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Summaries of Third 10 episodes of Time Ranger

Most episodes expanded and corrected by Ben who, by the way, says this is the best Sentai show he's seen since Dairanger, which is his favorite when he admits to liking any of them. He was born in 1988. He speaks more Japanese than I ever will, I'm sure.

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Case File 21
シオンの流儀
Sion's Way

Another beautiful day. Trains pass by on a bridge overhead. Sion, carrying a great many things, arrives at a small shop with a lage boom box in his arms. The shopkeeper is delighted to receive it back. Sion has repaired it totally. "Well, that was so fast!" he exclaims. As Sion sets the other things down he praises our boy. Later, Sion is skipping along when he runs into a line of excited people. There is a man handing out boxes of drinks, and Sion watches with appreciation for the business tactic. A man leave the store, takes a swig from a bottle and gasps with the refreshing feeling, before heading on as he takes another swig. Sion's hair seems to be getting paler gold with each episode.

Takku is printing out things for the four who remain. Everyone has finally had enough money to buy new clothes, I guess. Yuuri is in a white zip-up blouse with a pale pink shirt. Domon has an orange baseball cap backwards on his head and a large, new t-shirt. Tatsuya's shirt is different. Ayase only seems to be wearing the same old thing.

Sion arrives and has brought enough of the new drink for everyone. Yes, Tatsuya has heard of this, and is delighted to receive it. The others looks a little puzzled. Yuuri wants assurance that this doesn't have alcohol. Tatsuya is already drinking his. They all drink together. "Man, this is sweet!" delights Tatsuya. "Yeah, isn't it delicious?" agrees Sion. But Ayase is alarmed and says softely, "Oh, this." He is exchanging uneasy glances with Yuuri, who turns her bottle to read the label on the back.

The drink processing plant. Something paces through the machines, where syrup is being added to the dark bottles. Men oversee the process and load the trucks full of Nakata Drink. A truck heads off to deliver. A man runs into the office, where sits a dignified man in a business suit, accepting with indifference tea from an office lady. The man in charge of the plant is fawning over him with joy at the success of their sales. The suited man replies in a gravelly voice, "I think that's good. But we have to act with caution." Dumbfounded, the man asks, "Caution?"

The man he is facing has a heavy, round face, a small mouth and clear, suspicious eyes. He gets to his feet to look outside and pulls out a gun, then starts firing. The plant manager and the office ladies dive for cover. And then, from beyond the flowerpots, like birds flushed from cover, tumble the Time Rangers. "Trying to sneak in, are you, little mice?" the man confronts them coldly. The team is a bit on the confused side. Tatsuya stutters and bites out, "Sneaking? Not us. We know you. You are Londarz!" The man lowers his weapon and smiles slightly. "Huh, what gave me away?" And his form morphs. It is Don Dorunero himself, to Yuuri's surprise. Seeing all this out his window, the plant manager gasps and hides under the desk. But the Don is very pleased with their arrival. "It's been a long time. Late or early, you did quite well to find me." He salutes them. However, he has everything in place. And with a wave of his hand summons a tall, gold and black being. This one has three eyes vertically in its head, and stands like a samurai warrior of old. His name is Haidoriddo. His head ends in a sharp spike. And he is equally unimpressed with the arrival of the Time Rangers.

"You have given me your lives," this one tells them. And starts blasting. They tumble, and he pulls out a beautiful, violet sword. He launches to attack Sion, and Domon dives between as the creature vanishes and becomes a strange ripple in the air, which warps through Time Yellow and he appears on the other side, sheathing his sword with a satisfied air and turning to watch as Domon writhes in agony, his armor flaring and exploding. Domon topples over, his armor vanishing as he huddles over the pain. Time Green kneels frantically to hold the shuddering man. And Haidoriddo steps forward. Time Blue and Green race frantically to attack, but he moves to pull his blade again. He goes through both of them and they shudder and fall in agony, losing their armor. He gives a contemptuous snort, but is caught up as he finds Time Red has pulled out a cannon and is trying to Escalate him. His speed is tremendous, and he simply evades the shots, to hit Time Pink and Red. Sheathes his sword, and now all five of them are out of their armor. As he approaches, they try to get to their feet.

But suddenly there is a fizzing sound and they are sprayed with liquid. Confused, they seek to shield themselves. It is Dorunero with a hose, and he stops the flow. "You came all this way," he comments amusedly. "But now you've been taken by the Power-Split." "What?!" exclaims Tatsuya. But no answer is needed, for suddenly, he is ill, and sinks to one knee. A confused Sion reaches for him as Domon covers suddenly whirling eyes. They are all ill, except for Sion. "What's the matter with all of you?" he asks in fright . For now he is the only one standing. Domon tries to pull himself up, but falls. And Sion is the only one to stand between his friends and the enemy. Dorunero says philosophically, "Ah, well the Power Split only works on Earth-people, which you aren't. Haidoriddo, go get him. Use your katana." Alarmed, Sion realizes he is his friends' only defense. Seeing Haidoriddo about to draw the katana, he moves quickly and has out his cannon. They did not expect this, and so he is able to make an effective strike. When Haidoriddo gets through the smoke, they find the Rangers are gone. "They escaped." But Dorunero is not worried. "They have no more power than children, now. And there is only one. There's nothing he can do." Meanwhile, the plant manager and office ladies are cringing in the office, when a hand plucks the manager up. A human hand. The Don is in his human form, but the manager knows what he is, and tries to protest that he cannot work for the Londarz. But the Don's cigar is a threat in itself as he passes it over the shaking man's head to drop hot ash on him.

And at base, Sion is trying to reason with "Takku! They've been hit by the Power Split!" He looks around at his friends, who cannot stand and slump around. Takku comes to him. "Don't worry." He explains that this was invented in the 30th, and the Londarz had found it. But it will -- all this is interrupted as Tatsuya suddenly scrambles up and begins playing with the robot, Sion being knocked back in surprise. His face is flushed pink. "Takku, you can be my puppy!" The robot, being hauled around by Tatsuya, is trying to continue his explanation for Sion as well as get himself released. Domon has also recovered enough to collect a bottle of the sweet drink and send the other bottles tumbling to the floor. "I'm gonna sing!" he announces. His face is also pink. Standing on top of the table, he starts. And so is Ayase pink. He has a box of tissues and is throwing them in celebration of Domon's singing. Even Yuuri, still on the floor, is laughing. Takku protests getting thrown about by Tatsuya and patted by Yuuri, while Sion gapes at all this from his position on the floor. He has no idea what to do.

At the power plant, a group of workers are gathered to listen to the Don, in human-face, explain about the Power Split, with Haidoriddo at his side. The substance is contained in the vat beside him, clear and full of yellow liquid. At command, the group of frightened men are forced to load the bottles. They cringe nervously under Haidoriddo's gaze.

And the Time Ranger's quarters are a royal mess. Domon is still singing, though not making any sense. Ayase has found more things to toss into the air, like confetti. Tatsuya mugs and Yuuri stuffs french fries into his mouth, then whacks the grinning man as he loses most of them, then joins the halfway to falling Ayase. Sion has managed to take the computer to safety in a corner, not to mention a grateful Takku, and they are reading up on this Power Split and on Haidoriddo. The big difficulty is Haidoriddo's speed. The Chrono suits just are not fast enough to deal with him. What can they do? When Sion starts to suggest he go after the Londarz, Takku protests that there is no way he can do it alone. Before discussion can go any further, Tatsuya has the little robot again and is ignoring Takku's protests that he is NOT a dog.

Alone, Sion's mind goes back to the attack by Haidoriddo. Determined, he tells Takku he has to go see about something. The poor robot protests frantically. Domon and Tatsuya are piled together on the floor, Yuuri and Ayase are still throwing things into the air.

Sion arrives at the store of the man he had fixed things fore, and is going through the shelves, slowly filling a basket. He picks out some badges when the owner sees him. When he explains that he really needs a lot of things for a big project, his friend encourages him.

And poor Takku is now a canvas for a mad artist. Yellow and red ink, to give him eyelashes and draw words on him, by Tatsuya. Yuuri shoves the boy aside and barks at Takku, who reiterates that he is not a dog. Domon has painted lips around his belly button, a nose down his stomach and eyes on his chest. This greatly amuses Ayase and Domon dances. Tatsuya staggers around, pats Domon's belly and says, "Where did Sion go?" Well, Sion is hiding behind the up-ended table, slowly building a special cannon. Takku escapes the torture and comes to see what's going on, Tatsuya lunging for him and ending up facedown on the floor. Sion doesn't even blink when he sees the red party hat on the robot's poor head. He explains that he has to do something, and it must be done soon. However much he hates to be alone, he must do this, to save his friends.

And at the plant, the secretaries are tied and gagged. Don Dorunero, human-disguised, is packing money in a briefcase. Lira walks in, her dress painfully yellow, to appreciate his work. "I wanted to see what you were up to, Dorunero!" And he almost cheerfully tosses her a few bundles of money. She sits down to gasp in delight. He laughs at her pleasure. But he has other plans.

The factory workers are getting exhausted, barely on their feet. Time Green arrives with his strange cannon. Haidoriddo sees him and he runs, the monster after him. The factory manager sees him go and watches in amazement. But Haidoriddo cuts Sion off on the next floor. "You've come alone." "They couldn't come!" Sion replies. The factory workers and their boss peer around the corner. "The Time Rangers! They've come to help!" He and his men nod at each other in relief. And Sion and Haidoriddo face each other steadily. "You think you stand a chance against me, alone?" But another voice cuts him off. It isLira and Dorunero, and she says, "Let's get this noisy guy out of the way!" And Sion uses the distraction to fire his cannon. Small things go flying at Haidoriddo, who moves fractionally to evade them and is mildly annoyed when they bump off the walls behind him and he has to move his feet. Sion changes the settings on his bizarre cannon, as Haidoriddo draws his katana to cut the flying objects out of the air. Sion is finished firing, but nothing has hit. And now Haidoriddo attacks, knocking the boy and slicing him, felling him. Haidoriddo is about to be full of himself, maybe to kill Sion, who gets to his feet and flees. Dorunero andLira cackle, and Dorunero puts the sad factory workers back on the job.

Light and shadows. Morning is coming? A beautiful woman asleep amid confetti, on a couple of pillows. Three men sprawled and probably will have painful awakenings, the positions they are in. Sion returns home, sporting a new black right eye. Takku shakes a silvery lei off of himself and greets the boy with relief. "Are you all right?" "Yeah," Sion replies, stepping into the royally messy room. When Sion gets back to work on his cannon, Takku tries to talk some sense into him. His hand is also bruised and bleeding, but he works steadily, this time on his Chrono Changer. Takku sighs, but he has some advice for our boy on how to defeat the Power Split.

The plant manager looks wearily at the vat. It seems barely less. He makes his way back to his workers. Some are collapsed with exhaustion. Suddenly, Haidoriddo is on his feet, hand touching his blade. The workers watch him nervously. His three eyes look around. And suddenly a small wind-up bear tapping a drum rolls out from behind a crate. The manager gapes down at it in confusion. Haidoriddo is equally puzzled. It rolls towards him slowly. Finally it seems to launch at him and he knocks it aside. "Come out!" he snarls. And the doors to the outside open. It is Time Green. And Haidoriddo says that was a pitiful distraction. But it was not, for now it does its job. Suddenly it generates a cloud of smoke. But it is not smoke, for when it clears, the solution in the vat is boiling and green! "What've you done!!!" "I've destroyed the Power Split." At that moment, the vat explodes and its boiling contents pour all over Haidoriddo. Sion goes to the workers. "It's all right now," he tells them, and they cheer in relief. Dorunero andLira arrive to see their precious thing destroyed. And their attention and anger turns immediately to... Haidoriddo! He is still on the floor, just beginning to recover as they glare at him. They teleport away, leaving him on his own to face Time Green. He tells the boy they will take it outside. Sion is entirely agreeable on the subject.

And Takku is herding the staggering Time Rangers towards the battle. He even knocks Tatsuya down when the boy doesn't move fast enough. Then he lands. "Sion!" and the alarm in his tone forces them to turn. For there is Sion, facing Haidoriddo across the lot in front of them. When Haidoriddo tells the boy he will slice him to pieces, Sion politely invites him to do it. And the furious being begins to pull his blade. Sion is ready with the Double Vector. The attack begins, and Sion presses a button on his Chrono Changer. He can see the attack coming. "Go!" he tells himself, and does. For he is now as fast as his enemy. They are a blur and strike each other. In fact, Sion is faster, and takes down Haidoriddo, who is stunned. And Sion stops the Accel he programmed into his bracelet. He had managed it by using his machine to measure the speed at which Haidoriddo evaded the flying things he had fired at him. Furious at the defeat, there is not much the enemy can do, as Sion points out politely that as a Time Policeman, he now is placing Haidoriddo under arrest. He goes to the others, who are still staggering, and tells them they have to form the Vol Tec Bazooka. Okay? They salute him blearily. They are awake enough to try. But only Yuuri's call brings her cannon, and it is upside down. The others all have only their Double Vectors, held uncertainly. And Haidoriddo has had enough time to recover. He wipes his seal and goes large.

Sion sighs in quiet exasperation and looks to Takku, who calls in the ships. They come as usual, and Sion drags the others with him. He has to run everything, the others are in no shape. Good thing it's automatic. They assume Time Robo Alpha. And the Time Shadow is also on its way, passing the same points as before and coming out of the sun to join the battle. Shoowa! it announces. The rest of the team are barely able to stand, but they are trying. Sion has to take the command, and tells them not to do anything. But he is not fast enough. The Time Shadow, though, is far faster than Haidoriddo and takes him down, and Sion summons the Delta Formation, at Tatsuya's unsteady encouragement. When Haidoriddo is back on his feet fast enough, Sion uses the Virtual Net to trap him. "You are under arrest for breaking the laws of time!" and he brings out the sword, and uses it to good effect. As Sion announces, "Time up!" the rest of the team lose their cookies. Haidoriddo is defeated, and the ships return.

And it is time to clean house. Ayase weilds the vacuum cleaner, rolling his eyes wearily. Tatsuya is at work scrubbing the lockers clean. Sion is modifying the Chrono Changers. Domon massages Sion's shoulders, praising him. They are all still a little flushed. Not quite recovered. Yuuri is throwing things in the trash, and she too is pleased with how Sion handled things alone. Ayase adds his voice to say he thinks Sion is the best of them. Takku, thankfully clean, sits on his perch and agrees, talking about the new function Sion has added, as Tatsuya polishes him and nods. Slipping out from under Domon's hands, he hands out the Chrono Changers, explaining about the Accel-Stop command. They should be careful with it. They are thankful to be able to put all this behind them. But unfortunately they don't get off that easy. Sion has a picture!! To their horror, it shows all of them. Especially good is the face on Domon's torso. They move forward, eyes wide and attempting to look innocent. Yuuri says half-pleadingly, half commandingly, "Give the picture to me, would you?" But when they lunge at him, Sion dives under and races across the room, grinning.

Next episode: Yuuri's furious voice is heard. Tatsuya and Domon are having women trouble, or something. Yuuri looks lovely. And there is a woman bidding for each Time Ranger. ONE woman. It even happens to Ayase, and Yuuri has to fight in the only way she knows how when the three men start fighting each other.

Domon holds their customer's crying baby and makes encouraging baby-talk. The child, however, wants his father, who sits on their couch, sweating in the summer heat. Yuuri is checking out what he has brought them. "Hirose Kyoko, 25 years old," she reads of the woman in the picture. Sion brings in tea, he comments that the woman in the picture is lovely, which immediately gets Tatsuya, Domon and Ayase popping over for a look. Poor Sion is pushed onto the couch and the baby handed off to him. The pictured woman has long hair, an oval face, thick eyebrows and a lovely smile. Yuuri looks faintly perplexed as the three older men all peer over her shoulder. Domon lifts the photo and admires it, then asks what the man's involvement with her is, is she his sister? With a shy look of contained pride, he says they are engaged. This brings identical expressions of stunned amazement to the four faces across from him. Not to Sion's, for he is standing, gently rocking the baby and seeming to have no attention for anything else. The man explains that she loved him even though he's not a good-looking guy, as he always thought. He had met her at the Aotori Omia (arranged meeting-to-marriage) Center. Sion, cuddling the baby, was listening and repeats the term in curiosity. The father gathers his crying baby while apologizing, that he misses her deeply. The other four are still digesting all this. But Ayase logically asks the question, did he give her any money? Yuuri sternly tries to stop this line of questioning, but... "Well, yes I gave her 2,000,000 yen for her mother, who's in the hospital." He comes over to them, cuddling the fussing baby. "But money doesn't matter. I'd do anything for her. All I want to do is find her." He is a divorced father, and lonely.

Seated around the coffee table after the man left, Ayase next to Yuuri, them across from Domon and Tatsuya who are on the couch. Their heads are close together. They all flop wearily back in their seats. "Well, she's lying to him," Ayase comments. Tatsuya adds, "But she sure is pretty." "Yeah," commisserates Domon. "I have it," Sion interjects. He rotates the computer terminal, and there she is on the screen. "Just as I expected of you, Sion," Tatsuya says happily. Yuuri is on her feet, arms folded as she paces towards him, "We have to find out what type of person she is." She wheels to look at the men. "Which one of you will go to Omia her?"

The baby is fast asleep. In the kitchen, a young woman in white shirt and pink, striped apron, is making dinner. And then we see it is Yuuri. She tastes the sauce in the pan and finds it too weak, so adds... a lot of salt, reading the cookbook. The doorbell rings and she goes to answer it, letting in the father. Though she welcomes him, he apologizes for all the trouble she's going to. He is alight and warm, and it makes her smile. But she says this is what Tomorrow Research does. He asks about his son, Kenta, and she says he is asleep. And then he notices the food rather yummily displayed. "I've never tried to make dinner by myself before, please eat!" He is delighted and sits. "Oh, it's been a LONG time since someone made dinner for me!" She sets down a bowl of soup for him. He happily takes a bite and is about to praise the food when the taste hits. He nearly gags, but gamely fights the reflex down. He manages to swallow it but gets up quicky. "Um, I ate at work and so I'm rather full, terribly sorry about that!" He collects his photo of Kyoko and speaks sad words to it. Yuuri takes a bite of the food she served him and the taste is horrid.

The door slides open, and the woman who comes in is lovely, sweet, a shy-faced lass. She wears a red and flower-patterned kimono, kowtows to her guest as she introduces herself. "Kyoko Hirose." Tatsuya, sitting at the coffee table in a light gray suit, is affected by her grace and sweetness. He quickly shifts to sit on his heels in the traditional way and announces his name breathlessly, inviting her to sit across from him. Brightly colored koi swim in the pond outside, the birds sing. Tatsuya is blushing tremendously as he struggles for words. "Um, well, I don't know what to do, this is my first Omia. Um, what're your hobbies?" She smiles shyly back at him, watching as he pours. "My hobbies are the same as the person that I love, I want to do the same things he does. You understand, don't you?" Tatsuya, flushing even more, manages to say back, "So that's what you do. I didn't know there was anyone like that!"

The others are gathered around, staring in amazement. Tatsuya wears a traditional man's black kimono, and is carefully painting kanji on paper. To their questions he says happily, "She's the most fantastic woman on Earth! She lives alone and tries to take care of her mother, who's in the hospital." Ayase asks thoughtfully, "You didn't lend her any money, did you?" "Oh, of course not." They all sigh in relief. "I gave it to her." Stunned, they question. His attention does not waver from his paper. "She has to take care of her mother, so I gave her 1,0353 yen." There is a collective sigh of exasperation, even as Tatsuya hangs up his carefully-done paper. He has written the woman's name on it. Domon closes on him. "You asshole! What type of monster-fighter turns into a monster?!" "Oh, that's not it," says Tatsuya. He's kind of like dreamy, as he settles back down to do another paper. Exasperated, Domon determines to be next to meet Kyoko. Yuuri is all for it. She is heading out in her excersize clothes.

Yuuri is again at the man's house, ironing his shirt and leaves the iron sitting there when the doorell rings. She has made dinner again, but anticipating this he bought boxed lunch for both of them and invites her to eat it with him. Then he pauses at a strange smell in the air. Yuuri wheels in horror to realize that the iron has burned the shirt. In fact, it burned THROUGH and now there is a lovely, brown bit of cloth on the board, and a huge hole in the poor man's shirt. He tries to reassure Yuuri, then turns to his love's photograph. "Please come home soon, Kyoko!" he whispers. Yuuri is still staring in dismay through the hole in his shirt.

Lila walks in making singing noises, with a couple of Zenitto escorting her. Dorunero, being massaged, asks her as she passes, "What happened to that one you released? I haven't seen her around." Lira has settled down with her box, "She's off doing some work for me." Gien comes over, puzzled. "Work? What kind of work is she doing?" "Oh, something like... fishing." Dorunero sputters, "Fishing? You can't fish and get money at the same time!" Lira's eyes are lit with deep amusement. "Oh, it's not normal fish she's trying to fish for."

Domon has settled out at a bar to meet Kyoko. He is in a fine, deep blue tuxedo, but his hair as always seems a mess. He hears the bells on the door and glances around. The woman walking in is dressed in a skin-tight, white blouse and skirt. She's like sex on the hoof, man. Domon quickly averts his gave to sip his drink and thinks, "Now THAT'S the type of girl I'd like an Omia with." And deep in his imaginings, does not notice as she settles down beside him. Immediately upon noticing, he turns half to jelly as she appraises him with a knowing smile. "You... you're Kyoko?!" "Yes," she agrees amusedly. "Why? Is something wrong?" He turns back forcibly to his drink, his face flushing. "Oh, no. No, I just pictured you rather differently." She pouts beautifully and taps his wrist with her finger. "You don't like it?" "Oh, no! No, I like it!" he sputters as his heartrate leaps and temperature goes up. She instantly shifts close, snags his arm and says, "Do you believe in love at first sight?" As Domon reels she adds, "I believe in it. Now." She is close, her breath on his neck. Her fingers follow to sift the soft hair sending goosebumps on his skin. "You're very cool." If he could only see her reflection. For what is touching him is no human woman, but a strange, snake-like creature. Domon shivers violently under her touch, nerves on fire.

A stunned Yuuri, Sion gaping behind her, is rapidly back-peddling and demanding explanations. For Domon is carrying a full-length mirror out, which he leans against Takku's perch (and the protesting robot). "Kyoko is not bad at all!" he tells them. He has taken off his jacket and now his bow-tie. And he is going to do everything for her. His hair has been dyed green up top. Tatsuya interjects gently that Kyoko is in love with him. He has lined the wall of his area with her name. Now he is arranging flowers, all very traditionally. Domon laughs, but oddly it is not cruel. He is spinning, a dancing form of grace, high as a kite. Ayase seems to sigh and says calmly, "How much money did you give her?" Domon turns, gallant and bright. He had given 9,779 yen to her. Yuuri rolls her eyes up and Sion is still gaping around at the two bizarre men. Domon has taken his shirt off, now, talking about how Kyoko is caring for her mother. He begins preening in front of the mirror, and if one is so inclined, his body is a true pleasure to look at. With quiet exasperation, Ayase says that a woman is like a car. You don't really know until you drive her. So he determines with stoic manliness, that he will go next. Yuuri and Sion look at him, then at each other, and utter long, exasperated sighs. Then Sion asks her if she's back from helping out at the man's house. Too humiliated to say the truth, she says all is well. She has to go.

Lila says in outrage, "9,779 yen?" She is speaking to a woman in a black and yellow dress, who stands with utter sexual arrogance, smoking a cigarette. Indeed that is all she's brought, andLira must settle for it. Gien, Don Dorunero and a few Zenitto are there, too. The woman complains that the guys she's been meeting recently just don't have money. ButLira is enraged. "In the 30th Century you hated marriage so much, you ripped men off all the time, had quite a racket going! For goodness sakes, pick up some RICH guys!!" She tosses the pittance brought back on the floor, and the other woman gives her quite the look of annoyed loathing. Lira adds coldly, "You don't, and we'll just put you away again," and stalks off. The other woman clenches her fists with an enraged sniff, and then her hair raises and twines like snakes and she takes on her true appearance.

Yuuri is vacuuming this time when he comes home. He does not ring his bell, just comes in, and she swings to greet him, the vacuum cleaner sending a small shelf and everything on it tumbling to the floor. The fax machine... when she leaps to pick it up, he anxiously holds up his hand and tells her not to. And poor little Kenta was woken by the crash and is crying. The man bites his hanky, "Kyoko!" he mutters pleadingly. Totally humiliated, Yuuri hangs her head. So, later she heads home in the dark.

In the morning, Tatsuya is back at work this time making tea from scratch, and so engrossed in his own world, he doesn't seem to hear Sion calling his name. Nor does Domon, in gym shorts and a trainer shirt and pumping iron, acknowledge the boy's voice. When Yuuri's door opens and she comes out half like a sleepwalker, he goes to her in distress. "Yuuri, these two -- " he starts. "And Ayase?" she asks, staring listlessly around. "Um, he went to the Omiai." He is seeing her clearly, and worrying when she doesn't seem able to raise her head to meet his eyes. "You don't look so good. I'll go get medicine!" and he bounds away, glad of SOMEthing to do. Listlessly she shuffles further into the room and murmurs, "It's like I can't do anything other women can do." Somehow her voice pierces Tatsuya's self-absorption. He smiles good-naturedly up at her, "That's not true. You're plenty good-hearted." His statement brings the light back to her eyes and she cheers up. "Really?" But then Domon says, to her dismay, "But she just doesn't compare with Kyoko." Preparing to drink the tea he's been working at, Tatsuya agrees. "Kyoko makes Yuuri look bad." Crushed, Yuuri nearly squawks her mournful dismay. As the two men get into admiring Kyoko's charms, Yuuri is about ready to explode.

The slightly chubby woman at the Omiai Agency is telling whoever is on the phone that they'll see him or her next Monday, when Kyoko walks in. Seeing her, the woman bounces up with a form. "Look at this one! This is today's Omiai! He just came in! He's from Murayama-city and he's sexy as heck!" She is so touched by what she had seen, she is hugging herself. Kyoko takes the form and eyes the picture critically. At last she heads down to the meeting. She pauses to study the picture. By my standards he is indeed handsome. He looks fit, has a smooth neck. His hair is nicely styled but not overly done. Though his expression is straight, his eyes and mouth combine to create the illusion that he is about to break into a mischievous smile. And when she finishes studying the picture, she has chosen the look to greet him with. A simple, light-blue suit such as a professional woman, perhaps even the owner of her own company, might wear. A simple but lovely white purse. Hair tied back. All very business-like. She heads into the cafe they are to meet at. Ayase looks up as the clerk calls welcome to the woman entering. This woman comes straight to him, sits primly in the seat across from him and meets his eye every moment. And something comes alive in him. But he keeps his cool. "You aren't going to start on about how much you love me, are you?" he challenges her. But she has made herself what well-developed instincts say he wants, and will not put up with this nonsense. She stands, smiles down at him and bids him farewell. She turns and walks away. Stunned, as though something's been torn from him before he's quite gotten used to its presence, he calls after her. But she is gone and he is left there, confused.

Out on the sidwalk she is already back in what seems to be her favorite outfit. The black and yellow dress, hair just down around her shoulders, a bag swinging from her right hand. She sighs in annoyance. She'd known this one wouldn't have much money anyway. Twirling her black handbag, she heads back to the steps of the Omiai office. Only there is a woman standing there, waiting for her. A woman wearing a plain white shirt and half-length jeans. A woman whose stance is authoritative and cold. "You're Kyoko Hirose, right?" She gives the stranger a once-over and asks belligerently, "And who are you?"

There is a woman walking along, dressed in purple and black, with flourescent red hair. She sees something that makes her gasp and jump to hide behind a pillar. And what she is watching comes close. Kyoko moving arrogantly along, asking, "Goro Yamada?" Yuuri manages to get around in front of her. "Yes, remember him? He gave you a lot of money." Kyoko shrugs, thoughtful. "Now, who could that be?" she says. Lira listens with great interest to the conversation. Perhaps Yuuri is raising the subject of other men Kyoko has done this to. But Kyoko explains that men are just like that, to her. And she skims Yuuri with her eyes blatantly. "Well, but you would never understand what that's like." Yuuri, despite herself, is drawn to look down at her own form as the other woman smokes a purple cigarette. Finally she bites out, "What do you mean by that?" The woman acts mildly surprised, then smiles with mock pity. "Well, you're not like a woman, are you? I mean, those clothes. Your hair. The way you stand. Yuck, yuck!" She has turned her back on Yuuri. Finally she drops her cigarette and squelches it with her perfect foot. And Yuuri goes into a kind of shock.

In an instant she feels squat and dumpy. In her mind Kyoko is laughing mockingly at her. In fact, she imagines she is surrounded by a crowd of laughing men. And then the spell is broken, for a bird passing overhead happened to choose that moment to poop, and the tiny glob lands atop Yuuri's head. Stuttering she sobs, "It was me! Me!" and turns with a cry, running away. Kyoko turns to see the fleeing woman and grins. "What?" Then she gives a contemptuous sniff.

Yuuri is a woman on a mission. She searches through stores, sifting, checking, rejecting and tossing things flying into the faces of uncertain saleswomen and other customers. She does a bunch of toning excercises at the gym, until she is about ready to drop. And meanwhile....

Kyoko runs to Lira. "Time Ranger?!" she asks incredulously. "Oh, yes,"Lira confirms coldly. She hands the pictures to Kyoko. "And they were all invited to your Omiai." Flipping through the photos Kyoko says, "No wonder they didn't have any money." She tosses them into the wind and they fall a bit behind her. Lira chuckles. Then she smirks. "But this is a great chance. They can't give you any money. But they can give you their lives." She grins happily and slowly, a small smile forms on Kyoko's face. This could be fun.

Facials, beauty treatments, a new haircut, manicure, a makeover. Yuuri is a busy woman. Thus Sion returns home to find there is no one there. The whole room is empty, abandoned. "I brought medicine -- isn't anyone here?" he asks uncertainly.

Kyoko sits in a garden, vines around her, smoking. Waiting. Striped snakes wander the ground, hang from the trees. And it is Domon who is first to arrive, carrying a lovely armload of flowers. "Kyoko-sama!" and then he spots her and trots over. "I got your message from the Omiai Center. These are for you." He hands her the lillies and she thanks him. But as he is touching his chin, admiring her and preparing to make her his wife, another voice calls her name. It is Tatsuya, arriving with a gift he has made for her, the tea I think. She accepts it graciously. Stuttering, Domon asks, "What are you doing here?" "I have a date with Kyoko!" and then it occurs to him, "Why, what are YOU doing here?" Before Domon can answer, another voice enters the fray. "Wait a minute." It is Ayase arriving and he says, "I just met this woman by chance." Perhaps he adds that he must make a bid for her. And she looks at him and chuckles. Domon snaps angrily, "You withdraw from this, Ayase." Ayase simply replies, "YOU withdraw." Tatsuya looks at them in dismay and then turns to her anxiously, "Please, tell us which one of us you like, Kyoko!" She stares innocently at them. "Why, would you do anything for me?" she asks. All three stand heroically. Tatsuya and Domon nod firmly and kneel before her. Ayase is slower to follow, probably because he hasn't been exposed as much as them. He sighs and then kneels. They all watch her intently. She stands and skims their faces. "Then fight... to the death." And a striped snake is there amongst them. Kyoko's eyes flare yellow, the snake glows purple and then its glow crawls into Tatsuya's body, while two others take up residence in Ayase and Domon. And their flesh shimmers and becomes a home. She smirks as they stand, staring blankly and ominously ahead, bodies wavering, though Ayase looks more ill. Kyoko, in her eyes an unearthly light, says, "So, now you are my slaves. You must fight. Time Ranger."

And they do. First Tatsuya decks Ayase and reaches down to throttle him, but Domon pulls him off to punch him. And Kyoko watches the violence with delight. And it is to this horrible scene that poor Sion arrives. "What are you guys doing?!" he exclaims. As past experience has taught that Tatsuya is the softest of the group, Sion heads to him when he is fallen. "Are you all right?" and seeing Ayase and Domon still trying to take each other apart, he shouts, "Stop, please!" not realizing that Tatsuya sees him only as an enemy, and is thrown aside for his troubles. Fortunately, the trio are only interested in slaughtering each other and don't notice him once he's out of their way.

"Stop, NOW." The voice cuts the air. It's source stands on silver, heeled shoes. Her legs are sheathed in shimmering nylons. "Everyone, open your eyes." Sion's mouth drops. Yuuri wears a grey-blue dress which ends well up her thighs. She is a study in perfection there, as the other men pause in their fight to consider this new obstacle. "Tell me the truth, what do you think?" From the tips of her silver-clad toes, along the shimmer of her legs, the perfect curve of her hip. Spellbound Tatsuya's hand drops as his eyes travel. The sweet balance of her breasts attracts Domon's eyes, opened as wide as possible on this rare moment. To her face, unblemished and no longer colorless, the bright red of her lipstick contrasting tremendously with her clothing. Ayase is shaken as he stares. Even poor Sion is gaping, but we'll never know exactly what's going through HIS head. The air around Yuuri sparkles, she is a new-mint diamond. She moves, posing for them, arms arranging to lead their eyes.

Kyoko glares and calls, "Stupid woman. Kill that woman for me. Make an end of her." Commanded, they move to obey as one. But Yuuri has learned how to fight this battle. With a coy motion, a flirtatious "Lil' ol' me?" routine, she blows a kiss towards them. It flies, shining and smooching, hearts shimmering around it. Like an arrow, though it hits Tatsuya first and goes deep into his trapped heart. He gasps, and his hair spikes out wildly. All of their hair does. Domon's eyes bug out in Roger Rabbit tradition, and badly aroused Ayase's nose spouts blood (from BOTH nostrils, folks). And the snakes fall from the three men's bodies. Kyoko is stunned.

Sion, sensing the battle won, rushes in front of them. "Are you all right?" They seem to be, but are confused for they do not know how they came to be where they are. "You're with me," Yuuri confirms. But Kyoko is still outraged. "I hate you, girl!!" she shouts, her hair twining and then showing her true face. She is Baabera, and a Londarz as Yuuri calmly points out. Tatsuya, Domon and Ayase nearly jump out of their skins when they see. "Kyoko??!" Domon, trying to run but held by Tatsuya, says frantically, "You know, I think I will just hand that woman over to you!" he shoves Tatsuya towards Baabera. "Hand her over?!" "Yeah, it's good to keep a lid on one's desires!" Ayase just stands there and gapes. But Yuuri comes to their rescue. She is there at their front. "Everyone, let's do it!" Domon, Tatsuya and Ayase, still nearly out of their heads, bow anxiously to her. "Yes, Yuuri-sama!" And they toss away their street clothes to reveal the changing-outfit (where did it hide under Yuuri and Domon's clothes) and soon are in their armor.

Baabera is unimpressed. She says defiantly that twits like them don't scare her. This sets them off, the three anyway. Furious, Domon, Tatsuya and Ayase attack. Mildly annoyed when she has them down in her tentacles, Sion comes up and scolds them for attacking her alone, until Domon begs him to get them out of it, Sion cuts them loose. Her "hair" torn, Kyoko shouts the standard "You men never understand women" speech. But now she faces Yuuri, who is a woman. And when she sends her tentacles flying, Yuuri is ready with Sion's new toy, and uses it. She is too fast to even touch, but destroys the tentacles, to Baabera's horror. A new trauma, as her precious hair is most important to her. The boys congratulate Yuuri, and Domon snaps, "You won't be playing with any more men's hearts!!! And they call in the big cannons. With the plasmic laser they hit her, and she wipes the seal to go large. At Yuuri's call, Takku calls in the Time Jets. Yuuri is in full command, and orders the assumption of Time Robo Alpha. And, while they fight, the Time Shadow joins them through the shadow over the sun. Yuuri calls for Delta Formation Shadow Alpha. They assemble quickly. Baabera is understandably afraid, then caught in the virtual net, then Tatsuya uses the Chrono Divider with the Blizzard Slash to deal the final blow. Yuuri announces, "Time Up!" and it is over. The Time Jets return to base.

Ayase leads the others out from the bushes. He is the lucky one, he is still dressed normally. But Tatsuya is embarrassed by his clothes, and Domon is feeling naked, trying to hide the way the spandex shows his body. Sion arrives happily with the Escalated Baabera and they duck back from it, dive around him and shove him away. He finds them weird, but... "Where is Yuuri?" he asks in surprise. But Domon thinks he knows. "She's shy. She must be feeling really weird. I mean, the change in her! Whew!!" But Tatsuya suspects that is not the answer. Yamada returns home at night, crying baby slung in one arm, some groceries in another. "I'm going to make dinner," he tells his son reassuringly. The doorbell rings, and he sets Kenta down to answer it. "Wait, sweetheart!" And he peers out the peephole. A woman, long haired, in the cloths of a picture he had taken so long ago. He cannot see her face. He takes a breath quickly and opens his door. Something falls, but there is no sign of Kyoko. He bangs his head coming out, and reads the note. It says she is sorry, but her mother's illness keep her from marrying him. The woman would never allow it. He goes to the edge of the balcony and leans against the railing. Far below is a woman in the right clothes, walking steadfastly across the parking lot. Perhaps he knows who had delivered the message, for he says, "I'm sorry, Yuuri." And it is Yuuri. She holds it for a while, but falls when one heel twists under her.

Next episode: Our next enemy seems to be an electricity-based being. And Tatsuya is alone in a mess, tossing his coat at the ground furiously. Sion is designing new weapons, small and orange and white. A man tries to reassure the upset Tatsuya. And it is a festival time, they all are enjoying themselves together. Even Ayase. Case File 23 Biito Appu ビートアップ

A woman waits on a bridge, in the snow. She looks so sad and lonely, holding a small suitcase, her head down. She has a shawl over her head and a long coat. Then a voice calls her name! Machiko-san! There is a man in a trenchcoat, racing across the bridge to her! She drops her case and calls to him. Don Dorunero, watching this on their wide-screen tv, is weeping with appreciation. The two are in each others' arms and about to kiss. Lira is elsewhere, applying makeup, content with her looks. And at that moment, the power goes out! "Now what's going on?" Lira snaps, outraged. She and Dorunero go to investigate, she leading. Into another room following a pair of Zenitto with flashlights, she sees to her fury a power cord sparking, that looks like it's been ripped apart. "What happened?" But just then something waddles past her towards the Zenitto and begins sucking the energy from the struggling robots. Lira is staring at this in puzzlement, and then Gien walks in. She looks back at him, as he calmly takes in the scene, then repairs the power link and the lights come back on, allowing us all a clear view of the new releasee, Uugo. Lira stares at him in blank confusion as Gien scolds him. Poor Lira, her lipstick is smeared across her cheeks. "But I'm hungry!" protests Uugo. He's only Escalated for three years. Dorunero arrives in outrage, but Gien assures him, "He's not so bad, when you see what he can do!" and pats the bizarre Uugo on the head.

Tatsuya has relieved an envelope of a rather large pile of ichi-man en bills ($100 bills) and as the others stare in amazement, collects the poster to show them what they've been hired for. There's a festival coming up and the Yamashita Corporation needs someone to set it up for them. They do this every year, and it's Tomorrow Research on the job this time. Sion is delighted to help, Domon holds the money in his hands with wide-eyed pleasure. "The event is next Sunday, and Ayase will drive, Yuuri will do security -- " Ayase holds up a hand to stop him, as does Yuuri, for they have other work that day. But Tatsuya cheerfully tells them he's cancelled those other jobs for the festival. Yuuri, Ayase and Domon regard him with quite identical expressions of dismay, and we see that Yuuri has taken to wearing a light application of makeup since last episode. "Domon and I can do the fighting, Sion can do the electronics and keep things perfect!" The others still are gaping at him, but Sion is ecstatic. He and Tatsuya head off to make posters.

The set-up for the festival, Saturday. Men and women in light green jackets cart things around. Domon is working on the lighting system. Tatsuya is directing the hanging of a banner, and Yuuri has hooked up the electricity. At Tatsuya's call, Sion tests the sound-sytem. That is pretty good. And a couple of men in handsome, dark blue business suits come down to see how it is going. The lead man is the one who hired Tomorrow Research, Yamashita, and he calls to Tatsuya, who comes to him. The others watch. Confirming with almost paternal affection that everything is going well, for Tatsuya practically dances with delight. The others are still feeling a tad sour about their time being taken for them, but Sion is very happy about all this. They can do this, working together. The others ease up a bit.

But then the lights go out, the power is down. And Takku calls them, it is a blackout. Sion worries it may be Londarz and they will go check, but Tatsuya asks them to stay. He will go find out on his own, they will please keep preparations going. Sion please get the power going again. And so it is Tatsuya who, in his Time Red armor, finds and faces Uugo, and gets a face-full of foul-smelling fumes. He pursues the creature outside, where that one is seeking out electricity, and Takku has identified their monster. But Sion has backup generators functioning, and the power draws Uugo. And pretty soon the plaza is the stage for the fight. While the workers flee, Tomorrow Research stays. But they are not able to change into their armor, too many witnesses. And Tatsuya is struggling. But more, Takku is calling, warning them they're facing a being from Marshall Star. Sion knows what that means. He tries to call to Tatsuya, but he is too busy fighting to pay any attention to them. Uugo smashes through after the electriciity and begins sucking it in. And Tatsuya, despite his friend's efforts to stop him, races in to slash with the Double Vectors. And there is an electrical energy release, brilliant white light. Tatsuya is sent flying, his Double Vector melted, his Chrono Bracelet smoking and twisted. Tatsuya's armor slowly disintegrates, leaving him bleeding and unconscious as his friends gather frantically around him, calling his name. "Tatsuya, please wake up!" cries Sion.

In the hospital he hasn't awakened, and they are worrying frantically outside in the hall. Sion sits and stares thoughtfully at Tatsuya's destroyed Chrono Changer. When Domon sits, grumbling worriedly about what this thing they face is, Sion tells him Uugo is from Marshall Star. At Domon's puzzled expression, Ayase asks if he doesn't know. Yuuri explains how, when their shells are broken, there is an energy backlash. Ayase explains that the greater the energy they suck up, the greater the backlash. And then they'll need more energy and might suck it all up. And Domon can imagine the city destroyed in a flare of white light. As they sit there worrying, Yuuri says, "We have to find him, before he blows up." The man who hired Tatsuya arrives. He carries comforting flowers and pauses when he sees the four waiting outside the boy's room. When the nurse comes out they ask her anxiously how he is. She says he's all right, and should regain consciousness by the evening. They collectively sigh their relief as she continues her rounds. Sion whirls and says that for Tatsuya, they can keep going. Domon enthusiastically agrees they can get everything ready, and Ayase taps him affectionately saying, "Yeah, let's do it the normal way." They exchange delighted grins and Domon folds his arms and says affectionately, "Even though he almost never helps, we should take care of him." Yuuri snickers and agrees, and Ayase looks at her warmly, "When he wakes up, tell him he can rest, the work is done." The two head off together, and Sion tells Yuuri he'll go back to their base to repair the Chrono Changer and find out something. Yuuri stays to watch over Tatsuya, and turns to find Yamashita standing there shyly. He bows to her and she bows back. While liquid is dripped into Tatsuya, the two outside talk.

He tells her the event has been cancelled. He's glad Tatsuya's going to be all right, but there's nothing else to be done. Tatsuya wakes and hears the discussion. The man sits and explains mournfully that he can't say anything to his boss. Puzzled, Yuuri asks him to explain. "Well, I was once one of his father's people." Tatsuya looks horrified as he hears that. "It's a very old story, so I'm sure Tatsuya won't remember me." He asks Yuuri to give Tatsuya the flowers, and leaves with a bow. Tatsuya thinks, So, all I was doing was something for my father that he can't do. Just like before. When he had raced to attack Uugo. He had been so proud. Directing the others.... He twists the bedsheets in his hand miserably. And in the night, power out all over town, the Zenitto raid jewelry stores and banks. Sion, meanwhile, is working on the Spark Vectors. He is grinning with pleasure as he gets his way in the energy flows. Takku listens to reports from Domon and Ayase about the Zenitto attacks on banks and suchlike. And Yuuri has to come in, unhappy about leaving Tatsuya alone. She can hear the sounds of the sirens through the open window of Tatsuya's room. "Keep looking out for the Londarz until I get there," she tells Sion. With a worried glance at the sleeping man, she races out. But he has only been pretending to sleep, and watches her leave.

"What a great plan you had, Gien!" Dorunero congratulates the robot, while the Zenitto pile up shiny jewels, lovely statuettes and money on the table. Lira is equally agreeable. "Without power, the security systems are useless!" she laughs. Gien is pleased, too, and laughs.

And Yuuri returns in the morning to find Tatsuya is gone. She sighs in frustration, then heads out. He has gone to the festival grounds and looks at the wreckage. Takku calls Yuuri in. Meanwhile, cops are fighting Uugo and their shots break his energy shell. The backlash sets police cars afire and he is able to raid the power of their batteries. Takku is getting worried, Uugo's power is increasing. "If he gets more energy, he's going to truly blow something up!" Unhappy about leaving without finding her missing companion, Yuuri goes to join Ayase and Domon.

"It's my fault that we weren't able to do this!" Tatsuya falls to a knee in furious dismay at his helplessness and arrogance. He sits miserably, not noticing black-clad legs of a man walking toward him. It is Yamashita, the man who hired him. The man greets him and he returns the greeting, standing up. "I'm sorry this happened." "It wasn't your fault," Yamashita assures him. But Tatsuya does blame himself. "It was. And I didn't know this as all my father's." Somewhat smugly, Yamashita replied, "That's not how we met each other. You know, last night I heard your friends speaking." And we see his memory of Sion, all bright and excited, saying "Let's do this for Tatsuya!" And Domon's affectionate words, "Even though he almost never helps, we should take care of him." Even Ayase's firm assurance, "When he wakes up, tell him he can rest, the work is done." Yamashita lays his hand firmly on Tatsuya's shoulder. "It looks like you have good friends." He leaves a gratified Tatsuya alone at that.

And Uugo is out pursuing more power. Gien is looking forward to the screams and mass destruction that will happen as Uugo gathers more power. "Set the city ablaze!" he crows. Three Time Rangers come to stop Uugo. Sion, meanwhile, is working hard on his creations, elegant instruments of orange and white. "If I don't hurry and make this, we can't win!" The computer is showing him the simulation of how they will link up. And Tatsuya arrives on a motorcycle to do what he can to help. When a startled Domon protests, he says, "You don't think I'd leave you on your own in this, do you?" When Uugo would attack him, he powers up the generator he is carrying and leads him off. "Energy, wait!" wails Uugo. But Tatsuya is only able to avoid the shots so long, before Uugo is able to knock him down and get to the generator. Gien shoots Uugo and orders him to head for the power plant. He takes down the other rangers, and is about to shoot Tatsuya dead when Sion arrives on the Time Flyer. Sion gives Tatsuya the repaired Chrono Changer (much to his relief) and then the group forms together, and faces Uugo and Gien. But Sion pulls out his new creation, the Assault Vector, meant to go on the Spark Vector, and quickly explains its use to Tatsuya, and that it is thirty times stronger. Tatsuya enthusiastically assembles his Assault Vector. Gien calls in the Zenitto, but the Assault Vector totally disintegrates the robots it hits. The others cheer Tatsuya on as he goes up against Uugo. When he is knocked down, Sion tells him to use the Beat Up, and he does. It fires and creats a secondary image behind Uugo of him, which disintegrates. Uugo grays out and falls to his knees. They are about to Escalate him with the cannons, but Gien fires on his seal and he goes big. "Turn Tokyo into a sea of fire!" shouts Gien. Our heros call in their mecha. Time Robo Beta is formed, and the Time Shadow arrives too. They use Beta to twine Uugo in insulated wiring, which holds him long enough for them to form Shadow Beta. Just as he gets loose of the wires, they use their mighty clock-attack and he is Escalated! "Time up!" calls Tatsuya. Gien says, "Too bad. Whatever, I'll just go home." And he is gone.

And the festival is on. Our heroes all get to wear Yukatas, and Yamashita kindly thanks Tatsuya and his group for all their work. Tatsuya replies, "That's what I was born for." Then he blushes. His team chuckles softly. Then Yamashita says, "Your eyes are just like your father's, when he was young." And Tatsuya looks away, says softly, "I really don't want to be told that I look like my father, but..." "But?" asks Yamashita. "If we are anything alike, I want it to be that we both have good teams." Yamashita chuckles and quite agrees with him. But Yuuri points out indignantly, "You were sure putting on airs." Sion agrees with her, and Tatsuya ducks from them, apologizing. But the group clambers after him for taking on an undeserved role as boss during this, but they are really playing. Yamashita quickly pulls out the camera to get a picture, giving them just enough time where they are wrestling to whirl and grin for the camera.

Next episode: Honami is back! Much to her mingled horror and joy, she finds herself facing the five Time Rangers in their Tomorrow Research jackets, and has to turn to keep her face from revealing that she knows who they are. And she ends up being driven somewhere by Ayase, which really does a number on her self-control (as she is in love with Time Yellow, and thinks he is Ayase). Naturally, they come under attack from the Londarz and she is injured, leaving Domon to get her out of the danger-area. title: 黄色、時々青 Kiiro, Tokidoki Ao. Yellow, and sometimes Blue

Another day, and more dishes. Yuuri collects them. Hers, Tatsuya's, Domon's and Ayase's. And Sion, from the computer, calls Domon over because there is e-mail from Honami. He was sitting next to Ayase, who is reading the news and glances up with twinkling eyes. "You're still trading e-mail with her?" he teases. But Domon smiles over at him. "Hey, e-mail from a fan is VERY important! And Honami's e-mail is really sweet, like her P.S!" He proceeds to start reading. She informs him that she has been uttering prayers for him at a special shrine. She even bought a charm to protect him. She tells him to please take care. "Please take care," he repeats, straightening up looking puzzled. "Why does she worry so?" and Tatsuya is at his side to say with affectionate amusement that she must be serious about him. Accepting that explanation, he starts to settle down to answer her, but Yuuri says they don't have time. They have to go clean a building.

At the Londarz Tower, Dorunero has released Hoogu, who is all silver and blue, sharp edges. His strange, malevolent behavior gets Lira to frown and enquire just what this guy can do. But Gien explains he's a sort of mad bomber, put in the Escalator for that. He is very pleased, polishing his gun hand. When it looks like Moogu might threaten him, Don Dorunero speaks sternly from behind, with instructions and cautions, I think. But he is interested in the job. And Dorunero has a cunning plan himself.

Bright and early, the five are out there finishing up the floors of the Plaza (same one from the Mad Blaster episode). They are tired and hot, but it's work. Just then a man walks in, surrounded by reporters and photographers. Honami is one of them. The man is a thin faced, anxious looking fellow, trying to get the reporters off him, and the subject of his conversation as he tries to joke wryly, catches Tatsuya's ears. But as the other reporters and cameramen follow him, Honami is satisfied with the pictures she has and turns away. She lifts her gaze in pleased relief to look straight at the Time Rangers. Six faces have very identical expressions of shocked recognition, and they all spin at about the same time, too involved with their own upset to realize there is anything strange about the other side's expression. Honami thinks to herself, "It can't be! Why would the Time Rangers be HERE?" Tatsuya has edged up nervously beside Domon, in fact they all pop in close. They all agree that it is disturbing to see Honami here, and that it would be best if they make tracks as fast as possible. In order to preserve their identities, they all take off and pocket their Chrono Changers, for Honami is just the sort who would recognize the bands. She has her picture of Ayase and Time Yellow out. Seeing them here, CLEANING the place, is enough to make her wonder if she might be wrong. But she puts her wallet away and turns to confront them, only to find they are gone. The whole plaza is empty. They were finished, anyway. They split up to leave, Ayase heading for the van to drive out. Domon and Sion head off one way. Honami races out of the building and jumps on her yellow bicycle. "Where did they GO?!" she says anxiously, riding away to search. At that moment, Ayase is pulling out in the van and of course Honami crosses right in front of him without looking. He slams on the brakes as she rings her bell and stops frantically. She is not hit, but off-balance and she topples over, bruising her arm and twisting her ankle. A security guard races over to make sure she's all right, and Ayase groans quietly to himself. He ends up driving her. The thing is, he's curious about her and keeps glancing over as he drives. She holds an ice pack on a towel covering her ankle and stares valiantly at anything but him. He asks gently, "Are you certain you don't want to go to a hospital?" She answers that it was her fault anyway for not looking. But she turns her gaze desperately out the window, thinking, "Wow, this is unbelievable! Time Yellow's so important a driver!" She screws up her courage and determinidly, watching him with wide eyes, says "Well, this is quite a beginning." He agrees affably. Well, she knows of course he cannot let her know he is Time Yellow, and must behave as though he doesn't know her. But she studies him carefully. Close to him she notes that his voice sounds a bit different, and he isn't as tall as she remembers. Perhaps she is wrong? Aware of the intent scrutiny, Ayase glances away, wondering what's going through her head.

They stop at a red light while Honami bites her lip, trying to figure out ways to talk to him about who she thinks he is. Ways that will not reveal her knowledge. And her eyes light on the people crossing in front of them. A kindergarten teacher, leading a crew of four, tiny children dressed in yellow coats. "Ah, yellow!" she stutters out. And then quickly clarifies, "The color." Ayase responds mildly, "You like yellow?" An opening! Honami's eyes shine as she says to him, "Oh yes! You know the Time Rangers, Yellow is my favorite! He's really the coolest of them!" Ayase manages to look politely interested, but thinks wryly, "Why did I have to get stuck with a fan of Domon's?" The light changes and they go only to get shaken by an explosion. Ahead of them, the street is full of flames, Zenitto and a wild, silver and blue being waving joyfully.

As cannons are used to destroy more buildings, Honami cringes back in her seat. "Londarz!" gasps Ayase. Scowling about his passenger, he slips his hand into his pocket and hits the emergency signal. Takku hears it and relays to the others where it is coming from. Domon was sitting at the computer with Sion, though they weren't doing anything I could see, the desktop was on. Tatsuya and Yuuri leap to their feet and everyone races off. Ayase is trying to drive out of the area, but they are seen by Hoogu, who fires a missile straight into their window. Ayase shoves Honami out ahead of him, and they are both sent flying by the explosion. The others arrive in armor on the next street to fight the Zenitto and Yuuri asks Takku about Ayase, but he explains that Honami is still there and they must not initiate contact or they'll reveal his identity. Domon hears that and calls, "Honami too? Blast it all! Where are they?" Ayase's first priority is to get Honami to safely, a difficult prospect with her injury and the need to keep out of sight. When they are cornered by the monster, Ayase is forced to reach for his Chrono Changer. It's gone. Without a choice, he races out to try to fight the monster off in his civvies. That one knocks him for a loop and is about to slice him up when Domon arrives. Unfortunately, they are out of Honami's line of sight, and when Time Yellow appears, she is positive he is Ayase. Then the monster manages to trap Domon under a bunch of debris, and is blasting randomly into the rubble to get him, when Ayase arrives in the area looking desperately for his Chrono Changer. This throws Honami into brief confusion, but timing is always just perfect to keep her from seeing Ayase in his civvies and Domon in his armor at the same time. She stares at him and cries out, "Time Yellow!" and he glances back at her, upset and still searching. Ayase finds his changer when he hears Tatsuya calling him urgently through it. Honami is unconscious, and the two Rangers fight their best.

The sun is setting, and Domon in his civvies is carefully carrying the unconscious Honami towards where he knows there is an ambulance. She whispers Time Yellow in her sleep, and he adjusts the position carefully.

Meanwhile, we recognize Don Dorunero's human disquise. He has formed an alliance of sorts with a business man, who may or may not have a clue what he is really dealing with, and brings home a lovely, huge case full of money, much to Lira's delight.

Sion is bringing tea to everyone, while Domon sits morosely on the couch. Sion checks the e-mail and asks Domon if he wants to answer Honami, now, but Domon seems terribly depressed and is not inclined to answer it. And Ayase has a terrible feeling he knows why. He remembers Honami looking at him and calling, "Time Yellow!" Domon must be feeling guilty about her being hurt, and loving him. Sion is out with Domon, trying to reassure him that it is all right to care about this woman, even in the battles with the Londarz.

Meanwhile, Honami is walking with her protective charm, saddened by a lack of answer to her e-mail. But she remembers Ayase's mad rush to protect her and is sure it isn't so bad. She and Domon pass each other on the street. It takes her a moment to recognize him, but she isn't sure and continues on. And so does he, after a similar pause in step.

Next episode: An elderly teacher arrives to train Tatsuya, and this interferes with his activities as a Time Ranger. And Yuuri has ended up under the watch of Tatsuya's mother, who has hired her to do some work.

A bright day in the city, the sound of traffic, and in a building someone cocks a gun and carefully sets it up. Four people in light shoes slip silently through a room, one a woman. The camera pans up and she is Yuuri, with Ayase, Tatsuya and Domon close around her. Tatsuya peers around the corner up a stairwell. A moment later and Sion comes hurrying silently down it, rounds the corner to stand among them and says with wide-eyed caution what he's seen. "The criminal's on the top floor, I don't know how many people he has." Yuuri confirms that they'll go in with Plan C. Tatsuya echoes them questioningly, "Isn't that the one where, as soon as I find him I stop him with the 'thing?'" It is. Sion pulls out a white and green tube that has a red triangle at the shorter end. "The stun-bullet. It will stop everyone, and we might be slowed down a little." This is what they will use. He hands it out to Tatsuya, who looks at it nervously and asks, "That means it might hurt our hearts?" Ayase's eyes go up to his, but Sion says it won't, it's really harmless. "But..!" protests Tatsuya, but Ayase cuts in, "Are you scared? Shouldn't be afraid of a little thing like this." Tatsuya gazes at him anxiously, but Ayase's stare is forbidding, then he says firmly, "It'll be all right." Domon sets his hands firmly on Tatsuya's shoulders "Jeez, you worry about everything, don't you?" "Um, I just wanted to check on this." Ayase sighs to himself. Yuuri decides they should do this in thirty minutes, and Ayase agrees they must synchronize. They haul out their Chrono Bracelets and program in the timer. She starts the countdown and when she says, the four of them race off up the stairs.

Sion touches his head and a green visor appears, as well as a weapon in his hands. The others are in their uniforms, Tatsuya in the lead, creeping up stairs to other floors. They split up in a hall, Tatsuya going one way while the others check. Yuuri opens the door to one empty room cautiously. Somewhere, there is a machine gun waiting. Tatsuya heads down a hall, his cannon out and clasped tightly against his chest. He starts to put the cyclinder Sion gave him in, then decides he isn't sure it's safe. Yuuri is signalling through the bracelet, they are down to only a few seconds. Domon is ready to open a door, and Ayase is ready to tear through it with his Double Vector. Tatsuya is still hesitating when they hit zero and Domon opens the door. Ayase rolls into the room, Domon behind him, Yuuri coming in the next door. The machine gun swivels following their movement as Tatsuya prepares to fire, but not with his cannon He has his Vector out. They stare at him in surprise, Yuuri exclaiming, "He's got the wrong thing out!" Then the gun starts firing and he dives out and throws his Vector at it, knocking it down. And when that happens, several other guns drop into firing position, to his teammates' horror. They are all fired on and all fall.

They are covered in white dust, and finally begin shaking themselves off. Sion walks into the room with his visor on to tell them that the simulation is over and that they were all dead. When Domon asks why he had to hide the gun there, he shows them how when he raises and lowers his hand, the machine guns shift position. "Well, it's an ambush!" He grins and touches his visor, which vanishes in shining green light. Domon is rather surprised. "Ambush? That's an old word." "Yes, I saw it on TV!" But Yuuri goes over to Tatsuya, who is just beginning to pull himself together. "Just what were you doing? What was running through your mind?" she says angrily. He is trying to brush it off, along with the white dust.

The others are cleaning up the dust and half pretending to be ignoring the two, while Yuuri turns the full force of her outrage on an embarrassed Tatsuya. "No reason at all? You just made the decision for yourself?! You changed the plan on your own? What are you trying to do?!" Ayase is studiously avoiding getting involved in this discussion. Tatsuya's face twists and he tries to apologize, (Even so, I'm terribly sorry!) "Dakara Gomen. Gomennasai!" and he makes it a pun, holding his hands like the horn of a rhinocerous (sai) then poking his fingers against his nose and fanning them away. It is meant to defuse the anger, to make her laugh. But people don't joke with Yuuri, and she thinks he is mocking her. She glares and turns away to finish putting away the guns. Domon puts his two cents in to affectionately tease Tatsuya. "You wanted to show off on us, eh?" Tatsuya is blushing and leaps on that reason, "You caught me at it! You notice things fast!" he turns to try to get Yuuri to look and smile, but she will not. Domon says wryly, "You're a thousand years slow." Sion is also trying to lighten the mood. "But you were pretty cool!" "You think so? I'm the coolest -- " But Yuuri will not have it. "Don't play, Tatsuya. If this wasn't a simulation, somebody might have died!" The others very intently continue with their cleaning. Tatsuya salutes her playfully. "Yeah, I understand! If it was real I would do what I was supposed to!" When she keeps her gaze studiously on her task, he leans down close and says in the Kansai accent, "Can't we celebrate this with something?" But as he goes back to the more forgiving members of the group and says accusingly, "Hey guys, don't you want to eat something?" Sion bounces to him eagerly, "I want to eat Akashiyaki!" and Tatsuya is ready to take off with them, but Yuuri keeps him on a short leash. "You're not going to be in the real attack." She has finished packing the guns and closed the case, is lifting it as Tatsuya leaps panicky down to plead with her. But she pulls away and lays the case on a counter. "Trying to plan something with someone I don't trust is just like committing suicide. Someone who's trying to turn the simulation ground into a playground, I just don't know what they'll do." As she brushes the last of the dust off the gun-case, what she says is not falling on completely deaf ears. Tatsuya gets to his feet and asks "Now what are you saying? Isn't that both of us?" She looks at him finally and asks him what he is talking about, and he tries to explain. "I'm trying to say we're the same. Nobody understands what anyone else is thinking. I'm in this type of building, and I don't know what your last name is, I don't even know what you're thinking." He turns away towards the watching, worried Sion and Domon. She goes back to the polishing, "You don't understand." He whirls on her, "No it's you who don't understand!" He breathes in quietly, "I have one or two things I can't tell anyone. Don't you?" Lips thin, she says, "I don't have anything I can't tell anyone." Frustrated, he turns about and starts grumpily, "Yeah, you're always perfect, just the angriest person in the world. Maybe you just don't have a last name." But this conversation, at this moment, is just going to have to end in an impasse. Yuuri's voice shakes as she says, "And what do you understand?" She turns to him, a faint sheen of tears in her eyes. "What do you understand about me?!" He is frozen under her glare and cannot answer. Domon and Sion exchange nervous looks. But she gets it back together. "You might be right about the last name thing, but I saw your plans." And she carries the box away with out the door, Domon and Sion turning to watch her go. Domon whirls back to Tatsuya. "You shouldn't say things like that!" Sion crowds the other side, frowning, and says, "Tatsuya, hurry up and make up with her, be friends again." Tatsuya turns to them, but doesn't know what to say. Domon frowns and takes off with Sion. Ayase starts past him, pausing to say softly, "If I thought something would go wrong with my body, I would have told everybody. Stop doing things like this." He leaves a bit angry, somewhat sad. Tatsuya stares at the stun bullet in his hand and thinks sadly, "It's all my fault." He closes his fist over it.

They return home and start putting equipment away. Takku asks, "Did the simulation go well?" But the group is quiet. Yuuri turns and says coolly, "It went very wrong." and walks away. Tatsuya glances miserably after her, then moves to put away his equipment, Ayase glancing over his shoulder at him. Takku comments, "If you fail in the real situation, no one will forgive you." Sion goes to sit with him, even Ayase turning troubled to glance at Tatsuya then away. "The truth -- " Sion starts, but Domon cuts in from beside Tatsuya, "Come on, come on, come on." He pats Tatsuya's back firmly and moves over toward Yuuri to look at her hopefully, "Don't be so crabby!" But she stalks away from him. Ayase has settled on one of the couches and watches her move away. Domon sighs and grumbles, "Leave her alone a while," and heads to the bedroom. Ayase watches wearily, then turns his gaze to Takku. "When will the real one start?" Takku turns his head. "It happened four to seven days ago." He tells them of a crowd of Zenitto breaking into a building, killing three people and shooting up the area, smashing everything and then decided to go back to their base. "That's why I wanted you to do the simulation for it." Troubled, Sion says, "Then we didn't have to do the simulation?" and Yuuri comes back. "You're wrong. We found our weak spot immediately because of it." Tatsuya looks miserably towards her, knowing she means him. "Look for other ways the weak spot can cripple us." Sion goes somewhat pale and stands, then glances back at Tatsuya sympathetically.

At the Londarz tower, a Zenitto brings a turtle to the blue creature recently released from prison. His name is Genbu. "Francois! Where were you?" He happily gathers the turtle up while Gien, Dorunero and Lira watch this with confusion. Dorunero says calmly, "Hey Genbu! I've decided which building you'll hit next! This time the Time Ranger will come. Are you ready?" A Zenitto is keeping itself busy preventing the turtles from walking off the tabletop. He answers, "Oh, I'm ready, but is the reward ready?" Gien says "You need to know everything before you do anything. Look here." Genbu turns and the Zenitto open a case for him. It is loaded with money. "Oh, yeah!" he exclaims. "If you know already, then hurry up and do what what you're supposed to! God, I hate turtles." A Zenitto helpfully tries to comfort her, holding out a turtle. She whaps the droid over the head in annoyance. It bounces away to bring the turtle to Genbu. "Don't be so mad. Once I get on the job, you guys won't have any more problems." He happily leans down and pets his turtles.

Sion answers the phone at Tomorrow Research, writing down the message as Domon beside him is doing pushups and situps, breathing heavily. Ayase is situated on the couch and says wearily, "You're too loud. Can't you be quiet?" Domon isn't bothered, he says "I'm loud because the Londarz can't hear me and know how strong I am." And he wants them to. Tatsuya sits sadly on the other side of the room, and Yuuri is studiously not looking at him from where she sits next to the computer. Takku announces, "I've had a search program inside the computers in every building since yesterday, so we will know if they are invaded." Sion announces that someone is moving, and looks around to see if they will do it. There is a distinct lack of enthusiasm, but Domon glances around and then gets up and into one of the office chairs to put his shoes on. "Okay, let's work. We should do something before the Londarz get in our way." Yuuri says coolly, "Sure, let's work. And when the Londarz attack we can leave Tatsuya to finish the work. He'll only get in our way." Ooouuuuch. Tatsuya drops his head back against the wall, miserably. Sion comments softly, "Tatsuya has to get ready for a karate class." Startled, Tatsuya looks at him for explanation.

Sion leads them to the address. It is a broad estate, the low walls all around. Inside it is all green and stately trees. "Here!" Sion says, leading them eagerly in the gate. They read the wooden name-plaque on the pillar. "Takamiya?" mutters Tatsuya. The name is familiar to him but he isn't sure why. Behind him, Domon stretches and says, "Let's go!" They walk into the grounds. They gaze around in amazed appreciation at the garden. A man is trimming trees. Domon appreciates it and says, "This isn't what you usually see." Ayase sees a troubled look on Tatsuya's face. "What's the matter?" "Oh, nothing." "Tatsuya!" calls a woman. They turn in surprise. There is a lovely woman, probably late thirties early forties in stylish orange jacket, white shirt and beige pants. She giggles. It's his mother, hurrying towards them. The others exchange glances. "Are you surprised?" she asks him cheerfully. But he is stuttering, "Surprised? Um, uh. This place is -- " When suddenly there is a shout, "Shikiai!" and a gardener's rake is high in the air and coming down as though to hit Tatsuya. But it stops just short of his head as he is flinching and ducking. The man holding it chuckles and pulls his hat off so they can see his face. All smiles, perhaps late sixties, large round-lensed glasses. Tatsuya's mouth hangs open a moment. "Grandfather! When did you move here?" "Oh, last week. I'm living with your mother." he answers. He's the one who hired them, and he drags a protesting Tatsuya with him to do Karate. His mother watches them go, and Yuuri asks what it is they are supposed to do. She says, "Nothing terribly difficult. We just need a lot of cleaning done."

So they are cleaning in the huge, traditional-style house. Tatami mats, sliding doors covered in rice paper. Sion is enjoying himself tremendously as he polishes the floors, racing up and down the halls. Domon is sweeping, Ayase wiping, Yuuri washing. She tells "Domon, put the broom in the water and wash the mats. He is startled but obliging. "Where is the water?" Sion slides to a halt next to her and looks outside. "Tatsuya's mom was also rich," he comments innocently. Domon leans against the wall. "Everywhere you look at him, he's one hundred percent a rich little boy." He is not mean about it, but perhaps slightly envious. Yuuri, however, is less friendly about this. "The guy who acts like he's cool has gotta be a rich little fool." Ayase says wryly, "Yes, he even acts like he's cool where he isn't." Domon peers down at him. "Why are you mad at him?" "I'm not that mad," Ayase says. Yuuri's lip twists with annoyance. "He'd make anyone mad." For emphasis, she wrings her towel out with all her strength, imagining it to be Tatsuya's neck.

Genbu holds a tool in his hands. "Now I'm ready. Let's start the party!" and he activates it. It glows a sort of orange-red and light beams up from it. At the base, Takku senses the disruption, the impact upon local references. "What's this energy? Where did it come from? I can sense it!" And Lira and Gien find themselves on a beach in a world where the light is rather yellow. "It feels kind of weird," Lira comments. Dorunero says, "Hey, this isn't weird! This feels good!" For he is swimming in the air above them. They are rather surprised. But then Genbu shuts off his machine. A moment later the background disintegrates. They are back in the tower, and Dorunero hits the floor, hard, flat on his face. Lira anxiously leaps to help him up as Gien and Genbu snicker. "Oh, Dorunero, are you all right?" And the perpetrator explains they were in the Genbu Zone that he made. Dorunero says, waving dramatically, "Pretty good, that. Let's start the plan!" Genbu puts his tool in the shoulder indent just for it. "Leave everything to me!"

Yuuri is carrying a box from the house when she sees Tatsuya and his grandfather sparring. Tatsuya is getting the worst of it, his grandfather is good with a broom which he uses to knock his grandson about and pin his leg. "When did you get so bad?" the grandfather scolds and knocks him away. Tatsuya gets up with determination and launches himself to attack again, only to get dodged and stumble past. He keeps up the attack. Yuuri is staring at all this with some perplexity, when Tatsuya's mother arrives to watch with amused affection. "He isn't doing as well as he used to. Did something happen to him?" and Yuuri can only stutter weakly, "Um, I don't know." Affectionately the mother teases, "It's easy to tell when something's happened to him. Ever since a long time ago, he used to think about everything on his own and not ask for any help. It's hard not to notice when he's hurt. That's why his grandfather started teaching him Karate." They watch the wild, if startlingly unequal sparring. A memory, then, of the little boy tumbling in the grass as his adult self is doing now. The grandfather telling him gently, "Now, Tatsuya. If you have anything troubling your heart, you can't win."

Referring back to when the boy was only 10 years old, going to school. Tatsuya walking along the way and two other boys racing past him, knocking his hat to the ground. The sad boy bending to pick it up and knock the dust off. Cocking his head as two other boys nearby speak. "Do you know why Asami-kun got a black belt? Because his father's rich and his teacher is one of the best. And at tests he's always cheating." Tatsuya miserably clenched the end of his school hat, trying not to cry. One day those two boys pushed him into the mud next to a fountain. One said, "You can't do anything by yourself! Let's go!" Frustrated, Tatsuya clenched his fists in the mud and slammed it down. He walked home wearily when his grandfather pulled up beside him and stepped out of the big car. "Tatsuya, what's the matter?" The boy blinked and said, "Oh, nothing. Hey, Grandfather! I'll give you something good!" He trots up to the grandfather, who has bent low for his little grandson, and pats mud all over his cheeks. "I tricked you!" Tatsuya teases, then turns and races off. The startled grandfather pursues, a bit angered until he rounds the corner and hears quiet sobs. Tatsuya is huddled beside a small drinking fountain, weeping. His grandfather asks if he'd like to learn Karate from him, and Tatsuya is eager for it. So they practice together, the boy very happy. Grandfather teaches patiently, "Karate doesn't have anything to do with the Asami name. The punches and kicks are all from you, reflecting your thoughts. If you win or lose, that's something you have to decide. It doesn't even have to matter to your father."

Tatsuya's crossed arms block the hard swing of his grandfather's broom. With enthusiasm, he goes on the offensive, pushing his grandfather back. His mother continues to explain softly, "Karate is the thing that saved Tatsuya from all his bad thoughts. Except the things he does to trick his opponents haven't changed." Tatsuya lands heavily on his back. The hard end of the broom holds his shoulder down. "This isn't like you, did something happen?" his grandfather says worriedly, studying his grandson's unhappy eyes. Thoughts churn and Tatsuya fights not to speak but then changes his words, glancing behind his grandfather. His eyes go wide with amazement. "Hey! There's a young girl in a bikini!" Startled, the grandfather turns to look and Tatsuya tumbles his way out from under the broom and back on his feet, "I got you!" His grandfather growled, "Don't play with me!" and went after him with the broom again. Tatsuya jumps over one slash and then the grandfather brings the broom right up between his legs *cough* and Tatsuya ends up flying and landing on his back. He flips over to find the hard end of the broom right in his face, and the grandfather heaves it up to hit him. Tatsuya covers his head, "I give up!" he cries. The grandfather lowers his broom but Tatsuya suddenly grins up at him and waves his hands, thumbs at his temples. "Just kidding!" Totally furious, the grandfather is really after him, but Tatsuya rolls happily out of the way of each blow. "Remember, don't get mad now!" he teases.

His mother is deeply amused and smiles at the still puzzled Yuuri. "You see what I mean?" Yuuri can only nod, and her thoughts shift to the argument, to the seriously apologetic and then playful actions Tatsuya had done. Not mockery after all, and she thinks, "Which means that time he did something wrong because something happened to upset him. Something he couldn't talk about." The battle is winding down as Tatsuya huddles. "No, I really give up, really this time!" he calls. The grandfather stops and half-glares at him. "You haven't changed." "You're the one who hasn't changed!" He falls back in the grass, sweaty and feeling better. "You don't change where you're strong." Grandfather sits beside him and says softly, "I don't know what happened. But it's what you did, deciding." Tatsuya wearily signs OK at him. "I understand." He pats at his grandfather's arm as he is now seated next to the boy. "Really, don't give up," he tells Tatsuya, who sits up beside him. "Hey, you should stop saying that silly ttekanji stuff. It doesn't look good on you." "Oh, really?" They start laughing together. Tatsuya's mother laughs with joy at the resolution, and Yuuri considers this, a new angle.

The Londarz attack, chasing a bunch of people into a building. A security guard manages to trip the alarm. Takku picks up the signal and relays an emergency call to Tatsuya and the others. He has to beg his grandfather's pardon. "This is important! I'll see you later!" he squeezes the man's arm and races off to change. Puzzled at the sudden race-off, he gets to his feet and finds himself looking at a still-thoughtful Yuuri. But she blinks and bows low to him, before taking off herself. She joins the other four, Domon says "Let's go!" but Sion asks, "Tatsuya..?" Ayase cuts in softly, "Are we really leaving him here?" Yuuri is about to respond when Tatsuya rushes up. "Yuuri! I will not deviate from the plan!" But Yuuri simply says, "I know." He opens his mouth in surprise, but she tells them let's go and races off. Domon grins and pulls him with them, Sion is ecstatic. Ayase seems more resigned. They are leaving his dear relatives to puzzle after them. Tatsuya's mother says nervously, "Those young people seem like they're doing something vital, that we haven't a clue about." Her father, watching, wipes the sweat from his neck. "Looks good on him, with all those friends. He'll be all right."

The group arrives at the building. Tatsuya is trying to figure out why Yuuri has eased off so suddenly, but he realizes he can only really thing about it later. Yuuri whispers, "They're going in." Zenitto are driving security guards into the building, the Time Rangers change into their armor. Inside the building, Zenitto have hostage several crying, struggling office ladies and men. Takku signals the group. "They're hiding on floor two!" and Sion says calmly, "That means we're going with Plan C!" Tatsuya pulls out the stun-bullet and Domon tells him, "This time you're not allowed to make a mistake!" "Yes, this time I'll rely on you guys." He is determined not to fail them. He turns and puts a firm hand on Ayase's shoulder. "I'll do it." Ayase claps him on the back in comraderie. Yuuri declares they're going to synchronize in on four minutes. She counts down four seconds and they race in. "Come, Timeranger!" Genbu says cheerfully. And our heroes enter the buiding, hearing the weeping of the prisoners. Tatsuya has loaded the stun bullet. As they hurry in, Ayase rolling to be out of the line of fire, Yuuri beside him and Tatsuya with the cannon behind, red balls of light enter them. Takku senses it. "This is what I sensed before!" Genbu presses his weapon, and they are taken from the building to appear together on the yellow-lighted beach. "Welcome to the Genbu Zone. And out of the dust approach their doppelgangers. They are shocked and confused. Tastuya says, "Huh?" Yuuri asks "Why?" Ayase says, "This is crazy!" Domon wonders, "Time Ranger?" and Sion says, "Is this a dream?" Tatsuya stutters, "Why are there two of each of us?" But the echoing voice around them says, "They are your mirror images from Hell!" And the enemies have out the Time Vectors and blast our heroes, who get up again with their own vectors. Yuuri gets sliced and diced by hers. Ayase fights himself and gets blasted. The two reds tumble into the ocean and then fight on its surface, Tatsuya getting the worst of it. Domon gets beaten and smashed into a cliff by his. Sion is hit by the super-fast dopp.

Our heroes start to fire, but their dopps fire first, and they each face their own, and they are losing. The reds end up fighting on the surface of the water, until the dopp forces the real one below the surface. Domon's dopp gets through his guard and throws him around. Sion's uses the beat up and a spinning attack. The team assembles frantically together, Tatsuya says frantically, "They're not the same, they're better than us!" Takku, where he is in the real world, says, "I should have known what that energy was in the first place! I should have warned them!" Genbu is smug about earning his 50,000,000 yen. The team is being torn to pieces. "Everyone's in great danger!" Takku says urgently. And in the Genbu Zone, the dopp-Time Red moves his hand slowly up his Spark Vector, which glows following the hand. Power at full, he hits, they each hit with the clock attack, and our heroes go up in flames.

Next episode: The doppelgangers walk through the city. Tatsuya and Yuuri get back to Takku, who shows them a computer simulation, and tells them, "You have to shoot the inside and outside simultaneously!" Domon, Sion and Ayase are trapped together in a wood. The others are racing to attack, Yuuri saying "I have to go in again," and Tatsuya says, "Yuuri! I won't mess it up!" "Huh. I believe you!" she tells him.Countdown of Trust. Shinrai no Countdown (byouyomi) 信頼の秒読み

In our last episode, the Timeranger were captured, and Tatsuya and Yuuri were fighting. They are now within his Genbu-zone, fighting copies of themselves, and getting beat. They fall. Yuuri suggests hauling out the cannons, and their doubles do as well. Both groups fire on each other. They fall in the backlash and when they look up, Ayase sees a tear and cracks in the Genbu Zone, Tokyo visible through it. "We might be able to get out through there!" Yuuri stares in horror. "There's a hole in time!" For they are 8,000 years in the future. Tatsuya says, "Then let's get out of here!" They race for the hole, Tatsuya in the lead with Yuuri right on his heels, then Ayase, Domon and Sion. Seeing them escaping, Genbu hits his buttons and three of them are still stuck. Genbu appears next to his copies. "Two of them got away, but don't worry about it."

Yuuri and Tatsuya falls onto the tiled floor of the building, out of their armor and well-bruised. Tatsuya is on his feet. "Where are we? We must have gotten out!" and he quickly tries to signal the others, then cries out for Sion. But Yuuri says calmly, "It looks like we're the only ones who got out." Takku calls them. "Come back, we need to make a plan!" They nod to each other and race home.

Our villains, including their Zenitto, are saluting each other with fine glasses of rich, red wine. Lira giggles. "Right now the Time Rangers are making their own tombstones!" Gien shifts in his seat with an agreeing huff. "I'd be ecstatic if they die this time." Dorunero says, "That's not all I want!" Lira is puzzled and so he explains, shifting where he stands, "It isn't so exciting, catching them by only terrorizing people in a building. I want money! Money, money, come, come!"

And at Tomorrow Research, Takku explains about Genbu and the copies. Tatsuya stands and Yuuri sits near the computer. "Prisoner 1524, Genbu. He makes passages in time. He was using a lot of girls in those passages, and making a lot of mistakes. Two people died because of his mistakes." Tatsuya asks anxiously, "What is he doing that for?" "He wants to make every timeline his palace. The times that he has right now all look like he wants them to. Wasn't he using a copy machine?" Puzzled, Yuuri repeats, "Copy? That means those Time Rangers were..." "As I thought," Takku replies. He refers to their description of the other Time Red powering up his Double Vector to fire. "They aren't merely human, everything that's with them, the Chrono Suits, the weapons they are copies of how strong you would be in those times." Anxiously, Yuuri asks "What is making those times?" "It's got to be something he brought with him. But it would be too difficult for you to get to him!" Tatsuya asks hoarsely, "So what can we do to help Ayase and the others?" And Takku replies, "I'm researching the answer, wait just a little longer, please!" With a breath of determined patience, Yuuri says, "We'll just have to trust that they'll be alive when we get there." Tatsuya flinches and digs his hands into his pockets.

It is dark, the lighting is blueish. The place is cool and the light is not motionless. Ayase lies on his stomach and wakes. He lifts his head and looks up. There are sea turtles swimming over his head. He stands, Domon and Sion with him. "Where are we now?" Sion asks. "I don't know!" Domon mourns. Ayase inquires about Tatsuya and Yuuri. "I think they got out," replies Sion. "So, it's just us," Ayase says. And Domon speaks into his Chrono Changer, "Takku, answer me!" Sharks swim over their heads. But there is no answer to his increasingly frantic call. Sion says softly, "It looks like we can't reach him from here." A strange sound, and Sion gasps. The Time Ranger copies have appeared behind them. Like the smart boys they are, they run. Genbu touches the controls and the trio are switched. They fall and land in darkness, poor Ayase ending up on the bottom as Sion rubs his bruised ribs. When they get up, they find they are standing in Genbu's open palm and he waves at the terrified men with his free hand! "I'm going to flatten you!" he tells them in a cheerful, booming voice. They are trying to keep their balance and panic at the same time. "What can we do?" cries Sion. "I don't know!" shouts Domon. "JUMP!" shouts Ayase. And they do.

Back at base, Yuuri and Tatsuya are still hanging anxiously near Takku. He is showing them a simulation on the computer screen. A sphere represents the zone, and within it three circles of their missing friends. An image of the Assault Vector firing on the zone and it disintegrating. "It's made of little sqaures of time! So we can use the Assault Vector, we might be able to disintegrate it. But it would be just like a bomb, it would kill the people inside." Tatsuya does not like that idea at all. "But if you shoot from both the inside and the outside, it won't blow up, it will only disappear. But you have to hit it in the same place!" "But we can't contact the others!" Tatsuya says painfully. Yuuri is losing some of her calm and asks anxiously, "How do we manage the timing?" Takku answer her calmly enough, "One of you must get inside the zone." They both flinch in horror, though they don't look at each other. "If you get inside the building, Genbu might invite you in. It doesn't matter which time-frame you are in, you just have to be able to hit both the inside and the outside!" Shivering and staring out the window, Tatsuya says, "That means if only one of us makes a mistake, it's the end." Takku agrees and adds, "You two have to trust each other." At that, Tatsuya turns and looks down at Yuuri. She does not look at him, but says, "Yes. Let's do it, Tatsuya," with a brief glance his way. He is too stunned to do more than make an agreeing noise, and Takku gets them going. "I'll keep finding out more, you two get ready so you can go immediately when I tell you!" Yuuri agrees. A puzzled Tatsuya swallows.

Ayase and the others hide in woods, while the five copies search for them. Ayase is standing watch and when the five pass by, joins his two nervious friends down under the dubious shelter of a large boulder. Domon asks how it is, and Ayase says he thinks they've managed to lose them. Sion says softly, "This place is very damp, isn't it?" Ayase responds, "Except now we can get our breath." Domon hunkers down further under the overhanging boulder, "I didn't know I would be chased by myself." Ayase looks at him, "No. It isn't you. It's something more powerful than you. Even if we fight our best, we can't beat them." Sion looks at him and says softly, "Which means only Tatsuya and Yuuri can save us." Domon is equally soft-voiced. "Those two must have stopped fighting by now. Please!" He looks anxiously about, as if wondering where to send his prayer.

Meanwhile, those two have brought the Beat Up and a laptop, and are ready to storm the building Genbu and the Zenitto hold. They creep past the windows to a place they can set up, Yuuri opening the laptop. Tatsuya starts to pack the Beat Up system onto his Vector. His hand slips and he drops the first part, it falls with a clatter. Yuuri says quickly, "Calm down." He shudders and picks up the small weapon, "Anybody would feel nervous before this kind of attack," she adds. Tatsuya looks shyly at her and says, "I hope you're used to doing a bust and being calm at the same time." "There's no one who is used to it." He stares at her, wide-eyed, then looks away. "Really, is that so?" He continues putting the pieces on his Vector. "I just want to ask you one thing." "Yes?" she says, her attention seemingly completely on the computer. "Why did you decide to do this with me? I mean, after you told me you couldn't trust me so many times." She doesn't answer right away, but then says, "During the simulation, you did something you weren't supposed to do, and there was a reason. It might have been a very good reason. That's what I think, anyway." Totally flushing with embarrassment, Tatsuya says "No, no no nothing!" and he makes a funny face and gesture, trying to distract her from her course of thoughts. She does not look at him. "When you have some problems, you try to make people laugh. It's a habit." Startled by her perception, he freezes. Then he looks away. "My mother told you that, didn't she?" "She told me that when we were watching you with your grandfather." Eyes wide, he looks at her intently. "You saw all of that?" She nods and he says, "Man, I don't believe it!" he is embarrassed. She starts to turn to look at him. "You don't have to say anything else. You have something you can't tell me, that's all right." He is badly shaken and in soul-deep pain. "I might let the secret slip someday, maybe not by telling." He stands and blinks tears from his eyes, trying to pretend he is just stretching. "I must have looked really pitiful today. I was wounded by your talking. I can't say any jokes anymore." "I... I was lying to you," she blurts out. She glances up at him beneath her eyelids, as he looks down in amazement. "You... and I." "What is it?" he asks. She stands up and puts her palms on her hips. "Let's play horse ride." "EH?" his mouth is hanging open. She utters a soft laugh. "Horse-ride." When he continues to look blank, she asks, "Don't you know it?" He stutters weakly trying to say he does, and she pulls at him. "Hurry up and turn into the horse!" She shoves him until he is half bent over. "Keep your head down!" He obeys, grabbing his ankles, and she leaps over his bent back (the game is a bit like Leap Frog) and then moves into position for him to do the same. When he still looks dumb-founded, she teases him to hurry up. At last, a bewildered, happy smile on his face, he does. Leaping over her, he is ready and calls her to go over him, but she has lost the train of fun in this and huddles unhappily around her knees. He questions and she says softly, "I told you that nothing would have happened this way, but getting in is very frightening. But, even if you risk a friend's life, in the end everyone goes home to their families." She remembers coming back to base in her police uniform, which bears striking resemblance to Domon's battle uniform. All heavy metal, orange and silver. Weary, sweaty after a day on the assault line. Returning her kit with her gun to her empty locker. Listening to others talking behind her of their families. "After you go home you think that nothing happened. But I couldn't do that. I was scared of going home to an empty house, with no one there to talk to." She would leave the offices, step into the brilliant, red electric car which opened automatically for her. The navigation computer would ask where they were going. "Going home. I've decided." And the car closed automatically and took her home. "Home. There was no other place to go." No one was there. Only the picture from when she was about 10 years old remained to her in the empty house. She used to play Horse-Ride with her little sister sometimes. "She would always ask to play, and I would say 'No thanks, I don't want to do something so babyish.' I would say. And then after she died, I thought I should have played a lot more with her." Her grin that she attempted turns to misery. "Horse Ride. Other things." She lowers her face to the shelter of her arms and knees. Tatsuya, feeling her pain, says her name. He comes to her, is just reaching down to touch her shoulder and share his strength with her, when Takku signals them. "I've developed a good plan!!" Yuuri is all business and on her feet, packing up. Tatsuya is having difficulty switching gears. "Are you all right?" he asks. "What?" she answers as she packs. "Hey, the person who should be okay is you. You're the one with the problem." But Takku is still relaying instructions. "The place Genbu is in is shrinking! We have a problem, it might disappear!" "How long do we have?" asks Yuuri. "Six minutes." Unperturbed she says, "Right. Tatsuya, we have to do this within five minutes." He agrees immediately. They gather up their equipment, switch into armor, and Yuuri heads in first.

"Looks like they can't find you!" announces Genbu. "Come to this zone, it'll be easier." And he snatches the three, alarmed heroes up and deposits them in a warehouse, under the illusion of an ocean. Ayase stares up at it. Sion, rubbing his sore back, asks plaintatively, "Are we outside?" But Domon, his face grim, steps forward. "No. It looks like we're not." For the five doppelgangers approach. With grim determination, Domon leads the switch into their armor to fight.

"Genbu, I know that you're somewhere in this building! Stop hiding. Come out!" Yuuri calls. Genbu catches her, unaware that she is a stalking goat, drops her on that same beach in time. There are four minutes left, the timer in her helmet tells her. She starts away. Tatsuya has snuck into the building and hides carefully, watching all around. His helmet pinpoints the crack in the Genbu Zone, and now he has to wait and have faith that when he fires his weapon, she'll be doing the same thing.

And in the struggle of our three trapped heroes, they notice when the pink doppelganger runs off and Ayase knows Yuuri must be there somewhere. They are shot by the other four. Yuuri has found the weak spot, there are two minutes left. She is shot by her dopp, which is in the process of slicing her to pieces, and Tatsuya is counting down the seconds until he has to fire. Worrying about each of his friends. "Don't die that easily, any of you!" he prays. Takku notes there are only 30 seconds left. Ten seconds. Yuuri must get to her cannon before the time limit. She makes it just in time, and she and Tatsuya fire together. The beams meet and destroy the Genbu Zone. Genbu, floating high in the air, says "Oh crap!"

He falls from the sky onto the cement. "Oh, my Genbu Zone!" Confronted with the real Time rangers, and Time Red announcing, "It's all over," and Time Pink with her badge out and the arresting speech, he shouts "You ain't getting me that easy!" He tears off his seal and goes large.

Takku calls in the Time Jets and at his suggestion they form Time Robo Alpha and that it's better to use the sword. Genbu uses his power to create a dopp of the robot and sends it to escalate them. They aren't doing too well. Never used to fighting themselves. At Yuuri's call, Tatsuya orders the change to Time Robo Beta. It ends up pinned under the Alpha-copy, but before Genbu can take advantage of the chance and make a copy of it, the Time Shadow arrives to hit him. And they are able to use Beta to destroy the Alpha-dopp with the Flyer Magnum. And then they form Shadow Beta and escalate Genbu with the Chrono Divider's cannon.

Back at the Londarz tower, the Zenitto are bringing in cases full of money, much to the delight of our three villains. Lira teases and joshes the Don. And Gien is polishing his arm and says, "The money is coming from all of our droids! Everybody's saying please don't attack my building!" He finds that hysterical. And Dorunero says, "If they don't get the money out, I'll crunch them!" He is in fine form. "Even if they feel like they made a mistake, we made a good choice!" Lira flirts playfully, her hands full of money. "I'll just go out and buy some things, now." She tickled Dorunero's chin. "Yeah, but don't overspend, okay?" She grins at him, "I understand!" As she walks off giggling, he is marvelling at how adorable she is. Gien, watching this interchange, says, "Dorunero, what is it that's good about her?!" He lifts his polishing rag, and there is something in his hand. Then a head comes poking out and he is startled. It is a turtle, of course.

The group is returning home, but Tatsuya is not with them. Sion is racing to catch up and says with some indignation, "Don't leave me behind, please!" Domon puts an arm over his shoulders. Yuuri asks, "Where's Tatsuya?" Domon leans over to say, "He ran ahead home." She is half-surprised. Domon then affectionately bops Sion. "He's a bit weird, you know." "Not any worse thank you," comments Ayase. Sion starts counting down on his fingers and Domon starts to do quick pushups, but Sion has not stopped and as Domon reallizes that and chases after his laughing friend, Yuuri grins. Ayase stays beside her. They make it home to find Tatsuya is there, with a large pot in his covered hands. He's been cooking.

To their confusion, he starts forward, remembers the pot, sets it down, bounces over and hugs first Sion, then a horrified Domon who exclaims that Tatsuya is behaving in a sick way. Yuuri is frozen in confusion when he stops in front of her, looks seriously down at her, then hauls her into his arms for a quick hug. "Welcome home. I'm happy you feel good." She smacks him one and, after a thoroughly indignant huff, stalks away. The others are still in total confusion. Ayase barely contains a true smirk and an anxious Sion leans to see the huge red mark on Tatsuya's cheek. "You really pissed her off," he comments in puzzlement. Domon cautions, "You gotta be careful around the enemy." Yuuri, away from them, is studiously facing the other way. Sion is asking, "Are you okay?" as his friend rubs his cheek. Domon adds, "That sure sounded like a good one." But Tatsuya is straightening up with a grin, though no one sees that Yuuri is starting to smile as she moves into her own room. Tatsuya turns and says to the others, still looking towards Yuuri, "Everyone, let's play Horse-Jump!" Domon is confused but Sion recognizes the game right away, and manages to get him to lean over saying insistently, "Domon, become a horse!" Domon is still thoroughly bewildered, but Sion leaps on his back. Tatsuya joins him until Domon manages to throw the laughing pair off, shouting "I am NOT a horse!" Ayase rolls his eyes and avoids getting knocked into by the wild trio.

Next episode: Sion's voice, "Your birthplace is very important." Scenes of a little blue robot, the group in bathing suits, in the sea. An alien with lips between two, large eyes, seeming almost like a child. And old man trying to drive Zenitto away from a cannon they've been firing. Sion in armor, racing through the surf.Chiisana Furusato, 小さな故郷 Little Hometown

Morning breaks, and a little blue robot, at 7 am, rolls along the floor announcing at the top of its voicebox "WAKE UP!" and swinging its arms. Tatsuya is the first out of the boys' room, clutching his light blue pillow. He is in a dark blue t-shirt and grey pajamas, followed by Domon in peach silk and Ayase in his white. "Is it an earthquake?" Domon asks, and then jumps out of the way when the little robot goes rolling between their feet. "Wake up, hurry up!" it calls them. Startled, Domon picks it up, Tatsuya and Ayase staring in surprise. "What is THIS?" Domon asks. An amused Ayase explains that this is an invention of Sion's. The little robot waves its arms, greeting them loudly. Domon sets the thing down, complaining about the noise, and looks around for Sion (or for something to smash the robot with). An amused Takku explains that Sion has gone out. And a very bleary Yuuri comes out of her room, also in white pajamas. Tatsuya is beginning to be amused by the little thing, who introduces itself as Time Robota, and Takku explains that he is to help with Tomorrow Research. The group look doubtfully at the tiny thing. Then it shrieks, "Oh no! It's terrible!!" "What, what?" asks Tatsuya. But it proves the little thing has used up its battery pack. "Time up," it says and shuts off. Ayase is the first to head back to their room, looking mildly exasperated. Domon grumbles spitefully about just where Sion's head is making this thing. Tatsuya answers, "Well he's a space -- " claps his fingers to his lips and quickly corrects himself. "A Hummardian."

And the early guests at a seaside town's gift and breakfast shops are enjoying themselves on this warm day. A man serves drinks to lovely girls, and then goes to see how the charming youngster who has come to fix his jukebox is doing. Sion reports that it is fine but then a voice calls from below. It is a very angry man. He has a bag full of cans he has collected from the beach. The callousness of tourists angers him, and there is no one for him to confront but the merchants who sell the goods. This merchant is tolerant of the scolding, trying to be sympathetic to Tachibana's complaint. He is willing to take the bag of cans and dispose of them, but Tachibana is not happy as that does not solve the problem, and he stomps off with the cans. Some of the customers seem a bit disturbed, and Sion asks who the man is. The merchant explains that Tachibana lives near here. He takes care of everything around here, but is a bit annoying with his self-righteousness. And the merchant goes to apologize to his customers. Sion watches the man out on the beach, cleaning up the trash. He feels very sad.

And at the Eastern somethingsomething Hotel, alarmed customers are racing out. The concierge is trying desperately to soothe them and keep people from leaving, but what is there to do? A miserable bellhop and another man are watching the pool from behind the bushes. There is a being there, blue with big eyes, golden pupils. His strange, fishy mouth is between his eyes but on his forehead, or what would be a forehead if he was human. He is Aesthetician Domiiro, and he is staring through a magnifying glass at things all about, including the long legs of a woman on a deck-chair. It is Lira, with four Zenitto bodyguards standing attendance. Domiiro is very pleased, it seems he's the one who picked out this resort as it suited his sense of aesthetics. When he demands 5,000,000 yen for his one-time services, Lira throws a fit. He quickly drops it to 2,000,000. She then informs him that she's willing to go with 10,000,000 yen if they manage to pull their goals off, which puts the little guy in ecstacy. The Zenitto bring Lira drinks, while Domiiro goes dancing off to perform her assignment.

Sion is just finishing his repairs of the jukebox when he hears a cannon go off. Domiiro, with a group of Zenitto, is using an old cannon to blast peculiar balls of strange, red liquid into the sea. "STOP!" screams a voice. It is the old man, Tachibana, arriving in mad courage with a broom and trying to drive the Zenitto away. Bemused, they immobilize him, and finally throw him into the sand. They are about to kill him when Time Green arrives to drive them off. Domiiro exclaims in surprise and when Time Green tells them to stop, shouts at him to get out of the way. A good blast from the round spot in his head tumbles Green, and before he recovers, they fire a final ball into the ocean and run off. Sion tends to the old man, who is bleeding and barely conscious.

Back at base, based on Sion's information Takku has identified their enemy as Prisoner 1357, the Aesthetician Domiiro. Domon goes, "A beautician?!" and Takku clarifies the explanation. But he cannot figure out what the prisoner is up to with the ocean. Therefore, as Ayase points out, they must go and see. "You're going?" Pipes up little Time Robotta. Domon, with an irritated growl, tells him to watch over the place and our heroes are off.

Sion is with the old man, who has tied a white cloth around his head, has a strong, hard staff in his hands, and is apparently intent upon having it out with the enemy when they come again. Sion asks him worriedly if he's sure he doesn't want to go to a hospital. He is intent to protect this place, for this is where he was born. He tells Sion that being young, the boy probably cannot really understand how important the place of one's birth is. Sion listens to him, and looks around at this beautiful place. The waves amongst the rocky shore, crabs on the sand. Grass and small trees above. The old man tells him to please go home, and he obeys.

Lira is annoyed to hear that the Time Ranger have involved themselves. Domiiro reassures her, they cannot after all have a clue what is up in the ocean. She is reassured and content to stay.

Tachibana is watching, half-perplexed, as a group of young people out on the water keep diving. Sion has a snorkle and mask. Yuuri is in one of the two inflatable boats, Ayase in the other. She asks Tatsuya if he's found anything but he hasn't, nor have the other two. They wearily return to shore, all five exhausted, Tatsuya and Domon lay down in the sand, while Ayase pulls in the boats and Yuuri puts away the paddles. Sion asks Yuuri, "Do you think it's really all right?" "Well, maybe," she replies. He turns to look at Tachibana, sitting above them, effectively ignoring them. Remembers what the man said, "Because you're young." And life, and protecting the place of your birth. He is still touched, and remarks quietly on it, his words catching his teammates' attention and alertness. They try to reassure him that his birthplace isn't here, it's in the 30th Century, after all. But that doesn't help. "I'll just go back in and search once more!" he tells them cheerfully. He heads back out into the surf to continue hunting. And they talk about the arrival on Earth of the little boy, his lonely life in the labs, no one to play with. They watch as he continues his search. And the sun is setting. Domon grumbles half-heartedly, "Yeah, but this isn't YOUR birthplace." And Tachibana watches them in the setting sun.

The hotel attendants spend a lot of time huddled, watching as the Zenitto wander hither and yon with Lira. They are coming down to eat dinner, and she looks lovely in the dress she's wearing. The bellhop inches over to the concierge, asking if there isn't anything to do. The man utters a weary sigh, then brightens suddenly. Yes, there IS something! And a crack team of troops is setting up. Men with lots of weapons. Tatsuya's father has put this group together, with some of his allies, to protect the city from the Londarz attacks. They intend to get the Time Ranger under control. Find out, somehow, who these five people are.

Sion arrives in the night to Tachibana's. He has brought some canned tea. The man is cooking fish. When he remains silent, sadly Sion turns to go, leaving the drinks. But Tachibana tells him to stay. He wants to know about his visitor, and offers him one of the fish. Sion takes a bite and finds it is very hot. His smile triggers a similar one from the bemused Tachibana. The waves come up on the night shore. The two men sit drinking tea together. Sion comments on how beautiful and quiet this place is, and when asked about his birthplace, how he doesn't have one. "Oh," says Tachibana. And then a shooting star passes through the skies, and Sion leaps up to exclaim on it in delight. Tachibana says something which catches Sion's attention, and stirs the fire.

The morning. Takku finally finds what is going on in his records. "This is terrible. Robota! Wake everyone up!" The little robot obeys happily. And since Domon is asleep on the couch right next to it, he gets the worst of the alarm. "WAKE UP! HURRY HURRY HURRY!" A barely awake Yuuri stumbles out her door to brace herself on the table. Tatsuya stubs his toe racing out of the boys' bedroom and he and Ayase both end up in a heap on the floor, glaring at the little blue robot, while Domon has his fingers determinedly in his ears. And Takku begins to tell them what has happened.

The sea has turned a deep, dark red. Sion and Tachibana gape at it. Dead things are washing up on the shore. Tachibana goes to his little tree he planted, weeping, mourning his failure. Sion comes for more explanation and it is given in quiet sadness. Tachibana had quit his work and came here to this place. He had planted this tree to symbolize his rebirth here. Past the edge of the cliff they cannot avoid seeing the blood-red sea. And down at the beach, the Zenitto and Domiiro are harvesting red seaweed, him delighted. Domiiro is very smug about getting this past the Time Rangers. When a furious Tachibana would race out to attack, Sion stops him. And before his eyes, the boy changes into armor. "I will stop them!" and races to attack. He uses his cannon, startling them. Announces that this cannot be forgiven. And the battle starts, furious Sion alone against the Zenitto. He calls in the Assault Vector, it comes to him, joins with his Vector Spark and he takes out a large number of Zenitto before Domiiro takes him down. But before he can be killed, the others arrive. Domiiro is trapped, and Takku arrives with the little robot. They are dropping the antidote to the red tide into the ocean. Tachibana sighs his relief and joy as the water turns to normal. Furious, Domiiro blasts our heroes and tries to escape. He ends up facing Sion by himself, and getting sliced to pieces, despite his attempts to beat Sion with red seaweed. The group is delighted, and about to call in the bazooka. Domiiro tears off the escalator seal, and Sion has Takku call in the Time Jets. The two small robots have suggestions, and Sion agreeably has them form Time Robo Alpha. The Time Shadow comes thru, assumes battle formation and joins its companions. But the monster throws one green batch of gel and one red batch of gel at their heads, temporarily blinding them. Sion has them form Shadow Alpha and catches Domiiro in a Virtual Net. He hauls out the Chrono Divider, uses the Blizzard Slash, and the being is Escalated. "Time up!" he calls. Robotta cheers them on.

The wind, the sea. And Tachibana digs a second hole, to plant a new tree. Sion is there, to say how great it is that Tachibana could come home. But the old man has effectively decided to adopt our boy. He hands the sapling to Sion to put in, and the other watch this excercise with thoughtful affection, as Tachibana waters the baby tree and speaks encouragement to the youngster, telling him this is now his birthplace, too. And the sun is gorgeous.

Meanwhile, two somewhat sinister-looking vehicles come to the seaside resort. Lira has finally decided to leave, but the bellhop there whispers to the concierge, "They've come!" Lira walks out the door to find a shock troop of men in blue, led by a man in a red beret. They set up bazookas, and when she sneers at them and walks on... well. The next thing our returning heroes hear is the bazooka and guns going off. They meet each other's eyes and race off to investigate.

Next episode: Our heroes find themselves confronting the youngster in the armor, who greets Tatsuya with civil enough courtesy. But in battle to protect these youngsters, Time Red is badly damaged, his visor broken open so half his upper face is visible.再会の時

Black cars drive to a hotel, men confront Lira and the Zenitto as they leave. Men in black glasses, with rocket launchers and things like that. Their leader is an older man, perhaps early forties, wearing a red beret. Lira is less than impressed, she shrugs and sneers. They fire on her. The sound attracts the Time Ranger, who are in their civvies. Two Zenitto fall at Lira's feet, great holes torn in their chests. "What the hell do you people think you're doing?" Lira snarls. "We're stopping your reign of terror." "Say what?!" The Time Ranger arrive but before Tatsuya can leap in to fight, Yuuri stops him. Lira is huffy and angry, she steps forward, the leader tells her not to move. "I'm going!" she snarls back, and they start firing. She changes into her normal clothing, but the second volley downs her other two Zenitto. Furious, she is about to attack. Yuuri gasps, "Those Zenitto, destroyed?" and Lira sees the small group standing off to the side. "Time Ranger. How troublesome." She teleports away with her luggage. The group of strange men has nothing else they can do, but dash over to get a look at the four wrecked Zenitto. The hotel concierge comes out to thank the leader of the team, who is very proud of himself. Ready to leave, one member spots the group of young people watching them and comes over to greet Tatsuya. "It's been a long time, Asami." "Naoto!" exclaims Tatsuya in surprise. It seems Naoto has been involved in this since the beginning of summer, and wonders why Tatsuya didn't know. But our boy winces and says he has no connections with his father. When Naoto gives a half-snort and nods slightly, Tatsuya reaches out inquisitively to the various things hanging off the man's uniform, but Naoto is quick to brush the boy's hand aside. It is a challenging gesture, but accompanied by a cold smile. And then his commander calls him. He puts his glasses on with a "Later, Asami," and leaves with his group. Domon, bristling, asks who that guy was. Sion asks uncertainly, "Is he a friend?" "Yeah. Um, from college." Tatsuya shoves his hands into his pocket. But to Ayase this group doesn't seem like police, and Yuuri is also disturbed. Tatsuya looks after the vanishing cars and swallows unhappily.

Gien has a holographic scene of the city open, a red circle above the skyscrapers and he is chuckling as he looks at it. He shuts it off just as Lira comes stalking in through the door, hopping mad. She is looking for Dorunero, wanting to tell him about this latest outrage imposed upon her by the 20th Century. Gien tells her he is out doing work. "Work? Okay, then you listen to me." He would rather not oblige, I think. "How about later? I'm researching something interesting right now." Pissed, she glares at him. "You never think anything I do is interesting!" She stomps away. "Hmm." He goes back to his map.

Robota is going off excitedly, "What are the City Guardians??!" and Domon is just about ready to smash the noisy little thing. Sion shields his creation and, with a groan, Domon turns to Takku pleadingly. Takku tells them perhaps they should watch the news. Yuuri hits the remote and the first thing they see is Tatsuya's father, being interviewed about the Asami Group's new effort to protect the city. The red-beret man, First Captain, is with him to explain to the room full of reporters about the City Guardians. Sion tilts his head back. "Tatsuya, your father is really great." Tatsuya hates that. His shirt winding around Sion's face, he takes the remote from Yuuri and shuts off the TV. "My father's a businessman. That's all this is to him. Business." Ayase has something to say about that and asks if this isn't some sort of challenge. That sets little Robotta off. "Challenge? Who, who, who?" it asks. Domon is about to smack it with a book, but Sion reproves him. With an annoyed look, Domon sets the book down and turns to Tatsuya. "What is it?"

Wearily, Tasuya turns to them. "Naoto Takizawa. We were in the same Karate class." He remembers the two of them always ending up matched against each other. The two best in the class. Doing Karate they were both always so serious, always intent on each other. And then Takizawa quit the university. Tatsuya had run after him, seeing him leaving. "Why are you quitting?" But he had responded this was not place for him. The people here were just too slimy for him. Treating him like a game piece? And after that he never called. If it had been a matter of money, Tatsuya would have gladly helped him.

I think Ayase understands Naoto better than Tatsuya does. He goes over to join Yuuri close to the computer. They are thinking of having Tatsuya investigate and that idea goes over about as well as you'd expect, but Takku has other ideas. This is all a part of history. And as usual, that fact annoys Domon half to death. There is still more to come, for there is a Time Pulse. Something is going to happen. He shows them the map, and while they are fretting over the Time Pulse, Tatsuya is thinking of Naoto.

The group is large, all young men, listening to Mr Asami's speech inside the Research Building. The men clear out, but Takizawa wants to talk. "President Asami, may I have a word?" Mr. Asami looks at the young man. "You are..?" He salutes. "Second Squad Naoto Takizawa. I was in school with Tatsuya." "What of it." Not forbidding, but alert. Naoto closes the gap between them. "Yesterday I saw him. And he said he's parted from you. I want to contact him where he's staying." Mr. Asami stiffens ever so slightly, looking disturbed. "He's left my home. I'm not going to search for him. It's too bad." And Naoto salutes as Mr. Asami walks off. I am not certain, but Naoto seems NOT to have either the Asami group's or Tatsuya's best interests anywhere near his heart. But he remembers college, when Tatsuya tried to be friends with him. He was sitting alone on a bench, and that bright youngster insisted on coming up and bringing him a cool drink of milk. He accepted it and Tatsuya sat next to him, making small talk. "Hot today, isn't it?" But then up came an annoying fellow in suspenders with an invitation to a party. For Asami-kun, not for the penniless Takizawa, which the fellow was heartless enough to say but not quite in so many words. When Naoto stalked off, Tatsuya gave the invitation back and ran off, continuing to try to be friends. Enough to drive any man who was being cut out of college life crazy. Naoto is at the training range. "You are an idiot, Asami." For who is it he is shooting when he fires at the target? I haven't a clue but some suspicion.

Gien has determined what he plans to do with that holographic map. He gets up and goes, snickering, to open the vault to the more dangerous prisoners. He is looking forward to some fun.

Takku has found the Time Pulse, where it is in the air far above the office buildings. And suddenly, someone is firing into it. Yes, there is a vaguely mantis-like brown being there with the Zenitto. He is a Hell's Gate-being, Jyaguru. He is trying to open the Time Pulse. The air where it is starts to visibly ripple. Takku urgently calls his people. The five race from home. And the commander of the City Guardians is sending his people out. Mr. Asami is intent on proving his team with this fight. He drives out to follow and see how it goes.

The Time Rangers race in through the panicking crowds, while the Time Pulse is increasing in size? Distortion? They fight, Sion using Accelerate and Tatsuya calls in the Assault Vector. The group confronts Jyaguru. And he is guarding his tool, amused by the Time Rangers and happy to fight them. Takku identifies him for them. But then they are fired on by him, and a hole is put in the cement where they were standing before they ducked. Police cars arrive and the Zenitto fire on them, blasting some over. And the City Guardians arrive and start setting up their bazookas. The First Captain orders the firing, and Zenitto fall. Yuuri and Tatsuya duck behind a tree to watch, but then come under attack from Jyaguru. He is happily bashing about our heroes, and then gets Tatsuya badly, sends him flying. Mr. Asami is nearby, watching the battle and fretting about just who the Time Ranger are. Jyaguru manages to beat Time Red and tosses him away. Several meters seperate them, and Jyaguru is about to fire on him. But the City Guardians leap between him and the monster. Jyaguru watches with bemused interest as they haul out their little guns and aim at him. Time Red frantically grabs the commander's arm and tells him this one is far more dangerous than the Zenitto, to run, and Naoto recognizes his voice in shock. "You?" The leader shoves Tatsuya back and leads his group to fire on Jyaguru, who laughs and fires contemptuously back at them, knocking them all over. Time Red finds himself fallen between Naoto and the group commander. Mr Asami and his man are gasping in horror. Jyaguru is about to fire on the commander, who bravely faces coming death with his little gun out ready to fire. But Time Red leaps leaps between them to take Jyaguru's shot. He falls and Yuuri screams his name as the others are still struggling against Zenitto. Even Takku whispers his name in shock. Jyaguru raises his weapon with interest and snorts.

Time Red lies in rubble, the cement beneath him fried to brown dust. The City Guardians scattered around are beginning to pull themselves up, afraid he is dead. All watch with wide-eyed shock, even Mr. Asami. And then there is movement, Time Red's hand shifts and he starts to get to his feet. His face is clearly visible, for his visor has had a huge chunk torn out of it. Naoto, stunned, pulls his glasses off to make sure he isn't mistaken. "Asami?" There is no doubt, really. Tatsuya turns his head, blinking with pain, to stare wide-eyed at Naoto. And that gives his father a clear view of his face. Despite his companion's effort to stop him, Mr Asami is out of the car, staring at his downed son.

Tatsuya is in some shock. He is slowly forcing himself to his feet, blood trickling down his face. He looks straight at Jyaguru, who announces, "Time to die," and lowers his gun to fire. Time Pink and Time Blue make it to him and fight to keep him from firing on Tatsuya. They wrestle him away. Pulling himself together, Tatsuya starts to run after them. But Naoto calls him. "Asami!" he turns. The two young men stare at each other for an instant, then Tatsuya starts off again, only to find his father in front of him. "Tatsuya... is... it... you're a Time Ranger?!" He is groping. What to say to his estranged son. "This is... what, why YOU?" Tatsuya is straight and professional. "Father. Fighting the Londarz isn't your business. Let it go." When he heads off, his frantic father grabs his arm. "Wait!" The confrontation could get ugly. "Explain this to me! Why do you know about this? What are the Time Rangers!?" "I can't explain now." Tatsuya pulls his arm free of his father's grasp. "You should stop this City Guardian thing, that's all." His father is thoroughly steaming, saying this IS the Asami Group's thing. Tatsuya with exasperation tells him it isn't, it must stop. Naoto is listening to the confrontation with interest, as voices raise in helpless argument. And when his father says too much, Tatsuya says he has to go. And Naoto shouts "Of course you're still an idiot!" but Tatsuya will not stay for this confrontation, either. He has a team to help. Both men watch him go, Naoto with determination, and Mr. Asami with helpless bewildered frustration.

Jyaguru has finally beaten the others down. He is about to finish them, when Tatsuya arrives to fire and prevent that final shot. They call in panic as he races through the gunfire at the enemy and manages to get in to fight. Jyaguru is downed, and they call in the Bazooka to Escalate him. And this time it works. And Mr. Asami and Naoto get there in time to watch. Tatsuya sends Sion to put Jyaguru in the prison capsule, and looks at the two men standing beyond the hedge far to his right. His group gathers affectionately around him, asking if he's all right, scolding him, very happy of him. They are unaware of the two men watching them with expressions bordering on envy.

And the ground quakes, sending everyone to stagger for balance. The Time Pulse is now cracking open. Wind, a terrible light. "What's coming?" Takku asks. It is a huge, beautiful Dinosaurish robot. And Sion is the first to identify the V-Rex from their 30th Century. He'd seen on a news report how it was lost running through the time-gate. Yuuri knows about it, too. It had gotten lost in some sort of time accident. Domon and Ayase seem to be surprised. And it runs through the city, destruction in its confused wake. The thing is incredibly speedy and wild. Gien watches all this and laughs. The V-Rex picks up a bullet-train and starts chomping down on it. Domon calls Takku, who summons in the Time Jets. They form Time Alpha at once. Providus sends back the Time Shadow, and both face the wild V-Rex. The City Guardians, helping their injured leader, stand with Mr Asami and Naoto to watch the confrontation in alarm.

Next episode: Naoto is fighting his way through the Zenitto. "Asami, I will have the power!" "Naoto, stop!" calls Tatsuya, whose armor has been repaired. "That suit!" exclaims Takku. For Naoto has a changer on his wrist, and yes it is HE who becomes Time Fire. But he doesn't look overly sane doing it.炎の新戦士 Honoo no Shinsenshi New Warrior of Fire

The V-Rex chomps on a train as the group gathers their two large robos to fight. Tatsuya asks, "Stop it, how!?" to Takku's call. It paws at the ground and charges them, spins and hits them with its tail, then chomps on Alpha's sword-wrist and sends the blade flying. Time Shadow bombs the V-Rex and it writhes in the smoke and impact, damaged. The Time Shadow hits it with a blade. Its right shoulder is damaged in the attack, and it starts firing a hard blast that hits the Alpha. The backlash does greater damage to Tatsuya's suit, and it disintegrates as he falls. He is unconscious. They grab him and start gathering him up. The City Guardians are evacuating people, and Naoto hears Takku talking to Sion, telling him the V-rex is supposed to have a special wrist command-unit stashed in its head, and he must find it. Sion initiates a search but gets a null response. "It isn't there!" Takku is dismayed. A flash of the tail, and our heroes are staggered. Takku explains that V-Rex has a system that, when it is damaged, will shut him down for 24 hours while it repairs. The robot will run. Time Shadow moves to protect Alpha, but they are all hit by a bad blast. Our heroes are flung from Alpha, their armor vanished, and all the robots disappear, but Tatsuya is in bad shape, too weak to respond as they gather him up, Ayase holding him close, saying "It's going to sleep, now." Yuuri answers, "We'd better get back, then." They gather up Tatsuya and head off. Naoto watches them go from behind a building, and so does his father from the shelter of a dark car. Gien snickers joyfully. "V-Rex, you'll be mine."

The V-Rex is hiding in an underground cave, badly damaged. It falls to the cave floor in seeming pain. Groaning, it slumps, flicking its tail. Then the systems shut down.

Gien arrives home at night to find Dorunero and Lira waiting up for him, demanding to know just what he's been up to. "What was that dinosaur wreck doing out there?" Lira slams to her feet. "Why were you hiding a Hellsgate key? What are you up to?" Gien responds amusedly, "I kept if for special times like this!" Dorunero wants to know more. "We can get that robot under control."

And Tatsuya is still unconscious, bandaged up. His breathing is painful as Yuuri carefuly pats a cool towel to his forehead. They've settled him in a small room, all around him. Meanwhile, Takku explains about how they lost the V-Rex. "It was made as a battle robot for the best of the Time Police, but no one had been chosen for it. They were going to test it, if it could go through time." It ran into the Time Gate, distorting even before it got through. "Except it didn't come back. The controller must have also gotten lost in the time hole." The control device had gone flying away from the V-Rex's head. Yuuri sits up worriedly, "Why did it come here?" Takku sighs sort of. Domon also does. "It must have been looking for a way out, and found the hole here. I don't know." Ayase's eyes widen a bit, thoughtfully. "Why don't you know?" "That data wasn't input inside me." This shakes them up a bit. Annoyed, Domon growls, "I don't care what happen. I just care that we have to find that controller and settle down that blasted dinosaur!" Yuuri hushes him and Takku continues quietly, "It probably will appear somewhere, sometime, like the V-Rex. I'll look for it." Sion has finished repairing Tatsuya's changer, and sets it gently on top of his folded clothes. Tatsuya's sleep is shallow, he is still in pain. Yuuri has to take the others and search.

Dorunero growls at the end of Gien's explanation, "Except how are we going to get control of that V-rex?" But Gien has thought of that. He has picked out another criminal to release. "He should have a controller. Homer can search for it. She's good at finding weapons, and any type of mechanical things." Dorunero narrows his gaze. "You've got to stop these bad hobbies of yours. Lira is watching all this coolly. And Gien replies, "I'm sorry, but this hobby of mine is just like an illness. I can't stop." Don Dorunero's eyes narrow then widen at this. "Illness. If you make a mistake, you could die." It seems something half between threat and warning. Gien's eyes are bright yellow. "So."

And at the 3rd Total R&D Lab, Mr Asami is moving through the halls, a city guardian and a young businessman behind him. The businessman is saying that the Time Rangers are getting in the way of the City Guardians, who are annoyed. The other people in charge sent a complaining fax, I guess. Mr. Asami asks the man beside him, "Is the Captain all right?" "He's in the hospital, he's injured but he'll be all right." "The scientists keep saying if only they had access to the Time Ranger's weapons..." "The Timeranger," growls Mr Asami. He remembers his son's outraged, "Stop thinking of me as a weak person with no job! Even if you put the Asami name first, it means NOTHING!" And then he lifts his gaze, eyes widening slightly, for Naoto Takizawa is coming towards him through the hall. The man salutes and asks if he has a moment. "Say it simply," growls Mr. Asami. So he does. "I want you to make me the Captain." When startlement shows, he steps forward. "I have the will to fight Time Red." He smiles ever so slightly. Asami glances over his shoulder at the young man behind him. "I want you to be the captain." Naoto's small smile vanishes in cold, emotionless anger. "I won't let some stranger take this position." The startled man accepts, and Asami moves on, and Naoto clenches his fist watching them go. He thinks, "As expected, you're going to ignore me, you are stronger than me." He remembers what he'd heard the little blue owl robot shouting about finding the V-Rex control device. Oh, he has intentions.

And in the cave, the V-Rex is still struggling with its injuries. Repairs are complete. It sits up. It lets off an energy pulse, and the control device responds from the top of a building.

And Naoto has found the Time Rangers base. Rides there on his motorcycle and waits. The group (less unconscious Tatsuya) is inside, discussing all this with Takku. Little Robota shouts, "The V-rex will wake up in 8 hours!" "Have you found it yet?" Yuuri asks. "No, not yet. There is limited information about the V-rex." Sion frets, "Isn't it strange, that Takku doesn't have this information?" Domon frowns beside him and lifts his gaze over Sion's head. "I don't understand anything the Time Police are doing." Ayase's eyes widen as he thinks and says, "Not the Time Police! The CAPTAIN!" He remembers the moment they were selected, the tall man they thought was their captain pointing at each of them. "And he's the person who made all the Time Robots come here to us." Yuuri says with quiet frustration, "Probably."

The Dorunero are tracking the signal. Homer is following the signal and knows it is nearby. It glows up top the building. And Takku finds the signal and goes with her group out, driving off. And Naoto is following them. Tatsuya finally wakes and gets up, dressing and gets his clothes together. When he steps out, Robota greets him and tells him quickly what's up, shows him on the computer where they are going. The screen is headed "Space-Time." It cheers for him as he heads off after the others.

The Dorunero are still tracking the signal, but the Time Ranger arrive and leave their car for the confrontation. Domon shouts, "Why are you already here?!" and Homer responds, "What are you guys?" Yuuri shouts, "Let's go!" They change into armor to fight. Amused, Homer says, "Time Ranger, eh? Interesting. I'll be your penpal." He hands off the tracker to a Zenitto and races against them by himself. They have their double vectors out, but he is fast and deadly. He seems more to be testing them than seriously attempting to hurt them. The Zenitto are using the tracker and they've about found the box. Takku is getting frantic to keep the Londarz from gaining control of the V-Rex. Naoto arrives and shoots down a crowd of Zenitto, figuring where the control device might be. "Is that the controller?" He fights through the Zenitto. Takku sees him and says, "It's also bad if HE gets it!" and as he raced up the stairs the robot calls the others to hurry, worrying about this unknown man. Naoto gets past the Zenitto and they pursue him up the stairs, firing on him and cornering him, but he is a good fighter and knocks several of them off the roof. "Good riddance," he says. He gets to the control device and whirls with it, but two Zenitto corner him again and are about to kill him. They have him backed up against a staircase, terrified, when Time Red gets in a few shots and snatches Naoto away. They tumble to ground level, inside a building and look at each other. "Asami!" "Naoto? What are you doing here?" but a troop of Zenitto come in and Tatsuya, still injured from earlier, gets to his feet to protect Naoto. when he tries to get the man to run, but he responds, "How can I run away after you saved me?!" They tangle with the Zenitto, Naoto using the box effectively to block slashes and knock them away. He uses his small pistol, whose ammo destroys the Zenitto but quickly runs out of bullets and begins to panic as a Zenitto tries to dice him, but he rolls free and pins the Zenitto's blade with the box. Tatsuya is similarly entangled, and calls his name in alarm. "Run, this is MY job!" Naoto gets free and snarls to his feet, panting, "A weird person doesn't have to say something like that!!" The Zenitto manage to down Tatsuya and raise their weapons to fire on Naoto. When he uses the device to protect himself from a shot, it glows bright golden, and counters the shots with a beam of its own as he stares in amazement. The Zenitto are downed and Tatsuya looks up. "What in..?" starts Naoto. And an English woman's voice tells him "Now I'll start up. Put your left hand into the box." Naoto has a moment to figure this out, "Left hand in the box," and starts to obey. Takku calls Tatsuya urgently to stop him, "If he puts that controller on, it will think he is its commander!" Natoo hears him and smirks. "Of course. That's very good." And he settles the box down to do it. Tatsuya tries to get to him, but is still very weak. The bracelet has morphed onto his wrist, and tells him as he listens intently, "V-Commander mounted. V-Commander mounted. I'll record your voice. Input a start-up code, Time Fire." Thoughtfully he says, "It's very nice with a navigation system and everything." As he stands to obey, despite Tatsuya's desperate call, or more likely because of it, Naoto gives a mad sort of smirk and calls "Time Fire!" into the bracelet. With explosions he suddenly transfers into the fighting armor. Tatsuya cringes under falling debris. There, in the center of flames, crackling lightning, is a new fighter. Stunned, Takku says he'd never heard about this suit.

And the Time Rangers are fighting and doing badly, Domon suggests calling in the Bazooka, but Ayase points out that with only four of them they can't use it. Homer stands and says, "Now I can finish you off." They are about to get killed, when a strange shot takes down down his gun and injures him. There is someone standing upon a stair far above, tapping a strange gun against the back of one gloved hand. "Who is it? Come out!!!" shouts Homer. They see him finally. He leans against the stairguard, all arrogance. Domon says, "Is that Tatsuya?" "No, it's not," answers Sion softly. Then Homer shouts, "Are you a Time Ranger?" But the man steps down the stairs a bit, his voice cool and arrogant. "Well, if you'd like to be something I can practice on.... I'm just a beginner." Homer snarls back, "Get out here, Zenitto!" They happily head out to fight. With a faint amusement Time Fire says, "So let's begin," and starts firing. Zenitto fall. Ayase says, "He's attacking them!" Yuuri exclaims, "What is going on?" but Time Red arrives to stumble into their arms and tell his group that this is Naoto!

Who comes down to actively fight, using assorted commands that are being input into his head through his helmet, he tears through the confused Zenitto and confronts Homer, who is royally pissed and intends to kill him. "Your first fight's gonna be your last!" When he fires, Naoto flattens on the cement and fires back, doing him considerable And the control device tells him what to do. "Final mode D-3 Refridger standing by. Now you can press-freeze it." He says "Escalator? I don't understand, but whatever." He follows the commands given and the enemy is defeated and shrunk in no time at all. The bracelet tells him "Press Freeze Completed." The Time Rangers, Domon especially, are impressed. "Just what is this guy?" But Naoto steps forward to confront Tatsuya. "I never heard about that suit," murmers Takku. The two red-clad Time Rangers stand staring at each other.

Next episode: Naoto and Tatsuya are fighting, as our young man is intent upon claiming his robot. "V-Rex, listen to my voice! You are MINE!"届け炎の叫び Todoke Honoo no Sakebi Register Fire's Cry

In our last episode: The Londarz went after the V-rex control device, but Naoto got control of it and became Time Fire, much to everyone's surprise. A boat chugging across the bay. On a dock, Tatsuya, his four teammates behind him, slowly walks to confront Naoto, who is straight and tall, exuding smugness. They stop about 6 meters from each other and stare. Naoto is first to speak, tapping his fingers on his new things, cupid lips curled at the edges in a strangely humorless smile. "Asami, thank you for this V-commander." It is impossible to quite describe the subtlety of his expressions. He turns to walk away from them. "Naoto, wait!" calls Tatsuya uncertainly. When he stops, Yuuri asks determinedly, "Do you have any idea what you're supposed to do with that?" With clear amusement he replies, "Well, this is what we use to control that giant dinosaur robot, right?" They all are startled. Sion holds the prisoner capsule with Homer inside and closes his mouth. He confronts them. "And from here comes the battle suit. And this is what the City Guardians need to fight like you. It's not just you anymore." "You..!" starts Tatsuya painfully. But Yuuri holds out her hand. "Please. Give that to us." He glances down at his bracelet, covers it briefly with his hand. "Oh no, I need this." and something else. He points at Tatsuya determinidly, "Later," he says, and walks away from them. Domon is angry, but Sion is saddened and Yuuri is agreeable with him. They watch Naoto run, Tatsuya with great wistfullness.

And the Londarz are watching a film of the battle. Gien shot it? Lira is rather annoyed to see a new Time Ranger. "This guy has control of the V-rex," Gien says, similarly angered. Dorunero watches the video narrowly and slams a fist at Gien's stomach. But Gien has chosen a new criminal, he thinks they can get control of the V-rex anyway, with this one. And that is what they will do.

And Wataru Asami finds himself confronted with this young man he's been deliberately putting down, to learn the boy has a suit like that of the Time Rangers. Naoto shows him the bracelet and tells him there's no doubt with it he can gain control of the V-rex. Asami sits back, sneering. Naoto still has to prove himself. But it is also clear that somehow, Asami tries to think of the group as consisting of four, rather than admit that Tatsuya is so much free of him. Naoto smirks behind him at that.

And the group is gathered thoughtfully around the computer, Sion thinking deeply. Tatsuya murmurs, "Time Fire, is it?" and Sion responds, "But Takku doesn't know anything about it. We only really know anything about the V-rex." Takku agrees and Domon bends down, resting an arm on Sion's shoulder. "Why don't you ask the Time Police and see what they say? You know, the Time Captain and all." And in the far future, the Captain stands at the control panels, straight and tall, looking out at the pink clouds. Takku replies that he is not privvy to their plans and they probably won't answer him. This annoys Domon, for obvious reasons. "So that's what we think, but you know," and he bends down to lean on an uneasy Tatsuya's shoulder, "You look exactly like him. That disgusting Captain." Tatsuya, who has had a few troubles because of this resemblance, says nothing. Ayase paces towards the window, says thoughtfully, "So in case of the Time Fire, or the V-rex, we have no data to work from. We don't know anything." They all look at him and he looks deeply unhappy. But Yuuri has ideas, and so does Tatsuya. "I'll go try and talk to Naoto again."

And deep in the cave, V-rex is getting back on its feet. But it is not good, for Master Hunter has found him. And he uses his spear and attaches a control device to the great robot's nose, taking control of it as it fights him.

A young woman leads Naoto to reception, telling him he has a guest waiting. It is Tatsuya, who is trying to sit patiently in the uncomfortable seats provided. Naoto stares at his back for a moment, annoyed, then thanks the young woman and heads on towards his guest. Tatsuya stands as his old acquaintance gets next to him, inquiring or commenting on his presence there. "What do you want to meet about?" Naoto asks. Tatsuya looks bright and young against the uniform of the City Guardians. The young woman and another are discussing the going ons behind them. It seemed he charmed them into calling Naoto, as he explains. Naoto is half-amused, but not friendly. "What is it you want to talk about." Tatsuya says with all his heart, "What are you planning to do? Why won't you return the V-Commander to us?" Startled to be asked such a question, Naoto looks directly at him. "What, you don't know yet?" At Tatsuya's wide-eyed innocent expression, Naoto says, "Not here, come on." He hooks his head and the two of them head outside, to a distant place. When Naoto decides he's happy, he turns and says, "Right, this is it then. No one's going to bother us here." Tatsuya looks bewildered. "I led you all the way over here because I have no intention of giving this thing to you. You'll have to take it." Tatsuya says urgently, "That's not what I'm planning to do! The V-rex is going to wake up soon! The city is in danger!" Naoto rests his thumbs in his pocket and says, "I will control the V-rex." "It's dangerous! The Londarz and the V-rex are my problem to defeat!" Tatsuya says frantically. Naoto eyes him. "Dangerous?" He gives Tatsuya a steady, appraising look. "I'm just like a Time Ranger now. You and I are the same." Tatsuya is getting frantic. "But..." Naoto continues, voice dazed with thought. "I think they come from tomorrow... but from what century I cannot guess." Having made this statement he turns his small smile on Tatsuya and even chuckles.

And back at Tomorrow Research, a man steps through the door. The group turns and gets the same stunned expressions on their face. I guess it is Wataru Asami. Yup. And his batman closes the door behind him as he steps forward to confront them. Yuuri moves to meet him, even welcoming. "Um, what is it? Tatsuya isn't here right now," she tries to say lightly. He holds up a hand to show that is not why he's come. "This isn't about Tatsuya." He glances around at them. "I want to speak to the person in charge." Startled, the group look at each other. He stares at them anxiously. When no one steps forward, he clarifies, "Your leader." Domon at last moves forward, "Oh, that's me." He folds his arms and stares at Mr. Asami over Yuuri's shoulder, looking like he might burst out laughing any moment. Sion comes nervously to Yuuri's other shoulder and asks quietly, "Is that so?" "Hey, anyone will do," she whispers back. Ayase meanwhile is waving Domon back while Mr Asami is trying to decide what all this means and Sion is asking, "Are you sure Domon is who..." But Wataru Asami speaks strongly, pointing at each of them, sure he doesn't have to deal with his son. "Look, the four of you are going to have " I think he's wanting to adopt them into the City Guardians. The reaction is pretty simultaneous. Domon looks horrified, Yuuri intensely suspicious, Sion and Ayase similarly shocked and dismayed.

It seems the subject has come up between Naoto and Tatsuya, too. "Yuuri and the others are going to be City Guardians?" asks a confused Tatsuya. "I'm to form a new team," replies Naoto. He's to head the group. Boy, what a control-freak Tatsuya's father is. Amazed though Tatsuya is, he then snickers. "Yuuri and the others would never join them." "You think so? Wouldn't they want such good backup against the Londarz? You really think they wouldn't accept?" But Tatsuya is starting to worry a bit. Naoto sees his uncertainty, and thinks he can win this. But Tatsuya is starting to get angry. Naoto sees this, and offers a challenge, backed up by a fist in the face. If Tatsuya can beat him, he'll give back the V-Commander. Blood on his lip, Tatsuya remembers how the two of them used to fight each other. How that was who he had faced in the tournament that had lost him his bet with his father. And his fist clenches in fury. He will not have his chance at a free life taken from him again. And he gets up. "Father ruled my life in college, but never, ever again!" and when Naoto launches a flying leap at him, Tatsuya takes him down, pins him for a moment, is spun away and downed. They fight each other viciously, full of similar thoughts as they smash their way through, Tatsuya constantly freeing himself from Naoto's traps, Naoto constantly dodging Tatsuya's kicks, until at last, in fury he calls into his bracelet, "Time Fire!" and Tatsuya calls into his "Chrono Changer!" and they fight that way.

And out in the woods, Master Hunter uses his remote control to bring the V-rex out of its cave. It roars above the tall trees, and he attempts to lead the great beast, but it turns and runs from him. "Hey! Not that way!" he cries and pursues it. The V-rex is still very confused.

And the two Reds are still fighting. They are very deadly, neither man holding back at all as they struggle. And Tatsuya seems the better. He is constantly getting Naoto down, but Naoto is also managing to get free of him. They are both getting in good kicks and punch each other out. Power-wise I think they are about equal, but Tatsuya has had a lot of experience recently. And he IS able to feel sorry for the other. And then the V-rex's roar catches his ear. He sees it run past and starts to go after it, when Naoto fires on him. He falls in shock, and Naoto stalks towards him as though intending to fire at point-blank range. "No you don't. The V-rex is mine. The POWER is mine," he says icily. Then he raises his gun and races after the V-rex. "Wait!" calls Tatsuya, and runs after him.

The V-rex smashes through bridges and knocks apart buildings in its panic. The City Guardians tear out to do their bit, their new commander gives them orders as the V-rex destroys two office buildings and then another one with its tail. Master Hunter is trying to regain control of it, using electric shocks when it won't obey. It writhes in pain.

Tatsuya is fast on Naoto's tail as they approach the epicenter of destruction. The other four Time Ranger are also racing in from the opposite direction but they are still in their civvies. Naoto sees them ahead and hesitates a fraction of a second, a hope they are here for him. Tatsuya almost stumbles but he races on. The team hurtles past Naoto to gather around him, grinning with joy to see him. Naoto skids to a halt, startled I think. He turns and forces a shrug, "You should have stopped earlier," he tells them. They turn to look at him, calm and amused. Yuuri speaks first, her voice gentle and warm. "We have to be careful, it's a thin line we walk. And so do you." Domon gestures, not entirely unfriendly. "I've had enough of all this silliness." And Tatsuya is quite thorougly floored to find they are still with him. Ayase and Sion, all of them look at him warmly, but then Takku signals them. "Everyone! You can catch the V-rex in a virtual net!" Yuuri agrees. But Naoto tells them no, he can control the V-rex. He will. Ayase shrugs at him, "If you can, then good." And Tatsuya said, "This is what WE do. Let's go!" and they are off, to Naoto's annoyance. "This is a strange road," he murmurs.

And in the far future, Providus is launching the Time Jets. Our heroes race together to fight. Into their armor in a surge of color, Tatsuya calls for Time Robo Alpha. The Time Shadow comes though its gate to join the battle and they form Shadow Alpha. In the rubble they confront the V-rex. Furious at the site of them, Master Hunter pulls of his Escalator seal and goes large. They are surprised to see him, too, but Takku identifies him. At his command, the V-rex attacks. They catch it in the Virtual Net, but Master Hunter destroys the net and V-rex bites their hand, trying to get at the vector that had harmed it last time. Naoto makes it to the top of a building. Tatsuya sees him down there and calls his name. Startled but determined, Naoto calls, "V-rex! You are mine!" There is a beep from his V-commander and he raises it to listen intently to the English voice. "V-rex check. V-rex check. Voice input system on. Go ahead." He nodes. "Of course. If he can hear me. V-rex, stop! V-rex, can't you hear me?!" as it continues fighting. The bracelet beeps and he listens intently again. "Error. The receptance system is disturbed." He quickly hauls out his gun. "V-rex! Listen and STOP!" He fires at the struggling robot as it still is engaged with Shadow Alpha. It pulls free and knocks them down, then turns towards him and comes hurtling at the building. Tatsuya screams, "Naoto! RUN!!" Where is he to run? This is it, he thinks, as the great jaws open. And then his helmet finds the device sitting on V-rex's head and shows him it in SEARCHmode. He fires on it quickly and it is destroyed. V-rex rears back and lunges down to bite him and he screams into his bracelet, "V-rex listen to my voice!!" and just that moment it stops. His helmet shows him his voice registering. Voice print ControlOK. He is panting with relief. "V-rex!"

Master Hunter gasps in surprise, "What in..?!" and the V-rex draws back. Naoto's bracelet announces, "You can control it." And with a practical cry of joy, he does. Sion and the others laugh with relief, getting up, Sion says the V-rex is a warrior again. And Naoto commands it to attack, sending it at Master Hunter. The robot is no longer the mad danger to anything and everything it was, as it confronts and obeys the command to use the Flex-Laser. And the bracelet says, "Transform mode. Voice formation, go ahead." He calls it, and V-rex Robo, it forms a humanoid mode. Great, big clawed feet. It is beautiful. And it attacks Master Hunter at his command with its Revolver, and the Rex Punch, sending it's fists rocket launch at him, and then he calls for the Max Blizzard. This is the final shot, that will finish Master Hunter in green light. "The end," chuckles Naoto, swiping a hand across his visor. He leaps atop the head of the V-rex. And in the future, the Time Captain notes that everything is going as planned. And Takku tries to assure the others that this was probably what was meant to be. And Tatsuya thinks, "Naoto, do you have the power you always wanted?"

Naoto returns to Mr. Asami to tell him he has control of the V-rex. And with no one else to bring under his control, Asami has to settle for making this boy Captain of the City Guardians.

And our heroes return home, wondering where the V-rex has got off to. Tatsuya tells them he guesses now that the City Guardians have the V-rex, the Time Rangers aren't needed anymore. They'll be going back soon. He can run Tomorrow Research on his own, he tells them miserably. They all turn and look at him with steady affection. But Domon tells him he can't possibly run this by himself, and Ayase says he's not leaving our boy to do this alone, he isn't ready to quit. And Yuuri says they will work with him. Then Sion points out that they'll have to decide on a leader of the Time Rangers, he supposes. And Domon raises his hand with a shy cough, to which the others tease and Takku says this is not in their best interests, then they have to rescue the little robot from a half-furious Domon. And then Robota greets them and welcomes them home!

Next episode: Who is Time Yellow? Another virtual world, and Domon is trapped there. Honami is back