Post by wk88 on Mar 28, 2009 16:19:34 GMT -5
Title: “Never Say Never”
Story by: ChrisAngelo, in conjunction with myself, White-Knight-1988
Prologue
--
One year ago…
Uncooperative, and maybe even a bit clichéd, would best describe the weather on this dreary January afternoon. The skies were full of clouds and black as night; powerful roars of thunder and vibrant flashes of lightning accompanied the torrential downpour that had been active for nearly an hour already, making what was an incredibly difficult situation beforehand just that much harder to deal with.
Sobs could be heard in every direction, tears flowing from the eyes of man, woman, and child alike as they all stared at the same elegant marble coffin, most of them unable to understand how its occupant had ended up this way in the first place. To all but ten, Trini Kwan had never been the type to stick her nose into a dangerous situation, always the calm voice of reason who much preferred the use of her voice to that of her fists.
Tommy Oliver knew better than that though; as did Kimberly Hart, the woman whom he had neither seen nor spoken to in over five years, but who was currently clinging to his arm like her very life depended on it, supporting herself from dropping to her knees as the tears falling from her eyes struggled to keep pace with the rain.
Jason Scott knew better too; he, like Tommy, had been there when it happened. Zachary Taylor, William Cranston, Aisha Campbell, Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, Katherine Hillard, Tanya Sloan…they were the few who knew the truth about Trini, she who had been the first on the planet Earth to call herself the Yellow Power Ranger.
Unfortunately, those who had not carried the same burden as she would never know the truth about the young woman currently being laid to rest. They would not know of her sacrifice, nor the time she had spent defending her home world from the evil beings who had threatened to conquer it. No, to all but those ten, hers was the tomb of the unknown soldier, a young woman who would never receive the praise and glory she so justly deserved.
Despite the rain Tommy wore dark sunglasses with his all-black suit, using his free arm to hold the umbrella currently shielding as much of he and Kimberly as was possible. How she had even ended up on his arm to begin with he did not know, only that she had been standing next to Jason on the other side of the coffin ten minutes prior, and then next moment she had appeared at his—Tommy’s—side. He had said nothing but to offer his support, unable to let his emotions burst through when she so desperately needed whatever small comfort she was finding in being next to him.
Part of Tommy felt like telling her to get lost, that she had no right to come to him like that after what she had done to him, but just like another part of him—the part that longed to cry like everyone else—he was forced to suppress those urges, the latter because someone on the team had to be strong for the rest of them, and like it had been for so many years before now that responsibility once again had fallen to him. Any tears that threatened to fall were blinked away in an instant, emotion swallowed as he kept constant vigil on his former teammates, his sunglasses doing their job perfectly by hiding his wandering eyes.
When Kimberly suddenly gave a particularly violent sob at the prayer being recited Tommy found himself immediately springing into action, without ever giving any real thought as to what he was doing. He quickly pulled his arm out of her grasp and transferred it to around her shoulder, pulling her in as close to his side as was possible. They locked eyes momentarily, Kimberly giving Tommy just the briefest of watery smiles before burying her face against his chest and sniffling loudly.
Though it seemed like his primary concern was only for Kimberly, there was no one there that Tommy was hurting more for than the man charged with the shared task of holding Mrs. Kwan’s hands alongside her husband. Billy’s blue eyes had never been more red, rapidly blinking back tears as he used his free hand to stroke the top of Mrs. Kwan’s.
Everyone who had been a Ranger knew of the history between Billy and Trini, a mutual attraction that had simply been too shy to develop into anything more. Then, right when Billy had finally found the courage to profess his feelings she was gone, off to Switzerland with Jason and Zack; and by the time she had returned a few years later he was on a different planet entirely. Billy had only been back on Earth six months and had already been forced to deal with the deaths of two loved ones; his mother, who had passed away from cancer a year before his return home, and now Trini, the only woman whom his heart had ever truly belonged to.
If Tommy could have, he would have shouldered every ounce of his friend’s pain just so Billy did not have to hurt anymore. For the life of him Tommy could not imagine what it would feel like to lose his mother, not to mention someone as important to him as Trini was to Billy, especially not in the rapid timeframe that it had all happened in. His support was all he could offer though; and he had tried multiple times, but Billy was still very much struggling with the reality of what had happened and was not yet capable of reaching out for the comfort and support of his friends.
Thinking about that day two weeks back made Tommy grimace, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to banish the images that had haunted his dreams every night for the last fifteen, the same images he knew to be terrorizing his best friend as well. It was only they who had been there, only they who would be the ones to carry that burden on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. Suffice it to say, Tommy was shouldering the burden much better than Jason, who had been nothing short of an absolute wreck since Trini’s death.
“Is there anyone else who would care to share a few words?” asked the robed priest, the rain suddenly stopping in what could have only been a sign of respect from Mother Nature herself.
Eyes seemed to flicker all around at that point, everyone looking at everyone else to see if anyone would answer the holy man’s call. Trini’s father was the first to step forward, followed by his wife, each of them speaking for a few minutes before returning to Billy’s side. Then, with a tremendous breath, Billy exhaled deeply and cleared his throat as he slowly started to approach the coffin.
“The world will never know you, Trini Kwan, not the way I knew you,” Billy murmured, pausing at her coffin, running his fingers gently alongside the smooth marble surface as he spoke directly to her. “The world will never understand the things you did, the person you were. It will never understand your smile or your laugh, your tears or your frowns; the way you always knew precisely what to say to make a person feel better, even when the only thing that person wanted to do was sulk. You were the type to give all of yourself to the world and never once ask for anything in return. I love you, Trini, and I always will; my only regret in life is that I failed to tell you how much you truly meant to me before it was too late. Until we find our way to each other again, goodbye my love.”
As Billy returned to Mrs. Kwan’s side amidst a sea of crying mourners Kimberly found herself with a renewed sense of strength. She felt selfish for even thinking that her pain could come remotely close to matching Billy’s, and right then and there she decided that Tommy was not the only one in the group who was capable of putting on a strong face. Banishing as much of her emotions as possible, she swallowed hard and freed herself from Tommy’s embrace, methodically moving towards the coffin.
“No words can ever do justice to the type of person that Trini was. Billy touched on it, but she really did always know exactly what needed to be said to make you feel better, no matter how bad of a day you were having. Trini was a special person; the kindest, gentlest soul I’ve ever met. She never judged or had an unkind word to say about anybody, and that type of person is something this world doesn’t have a whole lot of these days. Every single person on this planet would have loved to be friends with someone like Trini, and I feel blessed to be standing here, knowing that I’m one of the few people who can say that they truly had the honor of calling her a friend. Trini, I want you to know that as long as I have air in my lungs this world will never forget you. You are the sister that I never had and I will always love you, Tri, forever and ever.”
When she returned to Tommy’s side a few moments later she no longer needed his support, but found that she did not shy away from it when it was offered to her once more. All the comfort she needed was right there in his arms, shielding her from her pain as they listened to everyone else who wanted to speak about Trini: her uncle, Harry; a very emotional Zack; and two of her cousins who were unfamiliar to the group of former Rangers.
“How are you feeling?” asked Tommy, as he walked Kimberly to her car once the service had ended a short while later. The rain had returned in full force, and they were standing just inches apart in an attempt to utilize as much of the umbrella as possible.
“Like my best friend just died,” Kimberly muttered distantly, feeling her emotions return now that she no longer had Billy to look at, the former Blue Ranger having already left in a black SUV with the rest of Trini’s closest family members.
Tommy winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound cold.”
Shaking her head, Kimberly sighed and softly replied, “You didn’t, it’s just…I’m not really sure what I feel. Part of me is still confused over what happened, like sometimes I think about it and I’m positive it’s all just some awful dream I’ll eventually wake up from, that Trini will be there and everything will be normal. But then reality kicks in, you know?” Tommy just nodded as she added, “That’s the part that hurts the worst, knowing that it’s real and that I’ll never get to see my best friend again.”
“I can’t imagine what it would be like if it was Jason,” Tommy admitted, shuddering slightly at the thought.
“Oh, you guys are back to being friends again?” said Kimberly, Tommy nodding once again. “I hadn’t heard.”
“That’s because you live on the opposite end of the country and have had barely any contact with any of us for five years,” said Tommy, trying to keep any bitterness out of his tone. “I don’t think you’ve forgotten, but this is the first time you and I have talked since Murianthis and that was like five years ago.”
Kimberly grimaced visibly. “Yeah, about that—”
“Don’t, Kim,” Tommy interrupted, shaking his head as they came to a stop at the side of her car. Turning to look at her he continued, “At least not right now, anyway. I’m not going to disrespect Trini’s memory like that by hashing out our personal issues on this of all days. It’s waited five years to happen, it can wait one more day.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Kimberly, nodding as she struggled for something else to say. “So, uh, I guess I should get going then.”
“Yeah,” Tommy replied, nodding as well.
“Are you going to the Kwan’s for the reception?” asked Kimberly.
Tommy stepped back as she opened her car door, and said, “Yeah, I’ll be there. The ten of us need to have a little talk, though.”
“About?” Kimberly inquired, raising a curious eyebrow.
“You’ll see,” Tommy replied, Kimberly rolling her eyes. “I only want to have this conversation one time, Kim. Once things have calmed down at the Kwan’s house, we’ll all slip out for a few minutes so I can say what needs to be said. Trust me when I say that it’s going to be a very, very short conversation.”
Giving Tommy a “yeah, whatever” look, Kimberly got into her car and closed the door, rolling down the window once she had started the engine. “I’ll see you in a little bit, Tommy.”
“Yeah, alright, see you then,” said Tommy, stepping back with a wave as Kimberly pulled away from the curb. Watching her car, he reached up to run his hand through his hair, but stopped short when his fingers reached the hard, spiked tips. Six days after cutting his long, trademark locks he was regretting it more and more, especially now when he needed hair that wasn’t gel-hardened to keep his hands occupied.
Now slightly frustrated, as well as intently determined to grow his hair back out as soon as possible, Tommy turned for the red Mustang parked a few cars away and sighed. The funeral had been hard enough, but now he also had a reception to attend and two very important—and equally difficult—conversations that would be taking place relatively soon.
Alas, bearing the burdens of being the leader would again be his charge.
--
Utterly alone was how Jason found himself a few hours later as he meandered aimlessly around the Kwan’s massive backyard garden, trying desperately to avoid the crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate Trini’s life. The guilt Jason currently felt had weighed heavily on his shoulders for over two weeks now; he had not had a decent night’s sleep since her death, nor could he shake the feeling that he could have stopped it all from happening.
When he closed his eyes he could still remember vividly what happened that night; the way she had sprung into battle, powerless and without even the slightest bit of hesitation, only to be murdered by a being stronger than anything the Rangers had ever faced before. Jason had only had one thought about that night, and it was that Trini would have still been alive if not for his own personal failure in protecting her.
“Hey,” said Tommy, announcing his presence as he appeared at Jason’s side. “Here,” he added, offering to Jason one of the two bottles he was currently holding.
Jason accepted the drink with a nod, but as they walked he said nothing for quite some time. He knew what was coming, having already had this conversation with Tommy multiple times, and the last thing he wanted was to hear it again on the day of Trini’s funeral. No matter what Tommy said to him, Jason was absolutely certain that the enormous sense of guilt he felt would never disappear, forever plaguing him until he too met his own similar fate.
“Look man,” Tommy continued, upon realizing that Jason was not going to speak, “I know we’ve had this discussion before, but what happened to Trini wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could—”
“Don’t say there was nothing I could have done, Tommy, because it’s bullshit and you know it,” Jason replied, shaking his head as he stared at his feet with tears in his eyes. “I could have saved her, stopped him before it was too late.”
Tommy sighed. “No, Jason, you couldn’t have, at least not without sacrificing thousands of innocent lives in the process,” he replied, wishing just for once that his friend could see the truth. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Trini knew exactly what she was getting into when she decided to run into the middle of the fight without any powers. I’m not trying to blame her for what happened, but—”
“But what?” Jason demanded through gritted teeth, now staring firmly at Tommy as they came to a stop near some yellow rose bushes.
“We tried to warn her, Jase, you and I both did,” said Tommy, recalling with just as much detail as Jason the moments leading up to Trini’s death. “We barely survived The Hunter’s attack, bro, and we had active powers. As soon as she made the decision to fight it was over, but she made her choice and I don’t think she would have changed her mind even if she could have seen what was going to happen. Be thankful she did what she did, because if she hadn’t distracted him for us that bridge would have collapsed, and Trini would have never forgiven either one of us if we’d saved her and let all those people die in the process.”
“She didn’t deserve to die,” Jason muttered, seething as he remembered seeing her lifeless body for the first time, broken and twisted on the cold concrete.
“I’m not saying she did,” Tommy replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they started to walk once more. “But the simple fact of the matter is that it’s a miracle either one of us survived at all. I know that’s no comfort to you right now, but Trini made the most honorable sacrifice possible that day, and some time down the road you’ll make peace with what happened and the reasons that it did.”
Jason shook his head and said, “I really don’t want to talk about this, Tommy. Being a Ranger was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me, but it also cost me one of my best friends, and when things like that happen, well…that’s a life I just can’t be a part of.”
“What are you saying?”
Jason did not immediately reply, instead extracting a small, shiny gold coin from his pants pocket that he then extended to Tommy. “I’m saying I don’t want this anymore. It’s blood-stained and I can’t have that in my life right now.”
Though there was no real blood on the coin, Tommy understood the message that Jason was trying to convey. Reaching out as though to take the slim disc being offered to him, he instead took Jason’s fingers and closed them around the coin, saying, “I’m not taking your Power Coin. If there’s another emergency—”
“Then you can call someone else to help you next time,” said Jason firmly, trying again to push the coin emblazoned with the tyrannosaurus onto his best friend.
Shaking his head, Tommy muttered, “You know I can’t do that, Jase. I nearly drained my entire Zeo sub-crystal reenergizing your coin. If I used any more energy on another coin, the crystal wouldn’t have enough power left to call the Zords or even fuel a morph, and then what happens? We’re out two Rangers at that point, not to mention we’d be leaving the planet defenseless against The Hunter as a result.”
“Not my problem,” Jason muttered, feeling like a small child in the midst of a temper tantrum as he listened to his own selfish words.
Tommy rolled his eyes and scoffed. “It is your problem, Jason. It became your problem the second you decided that you were ready to be a Power Ranger. You may have passed on your coin once before, but you can’t do it again and you know it, because you saw the same scans I did. The residual Gold Ranger powers caused a surge in the coin that bonded it to you permanently. There’s no giving it to Rocky, or any of the other Rangers this time around.”
Allowing his emotions to get the better of him was an urge that twenty-plus years of martial arts training had taught Jason to control, but now more than ever he found himself wanting to abandon everything he had learned from his chosen sport. He could feel his blood start to boil, causing him to clench his fists at his side as he pushed back.
“Listen, Tommy, we’re not kids anymore and you’re not the leader! You can’t tell me how to live my life!” Jason yelled, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby before continuing. “I’m telling you right now, I don’t want to ever see this fucking coin again! If you’re really my friend, you’ll understand that and take it. If not, well, I just don’t give a shit anymore!”
That being said, Jason flipped his coin as hard as he could at Tommy’s chest and then took off swiftly for the house, passing the other Rangers who had just been walking towards the pair of former team leaders. Kimberly, who had been leading the group’s procession, froze and stared at Tommy as if to ask him what he had done. Tommy just shrugged, bending down to pick up the coin from the grass at his feet.
“What happened?” Kimberly questioned, once she and the other Rangers had reached Tommy’s side.
“He flipped out and threw his coin at me,” Tommy murmured, rotating the disc between his thumb and forefinger a few times before dropping it into his pocket. “Anyway, thanks for gathering everyone else up, but I guess this is a conversation Jason’s not going to be a part of; at least not right now, anyway.”
“What’s going on, Tommy?” asked Adam, looking between Tommy and those in the group surrounding him. “We’re all pretty confused, man.”
Zack nodded. “Yeah man, what gives?”
“Follow me,” Tommy murmured, turning for the path leading to the gate some twenty feet away, the same gate that separated the front and backyards.
The other former Rangers all shared questioning expressions, but no one dared disobey their former leader, he who had been the one to bear the burden the longest of any of them. As they walked towards his Mustang, Tommy motioned for everyone to stop as he proceeded to the trunk of the car. The trunk door popped open, and moments later was pushed back down, Tommy returning towards the group of nine with a small, shiny oak box in hand. Upon returning to the group, he set the box down on the hood and leaned against the wheel-well to address them in the semi-circle formation they had made around him.
“I’m going to make this short and sweet, because there’s not a lot to say that you guys haven’t already been told from Jason or myself,” Tommy started, looking around as various members of the group nodded. “The simple fact of the matter is that none of us are safe anymore. The Hunter, he…he knew things…about me and Jason, things neither one of us had ever told another living soul about. I think it’s safe to assume he knows about the past, and not just me and Jason either, but all of us. If that’s the case, and I’m pretty sure it is, then right now we all have to make a promise.”
“What kind of promise?” questioned Aisha, her hand grasping Rocky’s firmly.
“To never talk about our pasts again to anyone,” said Tommy, eyeing each former Ranger carefully as he added, “Not even each other. It’s too risky with The Hunter still out there somewhere. He has ears everywhere, and the last thing any of us needs is another…well, you know,” he trailed off, looking down at the black asphalt, kicking a few of the loose pieces of gravel at his feet.
“Why do we have to hide? Why can’t we just fight him and get it over with?” asked Rocky, echoing the sentiments of most in the group.
“Yeah,” Tanya interjected, squeezing Adam’s hand, “We’ve never run from any other bad guy before, so why should we start doing it now?”
“Because, Tanya,” Tommy started dryly, “In four years of fighting Zedd, Rita, Master Vile, The Machine Empire, and Divatox, none of them ever came close to doing what The Hunter did. Not only did he kill thousands of innocent people in Los Angeles, but he took one of our own, and that’s something no one’s ever been able to do before. I’m not suggesting we run from him either, I’m just suggesting that I think it’s better if we don’t talk about things that could attract unwanted attention. Besides, it’s not like we can just go after him when there’s only a few of us in the group who have active powers. The Zeo Crystal is strong, but even with all five of us it’s not enough to go after The Hunter. I don’t think you guys realize just how powerful this dude really is; Zedd at his worst doesn’t even come close to what The Hunter is capable of.”
With a frightened look on her face, Katherine muttered, “He’s really that bad, Tommy?”
Looking to his former girlfriend, Tommy nodded and started to reply, but before he could get a word out he was being interrupted.
“He killed another Ranger, Kat,” Billy whispered, surprising everyone—including himself—by speaking up. All eyes turned to the former Blue Ranger as he continued, “Didn’t you guys ever find it rather strange that the worst that ever happened to any of us in battle was a few minor scratches and bruises? Zordon was not kidding when he said that the Power would protect us. For The Hunter to kill a Ranger, even one not in Morph, means his capacity for evil power far exceeds anything any of the villains we’ve ever faced could do. I believe Tommy is wise in his assumption that speaking of our pasts, regardless of whom it is to, would not be beneficial to our personal safety.”
Kimberly sighed loudly and said, “I don’t like having to run.” Tommy turned towards her as if to ask what she considered her actions in the demise of their relationship to be, but Kimberly ignored is look, adding, “But I agree with Tommy and Billy. If this guy is as strong as it sounds, we don’t have a chance without active powers.”
“So it’s settled then?” asked Tommy, looking to each member of the group once more. Some just nodded, while others muttered their agreement, and in the end all nine had decided that Tommy was right. “Good,” he continued, once they had all given agreement, “Then in three minutes we never talk about our pasts again.”
“Why three minutes?” said Adam, raising a curious eyebrow.
“Because I have something to give a few of you,” Tommy replied, reaching behind him to retrieve the box from atop his car. Before he could lay a finger on it though, Kimberly had already scooped it up to inspect it on her own.
“What is it?” she questioned, rotating the box around as she eyed the container carefully.
“See for yourself,” Tommy answered, grinning slightly as he watched Kimberly try to open the box. After less than thirty seconds, she rolled her eyes in frustration and shoved it into Tommy’s hands, unable to find any way to open it. Winking discreetly at her, he raised the box to his lips and murmured, “Hasta ils fliegen ancora.”
With a low hiss the lid popped open, a thin wisp of steam pouring from inside as the Rangers all shared confused expressions at what Tommy had just said. Holding it out, he first offered it to Adam, who looked down at the contents with wide eyes. “Are these—” the former Black and Green Ranger started.
“The originals,” Tommy answered, nodding as Adam extracted his Frog Ninja Coin. “They won’t do much as far as power goes, maybe fuel a few Ninja-Ranger-mode Morphs, but I figured it was better than nothing.”
Adam just nodded, smiling ever so subtly as Tommy moved on to Aisha who, reaching into the box for her Bear Ninja Coin, asked, “Where did you find these? I thought they were destroyed when Goldar and Rito blew up the Command Center?”
“I thought so too, but a few years after Zordon passed I went to the outskirts of Angel Grove and broke into the remains of the Power Chamber,” Tommy replied, moving on to Rocky, intentionally leaving out the fact that he had nearly been killed at least a dozen times by the security measures Zordon had in place for those not in touch with the Power. For nearly an hour he had dodged booby traps of every strength and variety, all the while cursing himself for not remembering to bring his shard of the Zeo Crystal with him on the trip. “I found the box in the main chamber, open and glowing, but the glowing stopped as soon as I got back outside.”
“Why’d you break into the Power Chamber?” asked Kimberly, ignoring the box being extended to her as she stared firmly at Tommy.
Tommy sighed as he cursed himself once more, this time for forgetting how Kimberly always wanted to question everything. “Andros, the Red Space Ranger, has been tracking the remains of the Machine Empire on the moon for over a year now. I broke into the Power Chamber to see if Zordon or Alpha had kept any of our intelligence on Mondo and his cronies that might be of some help to Andros.”
“And?” said Billy, sounding more than a bit eager as he reached out with a trembling hand for his Wolf Ninja Coin, his constant thirst for knowledge shining through even in this, his darkest and most painful of hours.
“I found more stuff than you guys could ever imagine,” Tommy answered, shaking his head as he remembered all the trips he had made back and forth between his home in Reefside and the old Power Chamber once he had finally been successful in disabling all of Zordon’s many security measures. “My basement’s full of Ranger history now, and not just our teams either, but the ones that came after us as well. It’s like box after box just appeared after each team went inactive; either that or there’s another Alpha in the Power Chamber that’s really good at hiding.”
“That’s incredible,” Billy murmured, allowing himself this brief moment of pleasure, “I would be most interested to see what you uncovered.”
Tommy lowered his eyes and shook his head, feeling quite terrible as he said, “I can’t, Billy, not while The Hunter’s still out there watching. Everything’s been locked away in a safe that’s damn near impenetrable, with a twelve digit code that I don’t even know. Only one person has access, and I can’t even tell you guys who it is to make sure she stays safe.”
Looking quite disappointed, Billy nodded his acceptance. While everyone else seemed to take what Tommy said at face value, Kimberly had caught something in Tommy’s statement that had her staring at him curiously. With the sense that he knew exactly what it was, Tommy made sure to avoid her gaze at all costs. The last thing he wanted was Kimberly questioning him about who the “she” was that he had referred to.
“What about Zack?” asked Tanya, looking intently at Tommy. “You guys all have your Ninja Coins now, Jason at least had his Power Coin, and Kat and I still have our Zeonizers, which leaves Zack as the only one in the group without some kind of power source.”
Zack smiled appreciatively in Tanya’s direction, but dismissed her worry with a laugh and flippant wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about me, T. The Zack-man doesn’t need a Power Coin to take care of business if something happens.”
At that moment Adam and Tommy locked eyes, the former leader posing a silent question to the man who had once served under him. It took only the briefest of moments for Adam to swallow hard and nod, turning to Tanya and whispering something in her ear. Tanya immediately turned and headed for the black Ford Explorer parked a few cars behind Tommy’s, returning a few moments later with a black backpack in hand.
“Thanks,” Adam murmured in her ear, pecking a kiss to her cheek as he took the backpack and reached inside, pulling out a shattered Power Morpher and Coin that he then tossed to Zack. The original Black Ranger caught the device against his chest, looking back and forth between it and Adam as if unsure what to do with it. “It’s not much,” he added, shrugging helplessly, “but it should still be able get you a few shaky Morphs if you really need them.”
“I can’t take this man. I appreciate the offer, but it’s yours,” Zack argued, extending the Morpher back to Adam.
Adam just shook his head though, very sternly saying, “And before that it was yours. Besides, if things get bad I still have my Zeonizer too. Just take it Zack, because you need something and I’m not going to use it regardless.”
Running his thumb along the broken coin, Zack locked eyes with Adam and nodded. “Thank you,” he said in a near whisper, all he could manage at that point.
Adam nodded as well, and started to reply, but was cut off by Tommy. “Alright, that’s it guys,” he interjected, looking to each ex-Ranger individually. Slowly moving towards the driver’s side of his car, he continued, “From here going forward we never speak another word about our pasts until The Hunter is gone for good, however long that may be. If there’s an emergency and you need help, the communicators still work.” Opening the door, he climbed halfway inside and stopped to add, “May the Power protect you all.”
With that, Tommy got in his car and moments later was gone, shooting down the Kwan’s street in search of the black and red pickup truck that had been suspiciously missing from the rest of the Ranger’s vehicles parked in front of the house. It was fifteen minutes later when he came to a stop in an Angel Grove apartment complex and headed straight for Jason’s building, letting himself in without even a knock upon reaching the door. He froze on the spot when he entered, not because he was surprised that Jason had left the door unlocked—he did that all the time—but because of the severe lack of furniture that had apparently been replaced by massive stacks of fully loaded boxes.
Jason came sprinting out of his bedroom shortly thereafter, only to turn back around as soon as he saw that it was Tommy who had come calling. Rolling his eyes, Tommy sighed and went after him, knowing that Jason would have closed the door behind him if he truly did not want to speak to his friend.
“Give me the damn coin,” Jason grumbled, stuffing an armful of clothes into an open box. Standing up straight, he looked at Tommy and stuck out his hand expectantly. “That’s what you want, right? To convince me to take the coin?”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Tommy nodded and said, “You know what Andros is doing on the moon right now, Jase. If by some long shot Venjix is able to find Serpentera, we’re the only ones who have the power to stop him from destroying the entire planet. I know you don’t want this, and to be honest neither do I, but this is the life we chose Jason; if we’re needed—”
“We answer,” Jason finished softly, recalling the promise he and Tommy had made to each other before engaging The Hunter two weeks prior. “So are you going to give me the coin now or what, bro?”
Chuckling quietly, Tommy dipped into his pocket and extended the coin to Jason. “So where exactly are you heading off to?”
“New York,” Jason muttered, returning to his packing. “I took the detective job.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Tommy questioned hesitantly.
Going straight-backed once more, Jason looked at his best friend and shook his head. “Not really, but it’s a fresh start and that’s what I need right now. I’m sure I’ll be back sooner rather than later, but for now I just need to get away, you know? Clear my head in a place where no one knows who I am.”
Having been prepared for this since the first days following Trini’s death, Tommy merely nodded and offered his hand. “Take care of yourself, alright bro?” he murmured.
“Yeah,” said Jason, shaking Tommy’s hand firmly, “You too, bro. Keep in touch and let me know how everyone’s doing, alright?”
“You know that I’m not gonna remember to call you, Jase,” said Tommy, he and Jason sharing a very knowing laugh. “But I will remember to keep tabs on everybody. You remember to call and I’ll have updates okay?”
“Yeah, alright,” said Jason, nodding as Tommy returned the gesture and then turned to leave. As Tommy walked away, Jason looked down at the coin in his hand and shook his head, unable to shake his current sense of uncertainty towards what he would do if the world ever needed him again. For the first time since accepting the Power so many years ago Jason was actually doubting himself, silently questioning whether or not he would answer the call if it indeed came once more.
It was not a feeling he enjoyed at all.
Story by: ChrisAngelo, in conjunction with myself, White-Knight-1988
Prologue
--
One year ago…
Uncooperative, and maybe even a bit clichéd, would best describe the weather on this dreary January afternoon. The skies were full of clouds and black as night; powerful roars of thunder and vibrant flashes of lightning accompanied the torrential downpour that had been active for nearly an hour already, making what was an incredibly difficult situation beforehand just that much harder to deal with.
Sobs could be heard in every direction, tears flowing from the eyes of man, woman, and child alike as they all stared at the same elegant marble coffin, most of them unable to understand how its occupant had ended up this way in the first place. To all but ten, Trini Kwan had never been the type to stick her nose into a dangerous situation, always the calm voice of reason who much preferred the use of her voice to that of her fists.
Tommy Oliver knew better than that though; as did Kimberly Hart, the woman whom he had neither seen nor spoken to in over five years, but who was currently clinging to his arm like her very life depended on it, supporting herself from dropping to her knees as the tears falling from her eyes struggled to keep pace with the rain.
Jason Scott knew better too; he, like Tommy, had been there when it happened. Zachary Taylor, William Cranston, Aisha Campbell, Adam Park, Rocky DeSantos, Katherine Hillard, Tanya Sloan…they were the few who knew the truth about Trini, she who had been the first on the planet Earth to call herself the Yellow Power Ranger.
Unfortunately, those who had not carried the same burden as she would never know the truth about the young woman currently being laid to rest. They would not know of her sacrifice, nor the time she had spent defending her home world from the evil beings who had threatened to conquer it. No, to all but those ten, hers was the tomb of the unknown soldier, a young woman who would never receive the praise and glory she so justly deserved.
Despite the rain Tommy wore dark sunglasses with his all-black suit, using his free arm to hold the umbrella currently shielding as much of he and Kimberly as was possible. How she had even ended up on his arm to begin with he did not know, only that she had been standing next to Jason on the other side of the coffin ten minutes prior, and then next moment she had appeared at his—Tommy’s—side. He had said nothing but to offer his support, unable to let his emotions burst through when she so desperately needed whatever small comfort she was finding in being next to him.
Part of Tommy felt like telling her to get lost, that she had no right to come to him like that after what she had done to him, but just like another part of him—the part that longed to cry like everyone else—he was forced to suppress those urges, the latter because someone on the team had to be strong for the rest of them, and like it had been for so many years before now that responsibility once again had fallen to him. Any tears that threatened to fall were blinked away in an instant, emotion swallowed as he kept constant vigil on his former teammates, his sunglasses doing their job perfectly by hiding his wandering eyes.
When Kimberly suddenly gave a particularly violent sob at the prayer being recited Tommy found himself immediately springing into action, without ever giving any real thought as to what he was doing. He quickly pulled his arm out of her grasp and transferred it to around her shoulder, pulling her in as close to his side as was possible. They locked eyes momentarily, Kimberly giving Tommy just the briefest of watery smiles before burying her face against his chest and sniffling loudly.
Though it seemed like his primary concern was only for Kimberly, there was no one there that Tommy was hurting more for than the man charged with the shared task of holding Mrs. Kwan’s hands alongside her husband. Billy’s blue eyes had never been more red, rapidly blinking back tears as he used his free hand to stroke the top of Mrs. Kwan’s.
Everyone who had been a Ranger knew of the history between Billy and Trini, a mutual attraction that had simply been too shy to develop into anything more. Then, right when Billy had finally found the courage to profess his feelings she was gone, off to Switzerland with Jason and Zack; and by the time she had returned a few years later he was on a different planet entirely. Billy had only been back on Earth six months and had already been forced to deal with the deaths of two loved ones; his mother, who had passed away from cancer a year before his return home, and now Trini, the only woman whom his heart had ever truly belonged to.
If Tommy could have, he would have shouldered every ounce of his friend’s pain just so Billy did not have to hurt anymore. For the life of him Tommy could not imagine what it would feel like to lose his mother, not to mention someone as important to him as Trini was to Billy, especially not in the rapid timeframe that it had all happened in. His support was all he could offer though; and he had tried multiple times, but Billy was still very much struggling with the reality of what had happened and was not yet capable of reaching out for the comfort and support of his friends.
Thinking about that day two weeks back made Tommy grimace, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to banish the images that had haunted his dreams every night for the last fifteen, the same images he knew to be terrorizing his best friend as well. It was only they who had been there, only they who would be the ones to carry that burden on their shoulders for the rest of their lives. Suffice it to say, Tommy was shouldering the burden much better than Jason, who had been nothing short of an absolute wreck since Trini’s death.
“Is there anyone else who would care to share a few words?” asked the robed priest, the rain suddenly stopping in what could have only been a sign of respect from Mother Nature herself.
Eyes seemed to flicker all around at that point, everyone looking at everyone else to see if anyone would answer the holy man’s call. Trini’s father was the first to step forward, followed by his wife, each of them speaking for a few minutes before returning to Billy’s side. Then, with a tremendous breath, Billy exhaled deeply and cleared his throat as he slowly started to approach the coffin.
“The world will never know you, Trini Kwan, not the way I knew you,” Billy murmured, pausing at her coffin, running his fingers gently alongside the smooth marble surface as he spoke directly to her. “The world will never understand the things you did, the person you were. It will never understand your smile or your laugh, your tears or your frowns; the way you always knew precisely what to say to make a person feel better, even when the only thing that person wanted to do was sulk. You were the type to give all of yourself to the world and never once ask for anything in return. I love you, Trini, and I always will; my only regret in life is that I failed to tell you how much you truly meant to me before it was too late. Until we find our way to each other again, goodbye my love.”
As Billy returned to Mrs. Kwan’s side amidst a sea of crying mourners Kimberly found herself with a renewed sense of strength. She felt selfish for even thinking that her pain could come remotely close to matching Billy’s, and right then and there she decided that Tommy was not the only one in the group who was capable of putting on a strong face. Banishing as much of her emotions as possible, she swallowed hard and freed herself from Tommy’s embrace, methodically moving towards the coffin.
“No words can ever do justice to the type of person that Trini was. Billy touched on it, but she really did always know exactly what needed to be said to make you feel better, no matter how bad of a day you were having. Trini was a special person; the kindest, gentlest soul I’ve ever met. She never judged or had an unkind word to say about anybody, and that type of person is something this world doesn’t have a whole lot of these days. Every single person on this planet would have loved to be friends with someone like Trini, and I feel blessed to be standing here, knowing that I’m one of the few people who can say that they truly had the honor of calling her a friend. Trini, I want you to know that as long as I have air in my lungs this world will never forget you. You are the sister that I never had and I will always love you, Tri, forever and ever.”
When she returned to Tommy’s side a few moments later she no longer needed his support, but found that she did not shy away from it when it was offered to her once more. All the comfort she needed was right there in his arms, shielding her from her pain as they listened to everyone else who wanted to speak about Trini: her uncle, Harry; a very emotional Zack; and two of her cousins who were unfamiliar to the group of former Rangers.
“How are you feeling?” asked Tommy, as he walked Kimberly to her car once the service had ended a short while later. The rain had returned in full force, and they were standing just inches apart in an attempt to utilize as much of the umbrella as possible.
“Like my best friend just died,” Kimberly muttered distantly, feeling her emotions return now that she no longer had Billy to look at, the former Blue Ranger having already left in a black SUV with the rest of Trini’s closest family members.
Tommy winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound cold.”
Shaking her head, Kimberly sighed and softly replied, “You didn’t, it’s just…I’m not really sure what I feel. Part of me is still confused over what happened, like sometimes I think about it and I’m positive it’s all just some awful dream I’ll eventually wake up from, that Trini will be there and everything will be normal. But then reality kicks in, you know?” Tommy just nodded as she added, “That’s the part that hurts the worst, knowing that it’s real and that I’ll never get to see my best friend again.”
“I can’t imagine what it would be like if it was Jason,” Tommy admitted, shuddering slightly at the thought.
“Oh, you guys are back to being friends again?” said Kimberly, Tommy nodding once again. “I hadn’t heard.”
“That’s because you live on the opposite end of the country and have had barely any contact with any of us for five years,” said Tommy, trying to keep any bitterness out of his tone. “I don’t think you’ve forgotten, but this is the first time you and I have talked since Murianthis and that was like five years ago.”
Kimberly grimaced visibly. “Yeah, about that—”
“Don’t, Kim,” Tommy interrupted, shaking his head as they came to a stop at the side of her car. Turning to look at her he continued, “At least not right now, anyway. I’m not going to disrespect Trini’s memory like that by hashing out our personal issues on this of all days. It’s waited five years to happen, it can wait one more day.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” said Kimberly, nodding as she struggled for something else to say. “So, uh, I guess I should get going then.”
“Yeah,” Tommy replied, nodding as well.
“Are you going to the Kwan’s for the reception?” asked Kimberly.
Tommy stepped back as she opened her car door, and said, “Yeah, I’ll be there. The ten of us need to have a little talk, though.”
“About?” Kimberly inquired, raising a curious eyebrow.
“You’ll see,” Tommy replied, Kimberly rolling her eyes. “I only want to have this conversation one time, Kim. Once things have calmed down at the Kwan’s house, we’ll all slip out for a few minutes so I can say what needs to be said. Trust me when I say that it’s going to be a very, very short conversation.”
Giving Tommy a “yeah, whatever” look, Kimberly got into her car and closed the door, rolling down the window once she had started the engine. “I’ll see you in a little bit, Tommy.”
“Yeah, alright, see you then,” said Tommy, stepping back with a wave as Kimberly pulled away from the curb. Watching her car, he reached up to run his hand through his hair, but stopped short when his fingers reached the hard, spiked tips. Six days after cutting his long, trademark locks he was regretting it more and more, especially now when he needed hair that wasn’t gel-hardened to keep his hands occupied.
Now slightly frustrated, as well as intently determined to grow his hair back out as soon as possible, Tommy turned for the red Mustang parked a few cars away and sighed. The funeral had been hard enough, but now he also had a reception to attend and two very important—and equally difficult—conversations that would be taking place relatively soon.
Alas, bearing the burdens of being the leader would again be his charge.
--
Utterly alone was how Jason found himself a few hours later as he meandered aimlessly around the Kwan’s massive backyard garden, trying desperately to avoid the crowd of people who had gathered to celebrate Trini’s life. The guilt Jason currently felt had weighed heavily on his shoulders for over two weeks now; he had not had a decent night’s sleep since her death, nor could he shake the feeling that he could have stopped it all from happening.
When he closed his eyes he could still remember vividly what happened that night; the way she had sprung into battle, powerless and without even the slightest bit of hesitation, only to be murdered by a being stronger than anything the Rangers had ever faced before. Jason had only had one thought about that night, and it was that Trini would have still been alive if not for his own personal failure in protecting her.
“Hey,” said Tommy, announcing his presence as he appeared at Jason’s side. “Here,” he added, offering to Jason one of the two bottles he was currently holding.
Jason accepted the drink with a nod, but as they walked he said nothing for quite some time. He knew what was coming, having already had this conversation with Tommy multiple times, and the last thing he wanted was to hear it again on the day of Trini’s funeral. No matter what Tommy said to him, Jason was absolutely certain that the enormous sense of guilt he felt would never disappear, forever plaguing him until he too met his own similar fate.
“Look man,” Tommy continued, upon realizing that Jason was not going to speak, “I know we’ve had this discussion before, but what happened to Trini wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could—”
“Don’t say there was nothing I could have done, Tommy, because it’s bullshit and you know it,” Jason replied, shaking his head as he stared at his feet with tears in his eyes. “I could have saved her, stopped him before it was too late.”
Tommy sighed. “No, Jason, you couldn’t have, at least not without sacrificing thousands of innocent lives in the process,” he replied, wishing just for once that his friend could see the truth. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Trini knew exactly what she was getting into when she decided to run into the middle of the fight without any powers. I’m not trying to blame her for what happened, but—”
“But what?” Jason demanded through gritted teeth, now staring firmly at Tommy as they came to a stop near some yellow rose bushes.
“We tried to warn her, Jase, you and I both did,” said Tommy, recalling with just as much detail as Jason the moments leading up to Trini’s death. “We barely survived The Hunter’s attack, bro, and we had active powers. As soon as she made the decision to fight it was over, but she made her choice and I don’t think she would have changed her mind even if she could have seen what was going to happen. Be thankful she did what she did, because if she hadn’t distracted him for us that bridge would have collapsed, and Trini would have never forgiven either one of us if we’d saved her and let all those people die in the process.”
“She didn’t deserve to die,” Jason muttered, seething as he remembered seeing her lifeless body for the first time, broken and twisted on the cold concrete.
“I’m not saying she did,” Tommy replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets as they started to walk once more. “But the simple fact of the matter is that it’s a miracle either one of us survived at all. I know that’s no comfort to you right now, but Trini made the most honorable sacrifice possible that day, and some time down the road you’ll make peace with what happened and the reasons that it did.”
Jason shook his head and said, “I really don’t want to talk about this, Tommy. Being a Ranger was one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me, but it also cost me one of my best friends, and when things like that happen, well…that’s a life I just can’t be a part of.”
“What are you saying?”
Jason did not immediately reply, instead extracting a small, shiny gold coin from his pants pocket that he then extended to Tommy. “I’m saying I don’t want this anymore. It’s blood-stained and I can’t have that in my life right now.”
Though there was no real blood on the coin, Tommy understood the message that Jason was trying to convey. Reaching out as though to take the slim disc being offered to him, he instead took Jason’s fingers and closed them around the coin, saying, “I’m not taking your Power Coin. If there’s another emergency—”
“Then you can call someone else to help you next time,” said Jason firmly, trying again to push the coin emblazoned with the tyrannosaurus onto his best friend.
Shaking his head, Tommy muttered, “You know I can’t do that, Jase. I nearly drained my entire Zeo sub-crystal reenergizing your coin. If I used any more energy on another coin, the crystal wouldn’t have enough power left to call the Zords or even fuel a morph, and then what happens? We’re out two Rangers at that point, not to mention we’d be leaving the planet defenseless against The Hunter as a result.”
“Not my problem,” Jason muttered, feeling like a small child in the midst of a temper tantrum as he listened to his own selfish words.
Tommy rolled his eyes and scoffed. “It is your problem, Jason. It became your problem the second you decided that you were ready to be a Power Ranger. You may have passed on your coin once before, but you can’t do it again and you know it, because you saw the same scans I did. The residual Gold Ranger powers caused a surge in the coin that bonded it to you permanently. There’s no giving it to Rocky, or any of the other Rangers this time around.”
Allowing his emotions to get the better of him was an urge that twenty-plus years of martial arts training had taught Jason to control, but now more than ever he found himself wanting to abandon everything he had learned from his chosen sport. He could feel his blood start to boil, causing him to clench his fists at his side as he pushed back.
“Listen, Tommy, we’re not kids anymore and you’re not the leader! You can’t tell me how to live my life!” Jason yelled, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby before continuing. “I’m telling you right now, I don’t want to ever see this fucking coin again! If you’re really my friend, you’ll understand that and take it. If not, well, I just don’t give a shit anymore!”
That being said, Jason flipped his coin as hard as he could at Tommy’s chest and then took off swiftly for the house, passing the other Rangers who had just been walking towards the pair of former team leaders. Kimberly, who had been leading the group’s procession, froze and stared at Tommy as if to ask him what he had done. Tommy just shrugged, bending down to pick up the coin from the grass at his feet.
“What happened?” Kimberly questioned, once she and the other Rangers had reached Tommy’s side.
“He flipped out and threw his coin at me,” Tommy murmured, rotating the disc between his thumb and forefinger a few times before dropping it into his pocket. “Anyway, thanks for gathering everyone else up, but I guess this is a conversation Jason’s not going to be a part of; at least not right now, anyway.”
“What’s going on, Tommy?” asked Adam, looking between Tommy and those in the group surrounding him. “We’re all pretty confused, man.”
Zack nodded. “Yeah man, what gives?”
“Follow me,” Tommy murmured, turning for the path leading to the gate some twenty feet away, the same gate that separated the front and backyards.
The other former Rangers all shared questioning expressions, but no one dared disobey their former leader, he who had been the one to bear the burden the longest of any of them. As they walked towards his Mustang, Tommy motioned for everyone to stop as he proceeded to the trunk of the car. The trunk door popped open, and moments later was pushed back down, Tommy returning towards the group of nine with a small, shiny oak box in hand. Upon returning to the group, he set the box down on the hood and leaned against the wheel-well to address them in the semi-circle formation they had made around him.
“I’m going to make this short and sweet, because there’s not a lot to say that you guys haven’t already been told from Jason or myself,” Tommy started, looking around as various members of the group nodded. “The simple fact of the matter is that none of us are safe anymore. The Hunter, he…he knew things…about me and Jason, things neither one of us had ever told another living soul about. I think it’s safe to assume he knows about the past, and not just me and Jason either, but all of us. If that’s the case, and I’m pretty sure it is, then right now we all have to make a promise.”
“What kind of promise?” questioned Aisha, her hand grasping Rocky’s firmly.
“To never talk about our pasts again to anyone,” said Tommy, eyeing each former Ranger carefully as he added, “Not even each other. It’s too risky with The Hunter still out there somewhere. He has ears everywhere, and the last thing any of us needs is another…well, you know,” he trailed off, looking down at the black asphalt, kicking a few of the loose pieces of gravel at his feet.
“Why do we have to hide? Why can’t we just fight him and get it over with?” asked Rocky, echoing the sentiments of most in the group.
“Yeah,” Tanya interjected, squeezing Adam’s hand, “We’ve never run from any other bad guy before, so why should we start doing it now?”
“Because, Tanya,” Tommy started dryly, “In four years of fighting Zedd, Rita, Master Vile, The Machine Empire, and Divatox, none of them ever came close to doing what The Hunter did. Not only did he kill thousands of innocent people in Los Angeles, but he took one of our own, and that’s something no one’s ever been able to do before. I’m not suggesting we run from him either, I’m just suggesting that I think it’s better if we don’t talk about things that could attract unwanted attention. Besides, it’s not like we can just go after him when there’s only a few of us in the group who have active powers. The Zeo Crystal is strong, but even with all five of us it’s not enough to go after The Hunter. I don’t think you guys realize just how powerful this dude really is; Zedd at his worst doesn’t even come close to what The Hunter is capable of.”
With a frightened look on her face, Katherine muttered, “He’s really that bad, Tommy?”
Looking to his former girlfriend, Tommy nodded and started to reply, but before he could get a word out he was being interrupted.
“He killed another Ranger, Kat,” Billy whispered, surprising everyone—including himself—by speaking up. All eyes turned to the former Blue Ranger as he continued, “Didn’t you guys ever find it rather strange that the worst that ever happened to any of us in battle was a few minor scratches and bruises? Zordon was not kidding when he said that the Power would protect us. For The Hunter to kill a Ranger, even one not in Morph, means his capacity for evil power far exceeds anything any of the villains we’ve ever faced could do. I believe Tommy is wise in his assumption that speaking of our pasts, regardless of whom it is to, would not be beneficial to our personal safety.”
Kimberly sighed loudly and said, “I don’t like having to run.” Tommy turned towards her as if to ask what she considered her actions in the demise of their relationship to be, but Kimberly ignored is look, adding, “But I agree with Tommy and Billy. If this guy is as strong as it sounds, we don’t have a chance without active powers.”
“So it’s settled then?” asked Tommy, looking to each member of the group once more. Some just nodded, while others muttered their agreement, and in the end all nine had decided that Tommy was right. “Good,” he continued, once they had all given agreement, “Then in three minutes we never talk about our pasts again.”
“Why three minutes?” said Adam, raising a curious eyebrow.
“Because I have something to give a few of you,” Tommy replied, reaching behind him to retrieve the box from atop his car. Before he could lay a finger on it though, Kimberly had already scooped it up to inspect it on her own.
“What is it?” she questioned, rotating the box around as she eyed the container carefully.
“See for yourself,” Tommy answered, grinning slightly as he watched Kimberly try to open the box. After less than thirty seconds, she rolled her eyes in frustration and shoved it into Tommy’s hands, unable to find any way to open it. Winking discreetly at her, he raised the box to his lips and murmured, “Hasta ils fliegen ancora.”
With a low hiss the lid popped open, a thin wisp of steam pouring from inside as the Rangers all shared confused expressions at what Tommy had just said. Holding it out, he first offered it to Adam, who looked down at the contents with wide eyes. “Are these—” the former Black and Green Ranger started.
“The originals,” Tommy answered, nodding as Adam extracted his Frog Ninja Coin. “They won’t do much as far as power goes, maybe fuel a few Ninja-Ranger-mode Morphs, but I figured it was better than nothing.”
Adam just nodded, smiling ever so subtly as Tommy moved on to Aisha who, reaching into the box for her Bear Ninja Coin, asked, “Where did you find these? I thought they were destroyed when Goldar and Rito blew up the Command Center?”
“I thought so too, but a few years after Zordon passed I went to the outskirts of Angel Grove and broke into the remains of the Power Chamber,” Tommy replied, moving on to Rocky, intentionally leaving out the fact that he had nearly been killed at least a dozen times by the security measures Zordon had in place for those not in touch with the Power. For nearly an hour he had dodged booby traps of every strength and variety, all the while cursing himself for not remembering to bring his shard of the Zeo Crystal with him on the trip. “I found the box in the main chamber, open and glowing, but the glowing stopped as soon as I got back outside.”
“Why’d you break into the Power Chamber?” asked Kimberly, ignoring the box being extended to her as she stared firmly at Tommy.
Tommy sighed as he cursed himself once more, this time for forgetting how Kimberly always wanted to question everything. “Andros, the Red Space Ranger, has been tracking the remains of the Machine Empire on the moon for over a year now. I broke into the Power Chamber to see if Zordon or Alpha had kept any of our intelligence on Mondo and his cronies that might be of some help to Andros.”
“And?” said Billy, sounding more than a bit eager as he reached out with a trembling hand for his Wolf Ninja Coin, his constant thirst for knowledge shining through even in this, his darkest and most painful of hours.
“I found more stuff than you guys could ever imagine,” Tommy answered, shaking his head as he remembered all the trips he had made back and forth between his home in Reefside and the old Power Chamber once he had finally been successful in disabling all of Zordon’s many security measures. “My basement’s full of Ranger history now, and not just our teams either, but the ones that came after us as well. It’s like box after box just appeared after each team went inactive; either that or there’s another Alpha in the Power Chamber that’s really good at hiding.”
“That’s incredible,” Billy murmured, allowing himself this brief moment of pleasure, “I would be most interested to see what you uncovered.”
Tommy lowered his eyes and shook his head, feeling quite terrible as he said, “I can’t, Billy, not while The Hunter’s still out there watching. Everything’s been locked away in a safe that’s damn near impenetrable, with a twelve digit code that I don’t even know. Only one person has access, and I can’t even tell you guys who it is to make sure she stays safe.”
Looking quite disappointed, Billy nodded his acceptance. While everyone else seemed to take what Tommy said at face value, Kimberly had caught something in Tommy’s statement that had her staring at him curiously. With the sense that he knew exactly what it was, Tommy made sure to avoid her gaze at all costs. The last thing he wanted was Kimberly questioning him about who the “she” was that he had referred to.
“What about Zack?” asked Tanya, looking intently at Tommy. “You guys all have your Ninja Coins now, Jason at least had his Power Coin, and Kat and I still have our Zeonizers, which leaves Zack as the only one in the group without some kind of power source.”
Zack smiled appreciatively in Tanya’s direction, but dismissed her worry with a laugh and flippant wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about me, T. The Zack-man doesn’t need a Power Coin to take care of business if something happens.”
At that moment Adam and Tommy locked eyes, the former leader posing a silent question to the man who had once served under him. It took only the briefest of moments for Adam to swallow hard and nod, turning to Tanya and whispering something in her ear. Tanya immediately turned and headed for the black Ford Explorer parked a few cars behind Tommy’s, returning a few moments later with a black backpack in hand.
“Thanks,” Adam murmured in her ear, pecking a kiss to her cheek as he took the backpack and reached inside, pulling out a shattered Power Morpher and Coin that he then tossed to Zack. The original Black Ranger caught the device against his chest, looking back and forth between it and Adam as if unsure what to do with it. “It’s not much,” he added, shrugging helplessly, “but it should still be able get you a few shaky Morphs if you really need them.”
“I can’t take this man. I appreciate the offer, but it’s yours,” Zack argued, extending the Morpher back to Adam.
Adam just shook his head though, very sternly saying, “And before that it was yours. Besides, if things get bad I still have my Zeonizer too. Just take it Zack, because you need something and I’m not going to use it regardless.”
Running his thumb along the broken coin, Zack locked eyes with Adam and nodded. “Thank you,” he said in a near whisper, all he could manage at that point.
Adam nodded as well, and started to reply, but was cut off by Tommy. “Alright, that’s it guys,” he interjected, looking to each ex-Ranger individually. Slowly moving towards the driver’s side of his car, he continued, “From here going forward we never speak another word about our pasts until The Hunter is gone for good, however long that may be. If there’s an emergency and you need help, the communicators still work.” Opening the door, he climbed halfway inside and stopped to add, “May the Power protect you all.”
With that, Tommy got in his car and moments later was gone, shooting down the Kwan’s street in search of the black and red pickup truck that had been suspiciously missing from the rest of the Ranger’s vehicles parked in front of the house. It was fifteen minutes later when he came to a stop in an Angel Grove apartment complex and headed straight for Jason’s building, letting himself in without even a knock upon reaching the door. He froze on the spot when he entered, not because he was surprised that Jason had left the door unlocked—he did that all the time—but because of the severe lack of furniture that had apparently been replaced by massive stacks of fully loaded boxes.
Jason came sprinting out of his bedroom shortly thereafter, only to turn back around as soon as he saw that it was Tommy who had come calling. Rolling his eyes, Tommy sighed and went after him, knowing that Jason would have closed the door behind him if he truly did not want to speak to his friend.
“Give me the damn coin,” Jason grumbled, stuffing an armful of clothes into an open box. Standing up straight, he looked at Tommy and stuck out his hand expectantly. “That’s what you want, right? To convince me to take the coin?”
Looking slightly embarrassed, Tommy nodded and said, “You know what Andros is doing on the moon right now, Jase. If by some long shot Venjix is able to find Serpentera, we’re the only ones who have the power to stop him from destroying the entire planet. I know you don’t want this, and to be honest neither do I, but this is the life we chose Jason; if we’re needed—”
“We answer,” Jason finished softly, recalling the promise he and Tommy had made to each other before engaging The Hunter two weeks prior. “So are you going to give me the coin now or what, bro?”
Chuckling quietly, Tommy dipped into his pocket and extended the coin to Jason. “So where exactly are you heading off to?”
“New York,” Jason muttered, returning to his packing. “I took the detective job.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Tommy questioned hesitantly.
Going straight-backed once more, Jason looked at his best friend and shook his head. “Not really, but it’s a fresh start and that’s what I need right now. I’m sure I’ll be back sooner rather than later, but for now I just need to get away, you know? Clear my head in a place where no one knows who I am.”
Having been prepared for this since the first days following Trini’s death, Tommy merely nodded and offered his hand. “Take care of yourself, alright bro?” he murmured.
“Yeah,” said Jason, shaking Tommy’s hand firmly, “You too, bro. Keep in touch and let me know how everyone’s doing, alright?”
“You know that I’m not gonna remember to call you, Jase,” said Tommy, he and Jason sharing a very knowing laugh. “But I will remember to keep tabs on everybody. You remember to call and I’ll have updates okay?”
“Yeah, alright,” said Jason, nodding as Tommy returned the gesture and then turned to leave. As Tommy walked away, Jason looked down at the coin in his hand and shook his head, unable to shake his current sense of uncertainty towards what he would do if the world ever needed him again. For the first time since accepting the Power so many years ago Jason was actually doubting himself, silently questioning whether or not he would answer the call if it indeed came once more.
It was not a feeling he enjoyed at all.