Chapter 1: The Proposal

“Hey, freak! You got a visitor!”

The young man woke with a start upon hearing the guard’s voice. His cold brown eyes quickly adjusted to the light pouring into the solitary confinement unit. He squinted in response to the light, astounded that someone was actually visiting him. A tall figure entered the room.

“Kevin Shepard?” the man asked calmly. The teenage boy’s eyes adjusted to the light, letting him see his visitor for the first time. It was a man in his mid- to late 40s. He had long black hair tinged with silver and tied back into a ponytail. He wore dark sunglasses and a blue denim button-up shirt hidden by a white lab coat.

“Who are you?” asked Kevin, rubbing his eyes. “What do you want with me?”

The middle-aged man smiled, chuckling to himself a bit. “My name is on a need-to-know basis, I’m afraid. As for my intentions, I have a proposition that you might find appealing.”

“Not interested,” said Kevin, rolling over in his bed.

“You don’t even wish to hear what I have to say?” asked the man.

“Just leave me the hell alone!” snapped Kevin, who was still rolled over on his side.

“All right,” said the man, turning to leave. “I suppose I’ll find someone else to dispose of the Rangers of Eternity…”

Kevin finally looked up at the man. “Rangers of Eternity? Who are they?”

“You really have been in here for a while, haven’t you?” the man asked before turning around. “I take it you are familiar with one Jessica Tilton?”

Kevin growled at the name. “That chick was asking for it,” he snapped. “Besides,” he added with a twinkle in his eye, “I think she liked it!”

“Let’s just get down to business,” the man said, retrieving a photo from his lab coat pocket. “I believe this is the young lady you are referring to?” he said, pointing at a part of the photo.

Kevin took the photograph and looked at it. He instantly recognized a young girl in her late teens. She was quite pretty, with shoulder-length strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a black unisex suit with a yellow X across it, and a pink mask. Close by, with his arm around her, was a young man wearing much the same uniform. The boy was humanoid, but had a body made of semitransparent jelly containing mitochondria and ribosomes. The two were standing behind a podium, smiling and waving for cameras. Positioned around them and wearing the same style of uniform were: a yellow-skinned boy with six fingers, antennae and green hair; a female of his species with purple hair; a black-haired boy with an S-shaped mask; a muscular boy flexing his biceps; a tall Arabic boy with a jet-black cape; a short boy with a thunderbolt-shaped mask; a boy wearing a visor-like device; a blonde girl whose hair appeared to be gaseous; and two brown-haired Hispanic girls who looked like they could be related somehow.

“Who are these freaks?” Kevin asked impatiently.

“They call themselves the Rangers of Eternity,” the man explained. “Ms. Tilton is a member, going by the superhero name of Replika. That semi-gelatinous man you see next to her is her boyfriend Danny Walton, also known as Amoeba. The two are the team captains of this superhero faction.”

“Jessica’s dating a freak, huh? If I had the chance, I’d knock his head off. But what does this all have to do with me?” asked Kevin.

“Not only are you…ahem…acquainted with Ms. Tilton, I understand you also have a superhuman gift,” the man said mysteriously.

“You mean this?” Kevin asked, and suddenly disappeared from the man’s sight. He reappeared several seconds later. “It’s not a blessing. It’s a damned curse!”

“Only if you allow it to be,” the man said. “I can teach you how to harness your power to your benefit and get your hands on the man called Amoeba.” Kevin looked genuinely interested by now. “Do we have a deal?” the man asked.

Kevin thought for a few seconds before he finally spoke up. “Well, if it means I get to get outta this hellhole, then count me in, old man.”

“Excellent,” the man replied. “My name is Prof. Jet Blackharte.” The man held out his hand, and Kevin shook it. “Let’s go. I’ll have…a word with your parole officer…”

Danny stared at the bathroom mirror, his bright green eyes staring right back. He squirted an oversized glop of gel in his hands and slapped it on his head with a loud splat. He slicked back his dark-brown hair, coiffing it a bit in the front. He took his black domino mask lying on the sink and placed it on his eyes. It was more of a fashion item than a protection for his identity—the Rangers lived so far out of the Earth’s reaches that they could afford to not hide their identities. Taking one last look at his reflection, he exited the bathroom via the computerized door and went to check on his friends.

Eight of the Rangers of Eternity were scheduled to appear at a benefit concert at Central Park’s SummerStage in New York City. The concert was to raise money to build a new scientific space station along the wormhole-like Intergalactic Superhighway that connected Earth and the extrasolar planet Xyndas. The station would allow humans and narvanils to work side-by-side for the first time, and would also allow for much-heralded exchange of scientific knowledge between the two worlds.

After about a two-minute walk, Danny arrived at the door to the room of one of his team members. He knocked on the door.

“You almost packed in there?” he asked in his unmistakable Boston drawl. “Our craft leaves the dock in twenty minutes!”

“Yeah,” a male voice replied in a slightly Canadian accent. “Just a minute!”

Danny waited, and a short time later, his best friend Brandon emerged from the room. Like Danny, he was wearing his Rangers uniform. He carried a large leather suitcase.

“You heard from the others?” Brandon asked.

“Yep. We’re all ready to leave—except you, of course.”

“Medulla’s goin’, right?” Brandon asked restlessly.

“Uh…yeah,” Danny replied. “Why?”

Brandon looked to the left and right of the hallway, then back to his team leader. “Can you keep a secret?” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Danny replied, wondering what his friend could have in mind.

Brandon reached into the sole pocket of his Rangers uniform and took out a small blue box. He opened it to reveal a small ring with a single diamond in its center.

Danny was shocked. “You don’t mean…”

“Yep,” Brandon replied. “I’m gonna pop the question tonight, at the hotel. I just hope she says yes…”

“‘Bout time, man,” Danny said, patting his friend on the back. “You two have been going steady for over a year now.” It did not matter to Danny that Brandon was a human and Medulla was a narvanil. He just wanted his friends to be happy, and he knew that the two heroes would take great care of one another.

Brandon placed the jewelry box back in his pocket. “Well, I’m ready,” he said as he picked up his suitcase and walked away. Danny smiled. Brandon was one of his best friends, and just like he and Jessica, he knew that Brandon and Medulla were indeed in love. He was so happy for them. Danny exhaled slowly as he turned the opposite way, and began making his way toward his room to retrieve his own luggage.

In the late evening, New York City was abuzz with activity. The Rangers of Eternity had arrived to take in the sights early, and would appear at the concert the next night due to the fact that one of them had been asked to sing. Princess Medulla Aramar and Brandon McPherson, AKA Tarot and Sandstream, had spent the bulk of the day at their suite in New York’s extravagant Plaza hotel.

As night fell over the city, Medulla sat in front of the mirror, fixing her vivid purple hair back in a scrunchie. In the mirror, she saw hands appear on her shoulders and start massaging them. The black-haired teen behind her leaned in and kissed her pale yellow cheek. Medulla smiled, turned around, and kissed him back, this time on the lips. The two then held each other for a long time, relishing their privacy. Normally, the hotel’s patrons did not include alien princesses or sand-forming superheroes.

Brandon folded his arms around Medulla, who relished the moment. In Brandon’s arms, she felt safe and free from harm. As for Brandon, Medulla’s happiness was of utmost importance, as the young man known to many as Sandstream had something exceptional planned especially for her.

“Watch it there, Twister,” Medulla smiled impishly, using the dust-devil-inspired nickname she had come up with for Brandon. “Getting a little excited there, are we?”

“Well, we are all alone,” Brandon said, smiling back at his girlfriend. “It’s a beautiful night in the Big Apple, I’m with the most gorgeous princess in the universe and—”

“And I’m gonna hurl,” Medulla declared suddenly. She dashed to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and leaving Brandon bewildered.

“And…Sandstream's left all alone, talkin' to himself,” Brandon sighed. “I have gotta stop doin' this.” He slowly walked to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “You okay? I told you that all-you-can-eat sushi bar was a bad idea…”

In the bathroom, Medulla felt her stomach, sensing thoughts that were not of her own mind. Narvanils were telepathic beings, and Medulla’s mother, the queen, told her that once an embryo had formed, a psychic bond was formed between mother and child, making it nearly impossible for the baby to be removed until the time was just right. The princess looked down at her stomach to see a bump rising, indicating the presence of offspring.

Medulla was at a loss for a few seconds. How could she be pregnant if…

Then it hit her. The princess remembered a month ago when Brandon took her to his grandparents' farm in Toronto, Ontario. She and Brandon wanted some peace and quiet, and the princess felt that it was time to intimately bond with her human soul mate. One thing led to another, and now, she was pregnant. Suddenly, Medulla sensed something calling out inside her head—the baby.

“Mama…” she heard a tiny voice echo.

“Medulla?” Brandon said, knocking gently. “You’re scaring me. I’m gonna call the others…”

“I-I’m okay,” Medulla gasped as she held onto the toilet, desperate to keep from vomiting. “I think,” she added to herself quietly.

Brandon opened the bathroom door to see his true love holding her gut, clenching the toilet seat with whitened knuckles. Medulla stared at Brandon with her emerald green eyes. They were going to be parents. This also meant that humans and Narvanils were more genetically compatible than scientists on both worlds had previously believed. This was a major scientific discovery, and would undoubtedly shock the inhabitants of both worlds.

“Brandon—sweetheart?” Medulla smiled and chuckled a bit, rising off the toilet seat. “Remember last month when we went to your parents’ farm…all alone?”

“Yeah…” Brandon said, puzzled. Medulla pointed at her stomach, and Brandon could see the conspicuous bulge. Suddenly, his eyes got huge, and his complexion paled. “Oh, God…”

“I’m pregnant…with your baby. I’m sensing his thoughts as we speak…” Medulla’s six-fingered hands touched Brandon’s as she brought his hand close to her bulging stomach. “I’m gonna be a mother. Mom and Dad are gonna be so happy to be grandparents! But...we are gonna have to wait till the time is right to tell them.”

“Of course, Medulla,” Brandon said as he scooped Medulla up. To her relief, he seemed to understand. “We’ll do it when the time’s right. You know both planets’ll be so happy for us.”

It’s now or never, Brandon thought to himself as he led Medulla out of the bathroom. I have to pop the question—now. God, I hope she accepts.

Brandon led Medulla out onto the balcony overlooking the city. Cars zoomed by on the highway several hundred feet below. Medulla looked at Brandon curiously as he climbed onto the railing. Medulla was not one to pry into one’s thoughts without permission, but Brandon did seem quite uneasy.

“What are you doing?” Medulla asked, a little anxiously.

Brandon just smiled and jumped off the balcony. Medulla looked over the ledge, but did not see her boyfriend. She started to worry for a few seconds until she heard his voice.

“Medulla Aramar, princess of Xyndas…” Medulla looked up to see Brandon floating in midair on a cloud of swirling sand. Brandon floated downward until he was at arm’s reach of the balcony, looking his princess right in the eye. He reached out to her with his hand, which she accepted. Brandon pulled Medulla up onto the sand vortex, which surprisingly held the two full-sized teenagers.

“I love you so much. You’ve made all of my dreams come true. Not a day goes by when I don’t thank God for you. You are the sun, the moon, and the stars of my soul.” Still holding his princess’s hand, Brandon pulled the jewelry box out of his pocket and knelt down on the cloud of sand, somehow still staying aloft. “Will you marry me?”

Medulla smirked as her eyes got a bit misty. Suddenly, she let go of Brandon and began to fall. Flabbergasted at her actions, Brandon plunged downward, the cloud of sand swirling around him like a cloak. Thinking quickly, he cupped his hand in front of him, causing a stream of white-colored sand to emerge from it. The love of his life continued to fall unforgivingly toward the asphalt below.

“Come on…” Brandon said as the stream of sand inched ever-closer to the alien princess. He would not let her die—not when he was this close. The spectators below could not believe their eyes.

Finally, Brandon’s “sand lasso” hooked Medulla’s leg about ten feet from the ground. The crowd cheered and applauded as two of the universe’s most famous superheroes descended. Most of them thought it was an arranged publicity stunt. Brandon laughed to himself. If only they knew, he thought.

“I knew you’d save me, Twister,” Medulla said as she and Brandon kissed passionately. “And yes…I will marry you!”

“Yes!” Brandon shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

Medulla and Brandon began making their way back to the hotel room to celebrate their engagement.

Nearby, Danny and Jessica were having dinner at the Olive Garden restaurant across from the hotel. They had seen the little show that their friends had put on, as had the restaurant’s staff and customers, who were absolutely dumbstruck. When Danny and Jessica knew the situation was under control, they returned to their dinner.

“I wonder what that was about,” Danny asked as he sipped his Mountain Dew. In the back of his mind, he wondered if it had something to do with Brandon’s plan to propose to Medulla.

“Haven’t the slightest,” Jessica said, taking another bite of her chicken carbonara. “Maybe those two wanted to give the people a thrill. Though…you want to try it?”

Danny raised an eyebrow. “No way. Besides, most of my animal morphs aren’t big enough to lift you.” Jessica chuckled at the statement. “Plus, I don’t want to copy Brandon. They’d never let me live it down.”

“Yeah,” Jessica said, leaning in. “Just be yourself.” She winked and shook her head. “But, I’m wondering how the others are. I’m thinking those six just wanted the two of us to have a romantic evening.”

“Can’t argue with them there. But I’ve been concerned about Ax’on lately. He’s been giving you & me and Medulla & Brandon space and, well…” Danny began as he thought about his Xyndanian friend.

“You think he’s lonely?” asked Jessica, folding her hands on the table. “Doesn’t take a telepath to figure that one out. Hey, I know you’re looking out for him, but just let him and his sister find their own way. You’re an individual who’s concerned about his friends, Danny—and that’s what I love about you.”

“I know,” Danny said. “I just want him and Medulla to be happy. We’ve been through so much so far, and I’ve got a feeling it isn’t over yet.”

“Well, here’s to the future, honey,” Jessica said, raising her glass of iced tea. Danny raised his glass as well, causing his and Jessica’s glasses to chink together.

“I love you, Danny Walton,” said Jessica.

“And I love you, Jessica Tilton,” Danny replied. “There’s not a thing in this world or any other that I wouldn’t do for you.”

Jessica and Danny kissed as the waiter came by to drop off the check. The pair paid for their meal and left for the hotel.

The restaurant next door was about to have quite a tumult as well. A young narvanil girl in town for the concert emerged from the small roadside bistro. Her hair was a dark blue, which contrasted her pale yellow skin. Little did the young woman know that she was being watched.

“All right, hands in the air!” said a voice behind her. The young lady turned to see a pair of burly men wearing ski caps and masks, toting handguns. The girl did not understand much English, but she knew that they wanted something that belonged to her. Without thinking, she started running, the two burglars hot on her trail.

Nearby in the park, Ax’on and his friends Lilly, Ray and Brad were headed toward the hotel. They had spent the day playing basketball, one of the few Earth sports that Ax’on had actually gotten the hang of. Brad’s spectacles focused in on Lilly, who was walking ahead of the group. Brad was blind, and the visor-like visual device that he wore let him see basic shapes and gave him depth and light perception, but he was deprived of seeing any form of color except shades of gray. Brad approached his Hispanic friend and began to speak.

“Lilly, you okay?” Brad’s spectacles reflected the light of the full moon and numerous stars.

“Hm?” Lilly said. “Oh, si…I’m just thinking about how the others are doing.”

“She’s probably wanting some action,” Ray interjected. “We haven’t had a real smack-jaw, beat-down adventure lately, if you know what I’m talking about.”

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, dude,” Brad retorted. “I actually enjoy this down-time.”

Lilly had to smile at her two friends. She looked behind her to see Ax’on walking with his hands in his pockets. He usually had something to say, but today, he was being unusually quiet.

“You okay, Ax’on?” Lilly asked, looking behind her. “Usually, you’d at least be joining in the conversation…”

“Well, it’s—” Ax’on began. Suddenly, Ax’on sensed a telepathic cry from another narvanil, one he had never heard before. In an instant, a cloud of blue wind appeared around his body. Ax’on emerged wearing his Rangers uniform and a light blue domino mask with small wing-shaped extensions on it. He leapt into the air, following the telepathic cry for help.

“Hey!” Ray said as he pressed a button on his belt. A light enveloped his body, and when it ebbed, he was dressed in his Rangers uniform and his trademark thunderbolt-shaped domino mask. He sped off after his alien friend at breakneck speed. “What’s the idea going off like that without letting me in on it?”

Brad looked at Lilly concernedly. “Should we go see what’s up? Looks like trouble.”

“Safe assumption,” Lilly nodded as a spiral of flames engulfed her body. She emerged wearing her uniform and a flame-shaped mask. “They might need our help. Vamonos!”

“Right behind you!” Brad nodded. He focused his mind, and soon a bright halo of light surrounded his body. The halo began to quickly swirl around him like electrons orbiting an atom, and mere seconds later, he was dressed in his uniform along with a special harness for his spectacles. He leapt into the air, following his friends.

The young female narvanil had been on the run from the burglars for several minutes. They were a fair distance behind her, still not within shooting range. The king of Xyndas had told all narvanils to respect Earth customs and beliefs, but this was no custom. She had a fairly good idea what the men wanted, and she was not about to give it to them.

Suddenly, the girl tripped on a large rock on the sidewalk. She fell to the concrete. As she attempted to get up, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. Right away, she knew she had twisted it. The men approached her.

“All right, sweetcakes, hand over the goods,” said the larger man. She attempted to back away from the two men, but did not get far.

“Jil’ai ma-ti o, ti ya’pas!” the woman said. Her English was not that good. Just as the larger man lunged for her, Ax’on appeared on the horizon and landed in front of the young girl.

“Allow me to translate. She said, ‘Leave me alone, you jerks!” he growled.

“I-it’s one of them Rangers of Infinity!” the smaller man said.

“That’s Rangers of Eternity,” Ax’on corrected. “I’m Typhoon…and I don’t like how you’re treating this woman.”

“Neither do I…” Ray grumbled. His fists crackled with electricity as he and the others appeared.

“Or us!” Lilly and Brad answered in unison. A helix of crimson flames circled Lilly’s body.

“Harold?” the smaller man asked. “Whattya think we should do now?”

“I think you should get outta here, or my friends and I’ll royally kick your butts,” Ax’on said as he comforted the girl cowering behind him.

“Si,” Lilly said as the flames circled her body. “But if you two do plan to stick around, I hope you’ve got—como se dice—health insurance.”

The larger man reached for his handgun and began to lift it.

“I’ll take those,” Brad said as he fired a shot of psychic energy from his spectacles. The burglars' guns floated out of both of their hands toward Brad, and he retrieved the weapons when they got close enough. “Now…scram!”

“Let’s get outta here!” the larger man said, and he and his friend bolted.

Once they were sure that the burglars were gone, the Rangers transformed back into their street clothes. Ax’on looked the teenage girl over to make sure she was not injured. He then asked her a question in his native Xyndanian, to which the girl nodded. Then, in a display that would flabbergast a normal passerby, Ax’on and the young girl kissed.

“Whoa!” Ray shouted. “Didn’t waste any time, did he?”

“Oh, shut up,” Lilly shot. She and the others knew all too well that this was how narvanils learned languages: by kissing, the vocal cords vibrated in sync with one another, allowing narvanils to effortlessly pick up even the most complex of languages. As the two teens finished their kiss and pulled away from one another, the girl bowed to Ax’on.

“Prince Ax’on!” she said in perfect English. “I am humbled by your presence, your highness. You have my eternal thanks.”

“Everything’s all right now,” Ax’on assured her. “And please...just call me Ax’on.”

“My name is Jilmara Sriloam,” the girl replied. “I recently arrived in the city for the concert with my father, who is a member of the Royal Guards. I was attacked by those men without warning. You saved me, my prince,” Jilmara explained. She seemed quite taken with Ax’on. “May I stay with you and your friends? For protection, I mean.”

“We’ll see, Jilmara,” Ax’on replied. “We’re heading back to the hotel, and I’m sure it’ll be all right.”

Jilmara looked nervously at Ax’on’s friends. She was not sure what to make of the humans, but she found no ill will when she read their minds. She did sense that Ray was still reeling from her and Ax’on’s kiss, and also sensed some sorrow from Ax’on himself.

“My prince?” Jilmara asked as Brad motioned for everyone to come on. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Ax’on said. “I’m just pissed that those goons tried to rob you right before the big concert.”

“You and your friends saved me,” Jilmara replied. “This is all that matters, Prince Ax’on. Forget about those…‘goons’, did you refer to them?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ax’on said. “But don’t call me ‘Prince’.” He smiled as the five of them continued to make their way back to the Plaza Hotel.

Along the way, Lilly kept wondering why Brad was so concerned for her well-being a few moments before. Lilly had always been a good judge of character, and over the past couple of months, she had noticed a change in Brad. He had begun to be especially nice towards her, and had periodically asked how she was feeling. Lilly could only think of one possibility.

Oh, Brad, Lilly thought. Is it possible that you have feelings for me?

“Did you see dat?” a New York pedestrian on the street asked his friend.

“Yeah…how ‘bout dem Rangers?” the other man replied.

“Excuse me,” Ax’on said as he and his friends approached the two men. “What did you see?”

“Aah…just Tarot fallin’ and Sandstream catchin’ her,” one of the men said. “No big deal. Dey wanted to show off or somethin’ like dat.”

The group hurried back to the hotel. Ax’on and the others were bewildered by the recent development. Jilmara just followed along, as she had no place to go. She was confused about this group, but they did seem friendly and genuinely concerned for the princess.

The five-star hotel was bustling with activity as the group took the nearby elevator to the couple’s room. Jilmara noticed two bellboys staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Suffice to say, she was uncomfortable with humans lately despite Ax’on’s friends being helpful. As the elevator opened, Ray ran down the hall and opened the door to find the other Rangers celebrating.

“Did I miss something?” Ray asked. “Answer me this: if I’m the fastest member of this team, then how come I’m always the last one to know stuff? It pisses me off!”

Brandon suppressed a laugh as Medulla and Jessica giggled. Danny just shook his head and motioned for the others to come on in.

“Who’s this?” Jessica asked, noticing Jilmara with her friends. “You okay?”

“Yes,” Jilmara nodded, taken aback by the large group of people, especially the other member of Xyndas’ royal family. “Prince Ax’on and his friends saved me from some thieves earlier tonight.”

“So, that’s why you’re late,” Medulla reflected, smirking at her twin brother, who was younger than her by approximately nine minutes.

“Well, we kinda heard somebody fell off the balcony,” Ax’on smirked as he glared at his older sister.

Medulla blushed a bit, and she and Brandon smiled at one another. They wanted to tell their best friends about the engagement; however, Nathan, Jeff, Courtney and Whitney were not there—they were back on the WJS space station base in case of emergency. Medulla and Brandon nodded at one another, and then turned to their friends.

“Guys…” Medulla tried to talk over her friends chatting about the night’s events. She pulled a tarot card from her side, and lit it up with kinetic energy. With a flick of her wrist, the telekinetic princess launched the two of cups card across the room with impressive speed and embedded it into the wall on the opposite end of the room, almost nicking Ray’s ear in the process.

“Hey, what’s the idea?” barked Ray.

Medulla and Brandon looked at one another, and then back at their friends.

“Now that we got your attention,” Brandon began, “we got an announcement.”

“The reason we fell off that balcony before,” Medulla explained, “was because I accepted Brandon’s proposal. He asked me to marry him!”

The group applauded and Jessica, with tears streaming down her face, embraced her best friend Medulla. Danny smiled and patted Brandon on the back as the rest of the group cheered and congratulated the soon-to-be newlyweds.

“Been a long time comin’, you guys,” Ray remarked.

"Yeah...congratulations!" added Lilly.

“But, I sense another presence within you, my princess,” Jilmara interrupted. “What of that proclamation?”