Joey knelt for a moment longer, glancing at Red's marker. "Hey Red," he said softly, "remember when they ordered me to train the new recruits? Thought it might straighten me out or at least give me a purpose? Well, Nova's still doing that for me. Uses holo projectors to make her look and sound like me." He could almost hear Red's voice in his head, telling him to step up and do the right thing, her sense of responsibility always a reminder of what he should be.
He took a deep breath, his voice carrying a hint of something lighter. "Before I go, there's something I want to tell you all. I've come across someone promising—a young recruit named Camilia Valerte. She's got potential. Reminds me of us, before everything. She's raw, but she's got fire, and I think she might have what it takes. I think she could make a great Ranger, if things were different."
A faint chuckle escaped his lips as he moved to Pink's marker. He could practically hear Pink and Prism laughing, Pink's voice dripping with sarcasm. "She'd be telling Red to take the stick out of her ass," he murmured, his smile widening. He imagined Pink rolling her eyes at Red's stern advice, her laughter echoing in his mind. "And then she'd try to get me to skip training, telling me life was too short to always do the responsible thing. You never did let me get away with taking myself too seriously." Pink never let him wallow—she always found a way to shake things up, even if it meant pushing him out of his comfort zone.
Pink had always been like that—full of life, rebellious, unafraid to speak her mind. She was a citizen of CoralVault but considered Hawaii her real home, even though no one lived there anymore after Countdown. Pink was a young Asian woman with jet-black hair, an incredibly talented gymnast, training for the Olympics from a young age. After everything changed, her skill translated into her fighting style—quick, graceful, unpredictable. CoralVault itself was a marvel—a domed city above and below the waves, shimmering like a living coral reef. But Pink loved the land, Hawaii's beaches and volcanic landscapes. Those places made her feel most alive, even though she hadn't set foot there in years.
He looked down, a faint smile forming. "Camilia's been through a lot—lost her parents during Countdown, but she's still standing. She's from Sangara, one of the new megacities built on the ruins of Beijing. When everything fell apart, she had to grow up fast. She was just a kid back then, but instead of breaking down, she took on the responsibility of protecting others. She led the neighborhood kids to safety—hiding them in caves just outside what used to be Rio, in the Tijuca National Park. Even when her cousin Carlos went missing, she didn't give in to fear. She got those kids to safety. That kind of instinct, to protect those who can't fight, can't run, can't hide—it says a lot about who she is. She did good.
She's tough, and she's got that spark, you know? The kind that makes you want to fight, even when everything seems impossible. She grew up scavenging and defending herself, learned how to survive in a world that had turned upside down. It's given her a resilience I haven't seen in a long time. She's fiercely independent, maybe a bit too stubborn for her own good, but it reminds me of us. She doesn't give up. And she's got a knack for demolitions—her squadmates like to joke that even the bombs are afraid of her temper."
Joey smiled, imagining Black and Bastion's response. "They'd probably say, 'Sounds like she can take a hit and keep going, Blue. Make sure you look after her.' Her out-of-the-box thinking would've made her a great Ranger if we still had a morpher to give."
"She's quick too. I've seen her run through simulations—sharp instincts, learns fast. She's got this fire in her, something that's not easily put out. Reminds me of Pink—always pushing herself to be better, never satisfied with anything less than perfect. And she's got that quiet determination, a lot like Yellow. She doesn't boast, she just puts in the work. Yellow would probably say, 'Seems to thrive in the chaos, Blue. I like her.'"
"Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but... I think you'd all like her. I see that same spirit in her eyes, that same drive we all had. Maybe there's still hope for the future, for a new team—something worth fighting for."
He nodded, slowly pushing himself to his feet. He rested a hand on the oak tree for a moment, looking out at the distant city lights, then back at the markers beneath the tree. "I'll be back next Wednesday," he promised. "But for now, I'm headed to The Grid," he added with a wistful smile. "Maybe you'll all come have a drink with me tonight."
As he turned to walk away, Nova spoke again, her voice filled with warmth, but also the lingering sadness they both carried. "They know, Joey. They always know."
He gave a small nod, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. It wasn't much, but it was something. And for now, that would have to be enough.