out here and there as some odd spikes. "Ah, yes!" the monster stretched its limbs, making a sound that seemed like joints popping, except it was stones scraping over more stones. "Twishtone is free at last, ready to serve master Vorkalth!"
Quickly Erin scrambled back to her feet. "So you're what the Legion's been cookin' up!"
"Yes indeed I am," Twishtone eyed her up and down. "And I believe I now have something that belongs to you." He pulled the penny somewhere out of his body. "A wishing well come to life, and a foolish little girl with a wish..." he laughed. "Have you never been taught to be careful what you wish for?"
Twishtone reached out his hand towards her, and Erin readied herself to fight. Instead, her vision faded in and out for a moment. The world around her turned in sickening speed. Erin stumbled backwards, finding support with a nearby tree. There was no sign of Twishtone, and there was no sign of the well anymore either. As the world finally stopped moving in ways it definitely shouldn't be doing, Erin reached for her neck to grab her Charm and warn the others.... but her neck was bare. She looked around in the grass, but nowhere between the green was a glimmering hint of red. Her heart started racing. "This is bad.... This is really, really bad..."

She was almost relieved to hear the familiar sound of fighting, coming not too far from her location. Erin blinked a few times to get her vision back in proper order. The world she saw now was definitely no longer the same as she'd seen minutes before. This Ebongrove had definitely seen a fair share of battle. The streets were broken, several buildings severely damaged, if not just completely ruined. "Okay, this isn't just bad. This is terrible..." she said quietly. What on Earth had happened to Earth?
 
"Honey suckle," Dmitri replied. Clay did say they'd better get out faster than they could say that. Quick but not quick enough.
"Can we not talk about how my home and family business might be a target for an explosion?" April whispered, not to alert her mom or brother who had immaculately avoided that entire sight. Oh crap, the diner! April's on break! If she just leaves without a word her parents will never let her hear the end of it. Just like Augustus never hears the end of what happened as his eighth grade graduation. Slip and fall up some steps going to get your diploma just for your gown to flip up and show the entire gymnasium you wore Captain America shorts underneath and you're the laugh of the town. "Hey mom, we have kind of an emergency with on of our other friends. I need to go right away, I'm sorry!" April called back to her mom in the kitchen.
Letting out a slightly aggravated sigh, Mrs. Brubeck called back, "Are ya sure you have to? Honey I'm gonna need you."
"I'm sure, mom. I'll make it up to you I promise. Love you!" And without much else, April left the diner with everybody else. She hated to leave like that but there's something more important than serving pancakes and coffee.

Erin's plan made sense for everybody. Split up and send Quinn home. "Guess we have a manhunt for a Spawner today. Be careful getting back, Quinn. You need me to head your way with you?" Dmitri asked her like any big brother would when looking out for his sister.
"I'll be fine. Fate, Novus and I will give you guys time to work while we flatten out the Legion's plan like a pancake." Mmm, pancakes...
Snapping her out of it, Dmitri sent Quinn away, the girl bidding everyone a wave as she ran off. Nodding in agreement, Dmitri and April ran off in separate directions. They've got a fiend to find. Whatever that thing was carrying must have been a big deal if it needed to go undercover like that.
Running to campus, April searched it up and down. She jogged across a bridge connecting to buildings and paused to lean on the side rail. Looking at the campus she saw no signs of suspicious anything.
Dmitri located himself in the city square. Big buildings making up the heart of Ebongrove. Night life here must be a real kick. Other than being easily distracted with the large signs and even larger crowds he didn't see anything of note.

A rush swept over them and all of Ebongrove. One that's effect had severe changes. A world spinning faster now slowed to a steady tick of the clock. Damaged scenery, broken bits and cars, Ebongrove in partial ruin. Battle had been seen before and it is now. Not too distant from Erin's location, a fight raged on between Sentinels, Spawners, and Ryxens Spawners plural! The one they'd seen is not present. But flashy and in bright costumes were five Sentinels. A white ranger seemingly hiding from the fight. Ducked behind a low wall, she peaked out over to get a good look at everybody else and how they faired. She wasn't fighting. She looked afraid, going by body language. When one of the monsters sneaks up on her, the blue ranger strikes at it from behind in a very precise martial arts chop. "April! You okay?" he asked.
"Ugh, I'm fine! Just get back in there, I don't want these things near me!" She went back to hiding. The blue ranger, not addressed by name, struck a very familiar stance and kicked back into action. His martial arts was similar to a certain warrior, but it was almost an imitation of sorts. Like someone desperately trying to copy a style. He kicked and punched like a Ranger should, but with every blow he winced in pain. He's going in too confidently, he's gonna get hurt!
 
"I'll stop art when I become the next heavyweight champion," Benji sarcastically whispered under his breath with a grin across his face. Thin, scrawny, small, all were words to describe Benji. He isn't hung up on Golem and what happened before but that does contribute to some nightmares. That, the bus of kids, watching King Arthur get his head yoinked off, watching his friend turn into light, being physically turned into a four-leafed clover...just a few of the things he wishes he could unsee after so long. Really had they not gone into the woods that day, none of this would be his problem. Maybe Fate would have chosen someone else. Someone more physically suited.
Clay rubbed his temple with on hand and held the door open with the other. Dmitri actually took him up on the honeysuckle. Unexpected. "Sounds like a plan to me. We all cover as much ground as we can before the place gets all blew up," he said. Cringing, the southerner glanced in April's direction after she had just asked everyone to not make it sound as if her home is under attack. Maybe the fishermen monster was enough of a personal hit for her. "Sorry, Ap. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that thing was in the same place as us all in a disguise that only an idiot could buy..." Clay dug a deeper hole for himself. Benji sighed. Clays got the brawns but certainly not the....okay that sounds mean when put in black and white. Sometimes he's a southern gentlemen and sometimes he can be a really goofball. Riley once said Clay's the 'leading man' of his group of strange new friends and boy is that a weird way to put it.


Finally after splitting up, everyone was with their thoughts in search of this hungry Spawner. That case contained something the Legion wanted. Better the Sentinels get it first. They've lost one too many relics to them. Evil would have gained another had Clay not smashed it. It's better that Talismen be destroyed than fall into the wrong hands. No regrets there. Cowboy Clay jogged through the theater district; a booming street with old and in-use theaters for movies and stage performances alike. Running around with that hat on it's fun to look at people wondering if he's an actor running out In costume. He questioned a couple of people if they'd seen a man wearing what it was wearing. Nothing.
Benji was walking down an alley way leading into a more residential area. Houses lining the street with pretty lawns and big trees. Garages needing organized and kids playing in the street. If he sees a Spawner trying to sell someone insurance on their doorstep he might give his friends a call.
The wave rushed over both of them so fast they had no time to respond. The wave hit, and in the blink of an eye things were different.

Post-wave, fighting raged on. Close to the park with torn apart streets and filthy surroundings, Ebongrove painted a picture that would make for a great apocalyptic poster. Five Power Rangers battling the forces of darkness. That hasn't changed! While white was hiding and blue was try-harding, Brown was....flopping. In clear view from where Erin stood was a pudgy, beer bellied Brown Sentinel Ranger. That's different, if anything else isn't. He had a hard time keeping up with how fast and agile the Spawners were. "Ya varmints! Keep it where I can get at ya!" he shouted, jumping into a belly flop smack dab on top of one of the little bastards. "Yeeee doggy!"
"Clay, watch out for April. Blueberry and Golden Boy can 't always do your job, and neither can I. Step up a little," said the...very....muscular green ranger. Benji? Sounded like him. His body went from scrawny to buff! His suit has his muscles in close detail! He's ripped! The Avengers should cast him if nobody else is gonna. Spawners and Ryxens lined up around him, surrounding him. Benji laughed and cracked his knuckles. One punch made three of them fall over with pure sonic energy! Another punch, four! Ryxens jabbed their weapons at him, but he caught them all and drove them to the ground. Tackling them like a football quarterback while they were on the ground, Benji slammed his elbows into two Ryxen's heads. Dusting himself off, he made short work of more Spawners coming at him from all sides with quick kicks and punches. He didn't even need to use his weapon or his forest magic. "Strong as a tree! I'll take you all down!" Benji battle cried, unleashing his wrath on the evil fuckers with a big shoulder bash.
Clay let out a burp in a daze. Like he's....intoxicated?
 
"Can't you all just cut it out and at least try to do your best?" called a certain Golden Ranger. Still definitely sounded like Gawain, but much like all the others, he didn't quite sound like himself. Arrogance just dripped from his voice. So much for the gallant knight in shining... suit. More like the spoiled rich dudebro who thinks he's better than everyone else around him. He clearly seemed more experienced in combat and familiar in facing the Legion than some of the others were, and he showed it in every single way of his behavior. "You've already failed to save Avalon, and judging by the looks of it you're not doing too great in saving your own world either! With a hopeless generation of Sentinels like you, you might as well surrender your Charms to Vorkalth right away and spare yourselves the embarrassment." He went in with a swing of his blade, cutting down the Spawners and Ryxens that came close enough and watched the other Sentinels do their thing with a shake from his head, not doing all that much to help them out.

Erin watched with growing surprise as the others fought. These were her friends... but not her friends. They weren't getting along at all and having their asses handed to them. Nothing like themselves at all. April cowering, Clay just looking rather... pathetic, for the lack of a better word. Benji... I'll stop art when I become the next heavyweight champion. It was painful to see. If he kept true to his word, this meant he had given up on the one thing he was so passionate about. Gawain was anything but knightly. And... was it Dmitri? It sounded like him. But his fighting style looked more like Dylan. She could easily tell. Dmitri had such a different style of fighting and stance in battle. Now just how was this mess going to be fixed? Once more she checked her neck, the ground, and all her pockets. No Charm anywhere on her person. Slowly it dawned on her just what had happened here. A wishing well monster, a wish made on accident. They hadn't met her. Or at least it hadn't been her to lead them all into the woods that one day to find the Coven. She froze. Dylan was still dead. Avalon had still fallen. But unlike the way it was supposed to be, these Sentinels were anything but friends. As Gawain said, Earth wasn't doing particularly great either. Now she was powerless, but there had to be a way to set things right again.

But first... first it would be a really good idea to make sure none of those Spawners sneaking up on her would actually get her. She turned around and kicked one in the stomach, sending it backwards. "Back off, you stinking... whatever the fuck you're supposed to be!" Honestly, these Spawners seemed like a combination between your standard zombie and a frog. Smelling like rotten fish and decaying egg... Wait... something in that description isn't quite right. Erin stumbled backwards. Kicking the Spawner had had the exact opposite effect of what she wanted. Now she had drawn even more attention to her unfortunate spot on the grass. "Oh for crying out loud..." Now her hopes were set on a team that wasn't quite a team to get her out of trouble.
---
Post wave in the Coven things also weren't quite as it was supposed to be. Books, scrolls, tomes... everything that had once had its neat place was scattered everywhere. The scrying windows were dark and clouded, radiating an ominous aura instead of the usual bright and pure magic allowing the Sentinels and their allies to see into other worlds. Novus in his fairy form sat trapped in a magical jar. Seemingly... sleeping? But everything about him has a darker hue as if he, like Nexilis and the rest of the Wheel itself, is slowly withering away. Fate restlessly paced up and down, looking like she had lost most of her sanity. There's even ruffled feathers sticking out of her hair! She paid no mind to anything or anyone, just mumbling on and on about an ancient prophecy. Basically, she's of not much help to the Sentinels at all. In this version of the universe they're mostly on their own. Or are they? Maybe even in this dark version of the world, there's still a small spark of hope left.
 
"We've failed this world like you failed your friends. Remember Rosemary?" The name of Avalon's former Soaring Wind Sentinel stuck within April's mind. This bossy knight isn't the knight in shining armor she grew up hearing about. Noble steeds, shining armor and handsome faces all on the way to rescue the princess locked away in a tower under protection of a nasty dragon. Slay the beast and claim true loves kiss. Gawain imprinted more of an arrogant manchild to her. He loved to spit his crap at them when he couldn't do half of what they'd accomplished alone. Without them he'd be dead. And honestly maybe that's better.
"I don't need protecting! What I need is to not be here in the first place!" April called back at muscle man Benji. She continued to hide away and distanced herself more every time something got closer to her. Occasionally she'll use wind power to blow the Spawners back but that's it for her involvement.

Everyone liked to bicker at the most inconvenient times. Must be a thing around here. Dmitri wouldn't know much about that. He hasn't spent a lot of time with this guys outside of fighting monsters. Ever since his arrival he's spent a lot of time in the Coven or at the lake. Duncan and Dahlia must be wondering about him. As opposed to what happened in Erin's time, they survived here and continue on the lakefront. More on that later, it's complicated. Recreating Sir Dylan's fighting style got him in a lot of trouble. He's here to replace him so he believes he must be him for the betterment of everyone. Dylan knew how to fight. Dmitri doesn't. The blows he deals to Spawners and Ryxens alike are flashy but half the time not successful. From the corner of his eyes he noticed a red headed girl under attack. Brave of her to stand up to these things. "Hold on, miss!" Dmitri drew his wand staff and rode it like a witch broomstick along a stream of water cast from the end of it. He ran right into the woman's attacking Spawners and knocked them down. But they weren't out. "Stand back," he told her, whipping that staff around very stylistically! With style comes...dropping the staff. So he was clocked in the head by one of them. Got the heat on him instead, at least.
---
The Coven is a wreck. Messy and unorganized it's the last place you would expect to be sanctuary to Earth's heroes. Withering fairies in jars and a pacing madwoman aren't much help. Underneath the jar containing Novus was a twinkle of light. An artificial construct. Whomever placed it there thought it would sustain the light within him to relight the magic. The Coven in this form was darker and dreary. The artificial light under the fairies jar is supposed to slow his withering or his weakening. Fate is often too alone with her thoughts to be disturbed. But rising above them both was a small sparkle of potential. No, literally, rising above them. Sat in a cross-legged position floating in mid air with a tome in hand and a poof of magical light in the other was Quinn. Her hair a little longer, put into a braid down her back. Dressed in nicer red and blue robes she studied the texts of this tome lovingly. Around her neck...the red charm. Safe keeping. The light in her free hand cast a spell over the Coven as if to heal parts of it and the Wheel. "Please, Rangers, hurry. We're running out of time, I need you here," she said to herself.
 
His hands around a pair of underworld ankles, Benji spun around with the Spawner firmly in his grasp. Using it as in instrument of battle he slammed it into its friends over and over again. Faster and faster, he twisted around on his heel before catapulting the Spawner halfway across the city. Well, straight into a billboard. A very high up billboard that if were not in the way, the thing would have been all the way to campus by now. "Get a look at that. I blew him all the way up there. You'd think I needed wind power to do that. Oh wait... someone does have wind, she's just afraid she'll break a nail or something using them. Have a bad hair day, maybe," Benji teased. A Ryxen hit him over the head but he didn't flinch. Instead, the not-roided out Ranger grabbed it by the neck and squeezed really hard until he heard a crunch. The ground at Gawain's feet sprouted a root by his feet that may just be enough to trick someone if they aren't careful. "Have a nice trip, Goldie Locks." Muscles and being stronger than ten men, in his head anyway, puts Benji in this douchey state. He's incredible in a fight--better than ever, really. Power comes at a price.

"Hey there, leave that little lady alone," Clay slurred and hiccupped. The inside of his helmet smelled like a burning brewery. Picking himself up, he trudged over to where Dmitri had sped on his makeshift broomstick. His suit really looks like its stretching in some places. Not a morbidly obese situation but he definitely needs a size or two bigger now. Don't these things conform to fit perfectly? Burping, Clay summoned a bowling ball-sized stone and rolled it over to the Spawners. Hey, he knocked them down! Throwing his hands up in victory, Clay stomped to one side and accidentally shook the Earth beneath him. Causing literally everyone to stumble or fall. Works if some of the bad guys fall down though. His move wasn't ending the fight but it sure gave someone else time to flash these things away. A lot less Spawners around Erin, now.

"Watch it, Bud Light!" Benji shouted over to Clay. Bad guys went down, but one fell on Benji's cape and brought him down with it. He smashed its face in and marched right over to where Clay was. "Drink a whole case, again?"
Clay slurred and stirred around. "I'm sorry...I *hiccup* was tryna help..." the sound of the cowboys voice changed. It shifted from this excited hero to a sad man. He's really drunk under there. For what reason?
Benji just cooled off a bit in his head and rolled his eyes. He looked at Erin. "Hey are you okay? You shouldn't be out here."
 
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"At least Rosemary wasn't too cowardly to stand her ground and fight," Gawain retorted. "She was a worthier Sentinel than you'd ever be." Don't try bringing his dead friends in and turn it against him. Rosemary died fighting the Legion, not cowering and counting on others to do the battling for her. He too made his way over to the firey-haired lady who bravely stood her ground against the Spawners, even though she appeared entirely defenseless against the undead ganging up on her. "Green is right. It isn't safe out here."

"Oh, eh..." Erin hesitated for a moment. They had no idea who she was. They had never met her, after all. She couldn't just tell them they had fought together before. A sharp pain jabbed at her stomach. Not only wasn't she a part of the team in this version of Earth... she wasn't even friends with them. That stung. Well, or they were pretending not to know her because of the secret identity thing. "Don't worry. Ive had worse, really." She quickly glanced at her arm. No scar. Of course the scar wasn't there. In this timeline she didn't fight Garm. "And I didn't exactly intend on running into this. I, eh, I just got here." Not a lie. Similarly as to how she arrived in Ebongrove shortly before the Legion returned, she now just arrived in a timeline where it looked like the Sentinels could use some help.
"Are you guys alright as well? It looked like..." It looks like you guys are doing terribly and the Wheel is about to be torn to shreds. "It looked like you were pretty outnumbered by those... things. What are they anyway? Severely mutated frogs?"

Now that's something she's honestly been wondering ever since. The Spawners really do remind her of frogs. With needle like teeth... and smelling like a dead fish left out in the sun for too long. But back to these Sentinels... she didn't like them. This wasn't the team she'd grown to love so much. All of them were their usual polar opposites from what she could tell. And poor Dmitri was trying so hard to be someone he's not. All of this... all of this was so wrong. Maybe the Coven held the answers on how to turn things back to normal? But was she even going to find the Coven? She knew where it was supposed to be, but maybe in this timeline she wouldn't be able to cross the magical barrier because Novus wasn't there to guide her through. She couldn't exactly ask these guys where their super-secret hideout was, could she? Or maybe somehow she could convince them to take her there? Something she could say or do that might make them think she holds valuable information for Fate, Novus, and Quinn? Did this timeline even have a Quinn? Erin hadn't thought she'd ever say it, but she hoped Quinn was there. She liked the kid.

Erin caught movement in the corner of her eye. Spawners and Ryxens still weren't quite done with them yet. She wished she could just tell the others to duck and throw a fireball at the undead. Funny how fast you get used to being magical. Instead she ducked to the ground, grabbed the staff Dmitri dropped, and whirled it around to smack a Spawner in the face before handing the staff back to Dmitri in one flowing move. Then the idea hit her just as hard as she presumed she'd hit the Spawner. Cue fake surprise. "Huh... maybe it's not by Chance I got here. Perhaps it was Fate." Erin suppressed a cringe after saying that. GOD it was bad. Don't let her do witty one-liners when adrenaline's rushing through her body and she needs to do panic-thinking. If nobody caught on, no big deal. She'd try to find the Coven herself and hope she doesn't get lost in the woods and/or run into half the Legion. "Man, I really don't like this area of the Wheel..." she muttered mostly to herself.
 
"She wanted to be a Sentinel. I was chosen but I don't want to be. So your comeback bothers me as much as a milk bothers a cookie," April snorted. This knight loves bringing up how incompetent everyone is, and especially her. A chosen defender of the world is cool, but not everybody wants that weight on their shoulders. She wants to work at her family diner in peace while looking for something simple in life. She had school, but her roommate never showed and she got bored of it all pretty fast. The day she was moving out of her dorm, this all fell upon her and now she's here in a white costume just hoping not to die. Now this new girl with the cool hair? She should be here. She defended herself enough with no powers! She needed rescuing but she lacks the cape and the spandex.
April, like everybody else apparently, crowded around the girl when the fighting was over. Finally, over.

Dmitri just blinked and froze in place like a deer in headlights. This girl took the staff he dropped and took out a Spawner with it no problem. April had to nudge him because even under his helmet she could tell his jaw was dropped. "How did you do that?!" Dmitri eventually asked of her. "You worked this weapon like you've been doing it for months! I can't get past the twirling part of things, let alone using it to hit something with..." Dmitri trailed off and started practicing his staff motions again. Trying very hard to be somebody he is not. But, that's what they should have! The one from before. He'll do what he can do fill the space like Dylan never died.

Both Dmitri and April were a little surprised she said fate and chance. "Hmm. By any chance, do you want to be a White Power Ranger? Because this one's putting in her two weeks and the position should be filled," April halfway joked. "That was very impressive, what you did there." She looked around at everyone. She knew there was another Charm. Maybe...
"Yeah it was," Dmitri chimed in, "impressive but dangerous. Miss you shouldn't put yourself in harms way like that. Leave that to us! The Power Rangers! Power Rangers Sentinels! Protectors of the web chosen by Fate herself in the everlasting battle of good and evi--" Dmitri monologued until somebody finally stopped him. Would anybody stop him?
---
Quinn's spell wore off. Her power has improved over time, yes it has, but even then she has so much in her. All of the Coven is relying on her at the moment. It's a lot for anyone. She fell from her mid air float and hit the ground, a loud thud as she land on the wood beneath her. She groaned, the tome falling aside and the light in her hand fading. She looked exhausted. "Fate? Fate? Can you please have the Rangers return to the Coven? I need them. Time's running out..." she begged of Fate, hoping the woman she knew was still present. Surely she can her her apprentice pleading for help just long enough to get them here. Quinn sensed it. A great blackness encroaching on the Coven. Light fading and power weakening. Without the Spark... (the Spark? Something of her own imagination?)
 
Benji cut Dmitri's monologue dead in its tracks with an elbow to the side. Man this guys enthusiasm is great but its just a lot to hear. "Funny that a civilian asks us if we're alright. We need to pick up the slack. And I'm not just talking about Mr Brewery, there," he said, tilting his head in Clay's direction. Clay isn't saying much for conversation as he is just gurgling and occasionally...belching. Man, how drunk is he this early in the day? The supposed-to-be strongman of the group is just a sad drunk barely about to stand. He was highly interested in this girl and what she had done with that staff. But nobody pay him any mind. He's there but not.
"Those are called Spawners. Mutated frogs from an evil hell dimension and servants of a really bad guy and really bad monsters. Kind of responsible for all of the devastation around you and the ruin of the city." Benji answered her question as blunt as he could, folding his arms and definitely flexing. "But if you were from around here you would know that. Sorry but, are you sure you're sane? Everyone in Ebongrove, or everyone left, knows about the Legion and the monsters attacking. You sound oblivious. But you handled yourself well. Just who are you, miss?" he asked. Wow. Buff Benji is assertive and straight to the point. No more skepticism...

"Ya know, I'd say she be one of use. I ain't no scholar or nothin' and I don't think this is how it works but I'll reckon she'd make a fine add-on to our team. Little Quinndella wears that there red charm like she's saving it for--*hiccup*--someone," Clay drunkenly blurted. Hey, watching her fight was enough for him. Benji shrugged. To him, that just meant one more person who actually knows what they're doing here. Magic is in the air, yes, though it doesn't just pass around to people and grant just anyone powers. But they all heard her. Fate, Chance? She's gotta be it. "Now I'll bet y'all my bottom dollar she wants to come to our secret hideout in the middle of the woods. Yee doggy I'll betcha she does. What do you say Benji? Oh shit, I mean Green?" Clay stammered. Holy crap, did he just say exactly what she was thinking? So drunken Clay is uh....like this? He also doxed Benji. They go by color names when around people; that's the rule. Now she knows Green's real name. Well, none of them know she already knows their names but that is totally besides the point.
"Brown, I told you if you doxed one of us again I would rearrange your limbs." Benji was stern. Wait....again? He's done that before, with the names? "I'll give you that, though. Whoever this girl is she's got a real fire in her, I think. Maybe she's worth a look." He rolled up on her. "But you guys can take her to the Coven, I'm not playing babysitter for someone that's also a good a fighter as me. If anything, she'll be babysitting you idiots."

Without much protest, Clay nodded in agreement that they should take her.
 
Erin smiled faintly at April and Dmitri. Both were so amazed with her, while they were so competent themselves as well. "It's... a story. Not super long or confusing but I doubt now is the time to just stand here and chat for too long. Lest those Spawners rise up again and decide to go for a round 2. Or they could bring company, and I don't think I want to meet any more smelly undead fish-frog-things right now. Also, I don't think white looks too great on me... and the only time I ever do anything with wind if after I ate chili." Stupid rambling. Why did she chose to do stupid rambling when there's much more important matters at hand? Erin let out a small sigh of relief when Benji and Clay provided her with some distraction.

"Am I sure I'm sane? Absolutely not," Erin shrugged. She took pride in her quirks, but in this alternate timeline and/or dimension she felt more out of place than ever before. A stranger in once familiar territory. "I literally just showed up here and I haven't got a clue how it happend." That's a lie. She's pretty damn sure that Twishtone had everything to do with it. Maybe if she got that penny back, her "wish" would be reverted? Erin knew that without her powers, she wouldn't stand a chance though. Thank goodness this world still had a Quinn walking around. Erin had to convince her to hand the Red Charm back to her! "I'm Harley." It slipped right out off her mouth before she could stop herself. The same fake name she'd used when she met Dmitri and Quinn in Nexilis. Why didn't she just tell them who she was?! They were her friends, after all. Or at this moment they kinda really weren't. Maybe that's why. These aren't even the same people as her friends. They might still have their names, ranger colors and respective powers... but that's pretty much all there was left. Maybe the Sentinels she knew were still in there somewhere. She cast a rather dry look in drunk-Clay's direction. Funny how he said what she'd thought almost word for word but...
"It's not really the smartest thing to talk about a secret hideout in the middle of the woods if you want to keep it a secret," she said. "If I were one of those really bad guys from this Legion thing you mentioned..." Erin shook her head. She had only been in this timeline/dimension for mere moments and things looked bleaker and more hopeless with each passing second. She didn't react to Benji saying she had a real fire in her. If only he knew...

Gawain had been watching the fiery haired girl intently. She knew how to stand her ground and fight, even if she had no magic to defend herself. Surely she could make for a worthy Sentinel. A replacement for April, maybe, as the White Sentinel herself suggested. Or maybe Red, their last missing member to make a full team? That might be a bit weird though. Red's never been a girl before! "I have to agree with Green and Brown. It's wise to take this young lady with us. Perhaps she can prove to be useful. At the very least perhaps our allies there might know what to make of her and this entire strange situation." Unfamiliar lass just popping up out of nowhere, knowing more about the Legion, Fate and Chance than she was letting on to? It has a fishy smell about it, but he's certain this Harley here isn't a Spawner or something weird just donning a human disguise.
---
At least for a moment, Fate was pulled out of her frantic train of thoughts. She stopped her pacing and glanced at her apprentice. The girl was working so hard, and Fate was so proud of her. It was a lot that most of the Coven had to depend on this bright young girl now. Fate wished she could do more, but ever since Vorkalth rose again it just felt like her powers were waning. This was supposed to be the Time of Prophecy, where the Son of the Archon would return to Nexilis and defeat the dark shaman once and for all. But instead of five, she initially got only four Sentinels. They were with five now, but... nothing seemed quite right. Vorkalth was winning and Nexilis was slowly descending into darkness that would soon take over the rest of the Wheel. She glanced from Quinn to Novus, stuck in fairy-form in a jar. He looked sickly. Weak. The shimmer of his wings had long since gone and his skin was ashen. If nothing would change soon, Novus would die. Or worse, turn into something much darker. Was that what Quinn was hinting at, or did she feel something much worse coming their way? Fate ran her hands through her hair and turned to Quinn again, forcing an exhausted smile on her face and nodding.
"Sentinels," she telepathically called out to them. "Return to the Coven as quickly as you can. Quinn senses something and she needs your assistance."
 
"Nice to meet you, Harley," April said, extending a hand for her to shake. Do the Rangers demorph, now? If they're intent on making this girl that they just met one of them...
Harley? Breaking his off-trail staff practice for a moment, Dmitri rubbed the chin plate of his helmet. That name sounded familiar. Perhaps in another life he met somebody my that name. The more he thought about it in the moment the more it drove him mad. Best to not think about that and focus on what's happening. What is happening is that they're all terrible at being Rangers and this girl showed promise. A missing puzzle piece has been found? "I say we take her back to the Coven."
April then rolled her eyes hidden behind the visor. "For once, I agree with Prince Uncharming and Lumpy, there." Harsh nicknames for Gawain and Clay. "Oh, you're coming with us, Mr. Steroids. Otherwise Gawain will hound us about not being a unit. And since she's replacing me, I'd rather my last few moments with all of you be less aggravating and more quiet." She's really intent on Harley replacing her. Boy, the April of this reality sure doesn't want to be here.

It was at that moment they heard Fate telepathically. Wow. She hasn't said much in a while. She spends her time pacing in circles, these days. "Such great timing. Fate needs us back at the Coven as we speak. Quinn must have found something important enough to break through to her!" Dmitri was happy about that. Ever since joining the team they've been falling apart more and more. Fate's mind had been dwindling, but now? A sign that Quinn got her to be normal again. Even for a second.
"Oh, maybe she found a way to use the red charm for herself so she can stop wearing it like jewelry," April snorted.
Dmitri eyed her. "She wears it to keep it from falling in the wrong hands. Sometimes I think she's the only one who cares about--" he started, only to be interrupted again. Not by Benji's elbow, but by April's... well, elbow. He huffed and rubbed his side. "Let's just get to the Coven." They've stood there long enough. Almost felt like a year had gone by.
---
Back at said Coven things were unraveling again. The great blackness was drawing closer. The Sentinels would have to use their magic to enter. Unless they're brave enough to get close to whatever empty matter is outside. Really, what is it? Just a void of nothing that's somehow...a thing. It has to be tied to Novus dim light. She picked up the tome off the ground and began reading it. Her new robes were the only clean or sleek thing in the whole place and now they were caked with dust from the floor and the musky smell in the air. "Thanks, Fate. I know you've had problems, but I'm glad I can still count on you." The girl sounded tired. Really tired. The structure of the Coven rested on her shoulders. Quinn of this world is skyrocketing in ability because of dire circumstance, whereas the Quinn of normal(?) reality is in early apprenticeship and being held back. Right now, she should be a student. But this Quinn has become a master.
Well, nobody's called her a master but for the progress she's made in such little time should qualify her as a master sorceress. Delicately she twisted the red charm dangling from her neck. Her eyes danced along the text of the tome before her, looking for the answers to her questions. How to stop the darkness, how to ignite the Spark. In no legend or tales is there mention of a Spark, that's just something she came up with. Something is missing in this story. The Son of the Archon never came to vanquish evil as Fate foretold and there is not any mention on what happens if that didn't happen. So Quinn came up with the Spark. The Spark that will light the darkness and show them all the way. A Spark that will start the fire to burn out evil. A Spark that---!!! It's humming. The charm is humming! Maybe the Spark is here, somewhere. It can sense it. Vorkalth may have a problem, soon. Speaking of which... what is old Skeleton Pants up to?
 
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