Sunny mist rose up from the sea below as it smashed it's angry fist into the harsh, jagged rocks. Lights from a nearby torch glew with a soft caress against the mist. The ocean salt lingered in the air, as did the smell of blood.

Screams echoed as the light was snuffed and a sharp pang of guilt hit him hard. Blood oozed over his hands as another ear-splitting, deafening crash from the waves smashed into the rocks. He's killed someone close to his heart, and he was bleeding in his arms. He felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder and then-

---

BANG!

Bridge jumped, his heart racing in his throat and ears. He'd fallen asleep in his bed, but Sky was on the floor, looking as if he'd fallen off his bed at the noise. His deep blue eyes looked up at his roommate. Bridge shrugged.

Sky rose to his feet and picked up his pedestrian blaster and held it at the ready as he slowly approached the door. He reached for the unlock key, but the door hissed open.

"ACK!" Jack put his hands up in surrender. "Sky. What're you doing at a time like this? Shooting something?"

"What?" Sky demanded, his voice eched with aggitation.

Bridge shook his head and made his way past them and out into the hall. He closed his mind to the angry auras behind him and made his way down the hall, following a calm aura that was left behind on the walls in shapes of hand prints, as if someone was hurt. The bang must have shocked a few people, but this person was calmer, meaning it was from before the bang.

He followed it down the halls he'd never been down before. He tripped over some old parts to an android prototype covered in dust. This figure had done the same. He kept going, down stairs, watching his surroundings get darker and the aura get stronger. He rounded a corner and almost ran into someone.

"Cadet Carson, what're you doing down here? The labs are off limits!" Cruger stood there, arms folded, face stern, eyes strict.

"There was an aura on the wall right before the whole place shook," Bridge explained. "I don't know hwere it came from, but it was definatly not regular auras, but a calm one, so I wanted to find out where it led, of course, I didn't know if they went into a restricted section or the cafeteria or the medical bay, or the landing docks, or anything like that. I-"

Crugger stepped aside. "Proceed."

"Uh, thanks?" Bridge didn't wait, he made his way along the path that was etched out. Slowly, larger amounts of the aura began to form around the hand print and Bridge stopped. Snapping his glove off, he managed to swipe it and watch a figure stummble into a door that apparently opened right as it leaned against it. As it's feet dissappeared into the doors, there was another explosion and the doors themselves opened up, revealing an android. "Hi. Is there a wounded personell in there?" he asked, trying to look around the android.

"No." He shook his head. The android stepped into the hall, letting the dim lights above illuminate what little they touched. He had long, flowing, black hair that swung about his waist and was straight, he wore black cloth that losely held onto him and a long, black trench coat that was unbuttoned, revealing the silver badge witht he dog and POLICE. "There was an explosion, what was it?"

"I don't-" Bridge began, but-

"Bridge! Report to the Command Center!" Kat's voice ran out.

The android looked up then down at Bridge. "Is that you?"

"Yes," Bridge saluted the android.

---

"-still dosen't make sense!" Sky was saying.

"Yes, it dose! You're mind is just to small to comprehend that!" Jack retorted.

"But still, can one simply walk in there!" Syd demanded.

"What do you think, dummy!" Z shot back.

"There is a possible way! But, no one can get in!" Kat tried to say above the noise.

"Then how do we get in!" Crugger demanded.

Bridge stood, forgotten, by the door. He watched his team fighting with Crugger and Kat joining in with the fiasco. Sam, also forgotten, zoomed over and hid inside one of Bridge's pockets.

"To loud, huh?" Sam asked.

"What's going on?" Bridge asked his pocket.

"Well," Sam made a pop sound as he came out of light-orb form to ranger-suite-up, "Kat found what all those bangs were and we need a personel to go down there, problem is, we can't figure out how." Sam shrugged. "Sums it up for you?"

"Yeah." Bridge held up his fingers to his lips and gave the loudest whistle that startled everyone. He waved. "Hi. Um, should I just go? It looks like you guys got it." He pointed out into the hall. No one responded. "Ok, well, I'll be in the common room if anyone needs me." He turned on his heel and walked away, no one stopped him on his way out. He back-tracked and snatched Sam by the arm. "C'mon."

"Think we shouldn't have been yelling?" Z asked Syd.

Syd nodded. "Agreed. The plan is working, Kat!"

Kat sighed and slumped back into her chair. "It's harder to keep Bridge thinking we're messy, even if it's not for something I wanted to do."

Crugger gave a snort. "It's supposed to be a suprise birthday party."

---

"Rangers! Report to the command center!" Kat said.

That had been over ninety minutes ago. Bridge was stretched out in a chair, Sky was pacing, Syd and Z were drawing imaginary circles on a desk, and Jack was watching Sky's feet prance around. Bridge suddenly shot up and followed Sky.

Syd looked like she was about to explode. "OK! THAT'S IT! WHY'RE WE STILL-!"

"Cadet Drew! Keep your voice down!" It was another cadet dressed in a colorless, black uniform. He/she stood in the doorway, arms folded, eyes sternly watched Syd, and a sour expresion etched in deep. "I suppose you want to make a ruccus and alert Grumm where we are?"

"No. And who gave you the right to order me around like that!" Syd demanded, her arms also corssed.

"Don't treat supireors like that," it said in retort. "If you don't keep you're voice down, I will take drastic measures to enforce the peace between you rangers of B-squad." It turned on it's heel and with a "humph" marched away.

"What a jerk!" Syd and Bridge said in unison. They stared at each other and continued like no interruption had excisted.

"Rangers!" Crugger was standing in the doorway and the cadet at his side, arms still crossed. "Cadet McKnight has just informed me that you were making to much noise. Care to explain why you aren't using this time to bond with each other over serious matters?"

"Why is a Cadet ratting us out?" Z asked.

Cadet McKnight suddenly made a move as if to throw something at Z but thought better and looked away from the rangers and off to his left. He didn't seem to like what Z was saying. "Sir, with all do respect, these lower B-squad Cadets shouldn't be Rangers if they can't bond when time is given to them."

"'Lower'!" Syd repeated, baffled. "Did he just say 'lower' cadets!"

McKnight gave a snort and placed his hands behind him. "With all due respect, my name is Squee McKnight, A-squad Special-Forces, SWAT grade level eight, Ranger by right, Samurai Teacher, best at every class, gratuated top at ten, became ranger at eleven, and am a much better aim than Cadet Landors. And I'm not a sissy girl." She saluted the rangers like an A-squad member would salute Crugger.

"I expect a full analysis of their first day," Crugger said to McKnight and she saluted him. "Rangers, meet your new mentor. She's nineteen, comes from Japan, adopted by Cammanding General Conner McKnight and has been raised here since she was four. She will drill you to see who will move up and who will stay. Proceed."

"Welcome, cadets, to your frist day of training. I want a wind-sprint down the length of the mudd run and I want fifty push-ups, and seventy sit-ups! Move you're butts! Let's go!" She gave it like an order.