This has been kicking around in my head for a while now after reading UnromanticPoetess's brilliant re-write of the Green Ranger saga and I finally couldn't resist. For some reason, I've developed a thing for dark Jason and I wanted to try switching roles between him and Tommy. Not colors though. In this AU, Tommy is still Green Ranger, but he is the leader. Instead of the Green Coin being lost to Rita, it was the red. Like Jason in canon (or what seems to be accepted as canon), Tommy and the others have known each other for a good portion of their lives and Tommy and Kim are together and have been for a few years.
With this reversal, it means that the MegaZord is not in play and that Zord fights are done either separately or through DragonZord in battle mode
Now, this will not just be a scene for scene rewrite with Jason and Tommy reversed. While some situations, such as the tournament and the destruction of the Command Center will still occur, I'm going to try to make this as different as possible. For anyone looking for a follow up to
Power Trip, it's going to be a while. This fic has taken over my focus completely.
Title: Through Clouded Eyes of Red
Synopsis: A look at what might have happened had Jason and Tommy's
positions been reversed.
Rating: M for violence and sexual activity
Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all things associated with them belong to
Saban. All hail Saban.
Feedback greatly appreciated.
Part 1
'Breathe in, breath out. Breathe in, breathe out. Be calm and in control. Let nothing distract you.' Jason Lee Scott silently repeated the mantra over and over again, easily ignoring the excited chatter of the tournament spectators and focused on mentally preparing for the final match. As tournaments went, it hadn't been too difficult to reach the final spot. Angel Grove didn't seem to have a lot of hard core martial artists, which was a little disappointing. He'd been hoping for a decent challenge, like what New York and Chicago had offered. Man, those had been some fantastic fights!
'Oh well, not everywhere can be a hot spot,' he thought.
As the announcement for the final match was called out, Jason opened his eyes and scanned the Youth Center, dark eyes coming to rest on a group of teens surrounding a long haired boy in green who was to be his opponent. Tommy Oliver, according to the announcer, reigning champion extraordinaire. Jason smirked a little. Soon to be former champion if he had anything to say about it.
His gaze shifted and met the almond eyes of an attractive Asian girl dressed in yellow and a little shiver raced down his spine. 'Hm,' he thought as he smiled in greeting and she returned it with a little blush, 'this may not be a total bust after all.'
First things first though. He moved onto the mat and stood opposite Tommy, listening to the referee go through the obliquity rules while sizing the other boy up. Tommy was obviously doing the same and, as their eyes met, he felt something stir deep within him. It was a strange
feeling of familiarity, like he had known this other boy all his life even though this was the first time he had ever laid eyes on him. From the startled expression in Tommy's eyes, he was experiencing a similar feeling. Then the referee was calling for them to begin, and all that mattered was the fight.
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Rita Repulsa had been having a delightful nap in her rocking chair when something woke her. Frowning, she looked around, trying to discover the source of what had disturbed her, expecting it to be one of her idiot minions. All was silent, however, and her frown deepened. What had awakened her? Closing her eyes, she opened her mind, trying to sense what was wrong. 'Hmm, everything seems to be…wait! What is that?' she thought as she finally felt the caresses of a distantly familiar power coming from somewhere deep within the castle. Unable to remember what it was, she moved closer to it, trying to identify it.
Her eyes flew open and she gasped, coming quickly to her feet. After all this time, could it really be? "Goldar!" she screamed as she hurried into the throne room. "Goldar! Where are you?"
"What is it, Empress?" Goldar asked, alarm in his voice and sword in his hand as he rushed in, eyes darting about for any threat.
"It's calling out, Goldar, it's calling!" Rita answered excitedly as she swiftly made her way over to what appeared to be nothing more than a wall. She searched along the stone, muttering to herself about annoying secret buttons, then made a pleased noise as she found what she was looking for and the wall moved aside to reveal a dark staircase. Without waiting to see if Goldar was following, she grabbed a lit torch and hurried down the stairs and into the room the wall upstairs guarded. She went straight to a well secured cabinet, pulling out a set of keys. She shoved three keys into three separate locks, muttered an incantation, then turned each one in succession. The door unlocked and she threw it open, carefully searching the contents as Goldar stood by in confusion.
"What are you looking for, Empress?" he finally asked as Finster, Squatt and Babboo all quietly entered, drawn by the excited shouting of their queen.
Rita didn't answer, muttering to herself again as she tried to find the object of her desire. After a few minutes, she let out a cry of triumph and turned away from the cabinet, a small red box with the image of a creature imprinted on it held carefully in her hands. Goldar drew in a quick breath. "My Queen! Is that...?"
"Yes, Goldar, it is," Rita breathed back in reply. She pushed passed the little group and hurried back upstairs, the others following quickly, eager to see what had her so excited. She sett the box gently down on a table and caressed it reverently.
Finster moved in for a closer look and gasped. "Oh, my!"
"What?" Squatt asked, exchanging a confused look with Babboo. "What's in the box?"
"The Red Ranger Coin," Finster whispered, and both minions froze, looks of awe coming over their faces. "My Queen," Finster continued, "Has...has it finally chosen?"
"I believe so," Rita replied. "Can you feel it calling out?" She looked up and toward the balcony that overlooked the Earth. "After all these centuries of silence, it's finally chosen its wielder. I guess I shouldn't be surprised it's an Earthling considering the holders of the other Coins.
But why now?" she mused. "There have been many teams over the centuries on many worlds, why would it choose Earth of all places?"
"Whoever it has chosen must be a strong and worthy warrior," Goldar said, drifting closer to the box. Rita looked up and nodded. "Let's find out." She reached out and opened the box, revealing the Red Tyrannosaurus Coin, which was glowing softly. The Morphing device rested next to it, waiting to be joined with the Coin.
Picking the box up, she carried it over to the balcony, carefully handing it over to Goldar before peering through her telescope. "Whoever it's reacting to is probably with the Rangers right now," she murmured as she searched Angel Grove for the brats who had quickly become the bane of her existence. She found them in the Youth Center where a martial arts tournament was being held and was just in time to witness a truly fantastic fight between Tommy and a boy clad in red. The Coin glowed brighter and practically sung in her mind as she watched, indicating that this boy was the one it wanted.
"Outstanding," Rita breathed as she watched. "It would appear that Tommy has finally met his match. No wonder the Coin is so excited. Finster! Get some Putties ready! We'll see how this boy does against them. Make sure he really is worthy of the Tyrannosaurus Coin and that this isn't just a false alarm."
"My Queen," Goldar spoke hesitantly as Finster hurried to obey. "Do you think it wise to use one of their own kind against them? So much could go wrong. Zordon, for instance, won't he be able to identify who has taken on the power of the Red Ranger?"
Rita huffed in annoyance. "Then we'll simply get rid of him. As a Ranger, this..." She paused. What was the boy's name? Jaden...Justin...Jason...yes, Jason, that was it. "As a Ranger, Jason will be able to access the Command Center. Before his big debut, he'll slip into the Command Center and take care of Zordon and his bucket of bolts sidekick so that they can't spoil the fun. Without their precious mentor, the Rangers will be completely lost." She glared at Goldar, who took a step back. "Done carefully and competently, we're sure to have found the secret to defeating those brats!"
Goldar bowed, handing the box back to Rita who closed it and held it protectively close to her body. "As you wish, my Queen. I will make preparations for his capture immediately." Turning, he left the throne room and his queen to her plans.
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Jason stood before his newly assigned locker, studying his new class schedule critically. Math, double history then lunch followed by science, shop and gym. 'Could be worse,' he thought. 'Could be double math.' At least he had already missed that one for the day. Plus, today was Friday. God bless the madness of transferring mid semester.
"Jason right?"
He looked up to find his opponent from the previous day, Tommy, standing next to him, a friendly smile on his lips. Once again, that odd feeling of familiarity passed between them as Jason smiled back. "Hey Tommy," he greeted.
"You finding your way around all right?" Tommy asked, appearing pleased that Jason had remembered his name.
With a wry grin, Jason nodded to his locker and said, "So far, I've found the office and my locker. Haven't had the pleasure of finding any classes yet."
"What do you have next?"
"Double history," Jason replied with a quick glance at his schedule to make sure.
"You're in luck," Tommy said, gesturing to a black boy headed toward them. "Zack here has that class now, right Zack?"
"Yup. The thrilling life of Benjamin Franklyn continues," Zack replied with a grin. He held out his hand. "Zack Taylor."
"Jason Scott," Jason replied, taking Zack's hand as a small brunette bounced up to them. "Hey guys!"
"Hey beautiful," Tommy replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek. Looking back at Jason, he said, "This is my girlfriend, Kimberly Hart. Kim, this is Jason Scott."
Kim smiled brightly and took Jason's hand. "Nice to meet you. You were amazing at the tournament yesterday. I've never seen anyone who could keep up with Tommy like you did."
Jason smiled, a hint of color tinting his cheeks. "Thanks. Feeling is mutual, actually," he replied, gaze sliding back to Tommy. The bell rang and Jason turned to grab his history books and closed his locker.
"We'll see you guys at lunch," Tommy said as he and Kim headed off.
"Later," Zack replied before turning his attention to Jason and pointing in the opposite direction. "Come on, this way."
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When lunch time came, Jason and Zack dropped off their things in their lockers, then Zack showed Jason where the lunch room was. After getting their lunch, Zack scanned the cafeteria, then smiled and gestured for Jason to follow. He led the way to a table where Tommy and Kim sat with a boy dressed in blue and the pretty Asian girl Jason remembered from the previous day. Tommy looked up and smiled.
"Hey guys," he greeted as the pair sat down. "Jason, this is Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan. Guys, this is Jason."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance. Your performance yesterday was exemplary and far exceeded the expectations of the masses."
Jason blinked as the boys grinned and the girls giggled. "He says you were impressive," Trini translated.
"Oh," Jason replied, amusement flickering through his eyes. "Thanks."
"How was history?" Tommy asked and as Zack launched into details, Jason took the opportunity to study his new companions. Tommy he felt like he'd known his whole life. Zack seemed like a fun guy to hang out with and Billy...well, Billy was obviously a super brain. Jason was a little
surprised that someone so smart was hanging out with this bunch instead of other super brains. Ditto for the obvious cheerleader, Kimberly, who looked like she would fit in better at the table being shared by what had to be the popular girls. On the other hand, it meant a high tolerance school which pleased him. He hated bullies and he was happy to see such a diverse group of friends.
Then there was Trini, who had to be pretty smart herself considering how easily she had translated what Billy had said. He glanced at her whenever he thought she wasn't looking, hoping that he'd get the chance to get to know her better. There was something about her...
"So, Jason, where are you from?"
His attention was dragged back to the conversation to find everyone looking at him in interest. He chuckled and said, "Easier to ask where I'm not from." At the confused looks, he added, "Army brat. Dad's been steadily climbing the ladder to the top for years and, as a result, takes
a lot of promotions that require relocating. You name the place and I've probably lived there for a while."
"Must be hard always moving around," Trini commented and Jason shrugged. "It has its ups and downs. I've got friends all over the country and a few overseas, a lot of whom I still keep in touch with. Also gave me a chance to study with a lot of different martial arts masters."
"It showed when we fought yesterday," Tommy said with a nod. "Man, you have some really awesome moves! If you have time, you should come to the Youth Center after school. It's where we all go most days. We could spar."
"I'd like that," Jason replied with a quick glance at Trini.
The rest of lunch was spent mostly with Jason talking about the places he'd lived and people he'd met. When the bell to return to classes rang, he headed off to science with Billy and Kim, looking forward to the end of the day and the planned get together at the Youth Center.
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When the day ended, Jason had been called to the office to deal with some administration stuff and so had told Tommy he would meet them at the Youth Center as soon as he could. Once he was done there, he left the school and started the walk, heading through the park. It was there that he learned the strange rumors regarding Angel Grove and monsters weren't simple rumors.
Out of nowhere a group of gray...things appeared, making strange noises as they danced and darted around him. Dropping his bag, Jason quickly moved into a defensive stance, trying to keep track of all the strange beings moving around him. When, after a moment nothing happened, Jason shouted, "Well? What do you want?" That seemed to be their signal and. One moved in and attacked him, then the rest joined in.
What followed was a fast paced and, if Jason really wanted to admit it, exhilarating fight. He had quickly discovered that holding back, like he would with a normal opponent, was not a good idea with these things. So, he took the opportunity and cut loose, putting his training to use as he
was meant to. He used combinations of kicks and punches that would have been deadly to mere human opponents and, while they didn't seem deadly for these things, they did go down and stay down.
When it was over, Jason was surrounded by twitching bodies, which he eyed carefully as he took a moment to catch his breath. 'Better get out of here,' he thought as he grabbed his bag, never taking his eyes off the gray beings lest one or more of them suddenly try to attack him again.
'Wonder if I should tell someone. Maybe the guys at the Youth Center will know what to do.' He turned to hurry away but stopped in his tracks, eyes widening at the sight before him. A few feet away stood what appeared to be a six foot ape man of some kind clad in gold armor, wielding a lethal looking sword.
The ape laughed as it looked at the bodies of Jason's attackers. "Well done, Jason. Very well done. Very few humans could do what you just did. It would appear the Coin chose well."
Jason took a step back, heart racing. Whatever this thing was, it knew his name and he really didn't like what it just said. "What the hell are you taking about?" he asked, hoping his voice was steadier than it sounded. "Who are you? How do you know my name?"
"I am Goldar and you, Jason of Earth, have been chosen. Come! Our Queen awaits!"
Before Jason could say or do anything, Goldar thrust his sword into the air, there was a blinding flash of light and then all went dark.
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Tommy sat a table with Kim and Trini, half listening to Kim tease Trini about Jason's obvious interest in her. Most of his attention, however, was focused on the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong, but he didn't know what. Had he forgotten to do something?
That wouldn't be unusual for him but he couldn't think of anything really important that he was supposed to do. No birthdays, no anniversaries, no super important school project coming due... So what was affecting him? He frowned, one possibility coming to mind. Quietly excusing himself, he left the table and headed for the quiet alcove the Rangers like to use when they needed privacy.
Glancing around to make sure he was alone, he activated his communicator and said, "Zordon, it's Tommy, come in please."
There was a brief pause, then Zordon's voice answered. "Yes, Tommy, go ahead."
"I've got a weird feeling, Zordon. Is everything okay there and in Angel Grove?"
"Everything is fine in the Command Center, Tommy," Zordon replied. "One moment while we scan Angel Grove." Tommy waited semi patiently, eyes scanning the area for unwanted company. Finally, Zordon said, "All appears to be well in the city, Tommy. We registered a brief disturbance in the Grid about half an hour ago, but it appears to have been nothing. All is quiet."
The reassurance didn't do much for the feeling in Tommy's stomach, but he nodded anyway. "All right. Just keep a close eye on things, would you? Something feels wrong."
"Acknowledged."
Tommy ended the communication and headed back to the table. Hopefully, Jason would show up soon and he could distract himself with a good spar.
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Rita slowly circled her prize, taking in every detail in admiration. He lay complacently on Finister's medical table, staring vacantly at the ceiling. She had been forced to put him into a trance when, shortly after Goldar returned with him, he'd awakened and went berserk, breaking quite a few objects and injuring Babboo when the scientist had foolishly gotten in his way. After being patched up, he's scampered off with Squatt to hide somewhere while the real work was being done.
"He's even more magnificent in person," she breathed as she lightly ran a finger down his cheek. "After that show in the park, I can't wait to see how he handles the other Rangers." She looked up as Goldar entered. "Is everything prepared?"
"Yes, my Queen," Goldar replied, bowing respectfully.
"Excellent, bring him and follow me."
Goldar gathered Jason up and followed Rita to the room she used for her most complicated spell casting. He lay Jason down on the floor in the center of a ring of candles, then quickly left as Rita took her own place. Closing her eyes, she began the long process of chanting and calling upon the powers that she needed to aid her. Hours went by as she weaved spell after spell over Jason, slowly bringing him under her control. When she at last reached a critical point, she reached out and put a gentle hand on Jason's chest, leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Jason, can you hear me?"
"Yes," came the quiet reply.
"Do you know what is happening to you?"
"No. I'm...afraid."
"Don't be," she breathed, gently stroking his hair. "No harm will come to you. You have been chosen, Jason, to receive great power. Power that an elite few possess. Listen carefully while I tell you the story of a war that has been fought for many centuries."
Rita spent the next few hours telling Jason all about Zordon and the Power Rangers and the war they had been fighting for ages. She, of course, painted herself in a far more favorable light and, by the end of the story, could sense that she had almost full control over the boy. "What do you say, Jason?" she whispered. "Will you become my warrior, my Red Ranger and help me finally put an end to this accursed war once and for all?"
There was a moment of silence and then the quiet reply, "I will. I will take the power and serve you, my Empress, for the rest of my days."
Rita smiled, her heart leaping in victorious joy. "Excellent."
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Jason had never felt more incredible than he did right then. Not even the high of winning a tough tournament fight could compare to the feelings currently flooding his body. He gazed at the Power Coin Empress Rita had given him, taking in every detail of it, feeling an intense physical connection to it. The Coin was part of him now, and he knew that to be parted from it would likely mean death. He would have to protect this Coin with everything he had to ensure that it was never taken from him.
He looked at the device that was supposed to hold the Coin. The…Morpher. Empress Rita had explained that by putting the two together and calling out Tyrannosaurus that he would then become the fearsome Red Ranger. "Go ahead, Jason." He looked up to find Empress
Rita watching him, Goldar behind her. She nodded to the items in his hand. "Place the Coin in the Morpher and calling upon the power of the Tyrannosaurus."
Nodding, Jason placed the Coin in the slot then, instinct taking over, he raised the Morpher and shouted, "Tyrannosaurus!" The world exploded in red light and the power that he had felt in his body reared up and consumed him. He gasped as a state euphoria settled over him and opened
eyes he didn't remember closing only to find he was now viewing the world from behind some kind of visor. Reaching up, he felt a helmet on his head and then noticed that white gloves now encased his hands. Turning, he found a mirror and found himself in the uniform of a Red Power Ranger, whom he had seen footage of on the news before.
Rita laughed in delight. "Excellent, Red Ranger, excellent! How do you feel?"
"Like I could take on an entire army by myself," Jason replied, then his eyes widened in alarm. Army! His parents! "Aw man! What time is it? What day is it?"
"Saturday, around twelve in the afternoon," Goldar answered. "Why?"
"My parents!" Jason replied frantically. "They must be going nuts!"
"Relax, Jason," Rita said soothingly. "Your parents revived a message that you were spending the night and day with...new friends. They are not worried for you." As she watched him relax, she made a mental note to keep an eye on the whole 'family' situation. It wouldn't do to have a
servant with divided loyalties after all. "Now, Jason, power down and come with me. I have something for you to see."
"Red Ranger, power down!" Jason commanded, again going on instinct. He then followed Empress Rita and Goldar back into the throne room, where Rita sat down, muttered something in a language Jason didn't understand, then waved her hand. In the middle of the room, multiple images appeared of the Power Rangers fighting various monsters. With another muttered word and wave of her hand, a chair appeared in front of the images.
"Sit, Jason, and watch these images. I want you to study each and every Ranger. Learn everything you can about them and then I will tell you the most important detail of all."
Jason nodded and obeyed the command, sitting and focusing all of his attention on the images playing before him. He spent the next several hours riveted to the images, Rita patiently playing back scenes when he asked, taking in every detail that he could. When he finally finished, he
sat in contemplative silence, frowning as he thought.
After a while, Rita asked, "Well, Jason, what did you learn?"
Jason stood to face her, still frowning thoughtfully. "A lot, my Queen," he murmured.
"What's on your mind, Red Ranger?"
Jason hesitated, then said, "It's strange but the Green Ranger...the way he fights and moves. I recognize it. I think...I think I know who he is."
"Oh?" Rita questioned, tilting her head a little. "And how would you know this?"
"Every fighter has his own style, his own way of moving that's distinctly his own," Jason explained. "Like a signature." Jason's focus turned inward as he reviewed his memories before nodding confidently. "I've fought him before, I'm sure of it."
"Very well, who do you believe the secret identity of the Green Ranger to be then?" Rita asked with interest.
"Tommy. Tommy Oliver," Jason answered without hesitation.
Rita smiled. "Very good," she purred. "Yes, Tommy Oliver is, indeed, the Green Ranger, leader of the group and an extreme pain in my neck. Care to take a guess at who the rest of them are?"
"Well," Jason replied slowly, "I haven't seen the rest of them fight but, based on how close they all are, I'd have to say that Zack Taylor, Kimberly Hart, Billy Cranston and Trini Kwan." He felt a stab of regret at the mention of Trini's name and a part of him hoped that he was wrong. It would be a deep shame to have to kill such a pretty thing like her.
"Impressive," Goldar murmured as Rita favored Jason with a delighted smile. "Very good, Jason," she praised. "You've met them all, I assume?"
Jason nodded. "At school yesterday," he confirmed.
"Good. Now, what I want you to do is get close to them. Become a trusted friend and by that, I don't simply mean to their civilian identities. You will stumble upon their Ranger identities, likely during an attack. I'm calling in an old friend, Scorpina, who will help you with this. Once you have 'accidentally' learned their secret, they will take you to meet Zordon, who will swear you to secrecy. My magic will ensure that he does not sense you as a Ranger. Not until it is too late anyway. Knowing their secret will guarantee you complete infiltration and will allow you to
develop close friendships with them. I especially want you to get as close as you can to Tommy. I've never met a Ranger leader harder to kill than that little upstart. By becoming a close friend, he'll never see you coming as the instrument of his destruction."
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Jason quoted and Rita nodded approvingly.
"Exactly. Now, one more thing before you return to Earth. No matter how much you may be tempted, do not morph and try to engage the Rangers until I tell you to. I want you established in their tight little circle before the Red Ranger makes his first appearance. Understand?"
Jason nodded. "Yes, my Empress. I will not disappoint you."
Rita smiled and reached out, lightly running a finger down his cheek. "I know you won't."