"Angel Grove,
1 mile," the man read, looking at the sign. He had been driving a very
long time, and he was getting sick of being in the car. Since his destination
was so close, he decided to keep driving, rather than stop at a rest station.
As he exited the freeway and moved into the city's traffic, he couldn't
help looking around him at all the tall buildings. It wasn't that he'd
never visited a city before, but this one was different. It was certainly
the only place where the tops of skyscrapers were chewed off on a regular
basis.
After a few
more minutes of driving, he pulled into the parking lot of the motel. He
checked in and headed to his room, throwing himself down on the bed thankfully.
Almost immediately, however, he sat up and pulled out the folder that had
sat on the seat next to him for the entire drive. "Almost ten years," he
sighed, looking at the picture. "God, they grow up so fast. I wonder if
he even knows who I am?" Pulling out his wallet, he looked at another picture,
this one dog-eared from years of being pulled out and transferred from
wallet to wallet. In it, a young boy with dark hair and eyes grinned at
the camera engagingly. On the back, in precise handwriting, it read: Jason
Lee Scott, age ten.
Rising from
the bed, the man crossed to his window, looking at all of the Christmas
decorations lining the streets. It still didn't look right to him without
the snow, but in California, that was extremely unlikely. He sighed. Christmas
was a time for family, and he didn't seem to have any at the moment. Hopefully,
however, that would soon change.
"Rocky! Watch
it with those streamers!" Jason cried. The Blue Zeo Ranger had drunk a
little too much Jolt before coming to Ernie's holiday party, and as a result,
he was bouncing all over the place.
"What has gotten
into him?" Fred Kelman, the Red Turbo Ranger, asked incredulously.
"Too much Jolt!"
chorused Rosa De Santos, Adam Park, and his younger brother Franklin.
"Rocky lives
on Jolt," Tyler Oliver confided in the younger boy. "You should have seen
him move us into our apartment."
"I think he
unpacked the truck in three seconds flat," laughed Terry, his wife.
Not all the
Power Rangers were present at the party. It was still a few days before
the actual holiday, and some of them were still gone. Kim and Skull, in
particular, were spending the time with Kimberly's folks in Paris, and
probably wouldn't be home at all, except perhaps a small visit via communicator
on Christmas Day. Skull didn't say much about his parents, but the other
Rangers had gotten the feeling that holidays around the Skullovitch house
were not a lot of fun. Katarina had gone back to Russia for the holiday,
but she and Rocky had already worked out a schedule for teleporting back
and forth to see each other. Christina, the White Zeo Ranger, had remained
in London, her family flying out to spend the holiday with her. She and
Billy had decided that they could use Rocky and Katarina's schedule, and
had already teleported back and forth several times.
"Hey guys!"
cried Zack Taylor, entering the youth center with his usual flourish. "Sorry
I'm late! There was a snowstorm in New York. La Guardia was socked in!"
"We forgive
you!" his friends chorused.
"So how are
the Ghostbusters?" Billy asked, taking Zack's coat. The Morphin Warriors
had met up with the team of paranormal exterminators during a recent adventure,
and Zack in particular had kept in touch.
"Well, Peter
is slowly overcoming his aversion to Christmas, Ray is going nuts hoping
for a set of Captain Steel comic books, Egon narrowly avoided being trapped
under the mistletoe by Janine, and Winston has repeatedly stated that all
he wants for Christmas is for Ecto not to get damaged in the next six busts,"
Zack chuckled. Cocking his head, he turned to Trini, who was reading something
over by the juice bar. "What's that?" he asked.
"Hmm?" she looked
up. "Oh, it's a letter from Kim. She says that Paris is wonderful, and
both she and Skull are enjoying college. Oh, and Skull's found someone
to teach him katana. He's met some sword expert by the name of Duncan MacLeod."
"Cool. Is everybody
here?" he asked Jason, who had popped up by his elbow.
"Well, all of
our group except Kim and Skull, and the Turbos, and Bulk and David are
here, and all the Zeos except Katya, Chris, and- hey, where's Lillian?"
Jason frowned, snagging Tommy Oliver by the sleeve. "Hey, bro, where's
your girlfriend? I thought she was coming to this thing?"
"Sorry I'm late,
guys," Lillian O'Neil called, removing her motorcycle helmet as she entered.
"I couldn't get away from the dojo, and then the traffic down here from
Cross World was murder. I should have listened to Ryan and taken the back
roads."
"Well, all that
matters is that you're here," Tommy grinned, kissing her on the cheek.
With that, the party moved into full swing.
Jason and his
girlfriend Jamie Zedden were sitting at a table and watching the youth
center go by. "Look over there!" Jamie giggled. "I think my parents are
about to set a world record under the mistletoe!"
"Yeah, well,
they're going to have some serious competition from mine, not to mention
Tyler and Terry," Jason shot back, gesturing to two of the other sprigs
of mistletoe located around the room. Jamie nodded, surveying the rest
of the room.
"Oh dear. I
think Chelsea is explaining the custom of mistletoe to Trey," Jamie chuckled,
watching Tommy's sister pounce on her Triforian boyfriend as he came through
one of the doors.
"I think she
explained it to him last year," Jason mused, remembering vividly their
Christmas party in the Power Chamber. That had been before Jamie had joined
the Rangers, and at the time, he had thought it would be the last Christmas
he would ever celebrate, thanks to the Gold Ranger powers.
"Well, he must
have forgotten," responded Jamie.
Jason laughed.
"I think she just likes explaining it to him."
Cocking her
head, Jamie regarded her boyfriend curiously. "Jason, are you all right?"
"Yeah," he replied,
smiling. "It's just that all of this brings back last year, when I was
sure I wasn't going to live to see graduation. You four hadn't joined the
team yet, and we had this huge party in the Power Chamber. Speaking of
that, where's Lita? I thought they sicced Justin on her to make sure she'd
come." The Rangers had discovered that Dr. Lita Kino had a weakness for
puppy dog eyes, and Justin could do them better than any other Ranger on
the team, including Tommy. Psychiatrists, social workers, and eighth grade
teachers all melted and became putty in his hands.
"Oh, she told
him she had to pick up an old friend," Jamie informed him. "She said she'd
be along later." As if Jamie's words had conjured her, the doors swung
open and Lita Kino walked in. Beside her was a tall, attractive man with
sandy brown hair and vibrant green eyes. Jamie whistled. "Some old friend,"
she breathed.
"Jason, Jamie,
this is Max Delany, an old friend of mine," Lita said, crossing over to
the table where they sat. The two teens shook Max's hand, and both were
impressed by the strength of his grip.
"Nice to meet
you both," Max told them gruffly. "I'm always glad to meet friends of Lita's.
Usually she tries to keep people from finding out she knows me."
"Max!" Lita
slugged his shoulder playfully.
"Hey, nice to
meet you too," Jason replied. "Are you a psychiatrist too?"
"Yes, as a matter
of fact. Lita and I went to college together, and that's where we met.
We've been friends ever since."
"Lita!" Justin
cried, coming out of nowhere. "My dad's here! Come on, you've got to meet
him." The young boy latched onto her hand and began dragging her across
the room.
"Max, I-" Lita
began, but he just waved her off.
"You go on,
Lita. I'll be fine." As she disappeared into the crowd, Max sank down in
a seat next to Jason.
"So, are you
two just friends, or what?" Jamie asked with her usual bluntness.
"Jamie!" Jason
cried. He knew Jamie had a tendency to cut directly to the chase, but she
didn't usually pry.
Max chuckled.
"We're just friends, although not for lack of inclination, at least on
my part," he sighed. "But I don't think she's interested, and I'd hate
to ruin a good friendship by making a fool of myself."
Jason recognized
the gleam in Jamie's eye. "Don't even think about it," he told her in a
low voice. "We've already got Justin trying his hand at matchmaking, and
we don't need you getting in on the act, too."
"Moi?" she told
him, the picture of innocence. "I wouldn't think about it." Jason subsided,
not at all reassured.
Some time later,
Jason and Jamie were talking when he saw her face change subtly. "What
is it?" he asked in a hushed tone. "Cogs, Tengas?"
She shook her
head almost imperceptibly. "Guy at the juice bar. Just came in. Attractive,
Asian descent, early forties, good shape. Don't look. He's watching us.
He's very good, but he's not trying too hard to hide it. If he was, I probably
wouldn't have noticed."
Casually, Jason
turned and scanned the bar, as if looking for Ernie. Then he turned back
to Jamie. "I see him. What do you think he wants?"
She shrugged.
"I don't know. Off-hand, I'd say he's government. The only reason I know
of that the government would be interested in you is- well, you know."
"Same for you,
right?" She smiled and merely sipped her juice. "Jamie," he began warily.
"It was almost
three years ago. I don't think they'd be sending agents after me now,"
she assured him. "After all, it was just a little breaking and entering."
Jason shook
his head. "I don't want to know, do I?"
"Not particularly."
"Is he carrying
a weapon?"
She scrutinized
him, then shook her head. "No, I don't think so. Of course, he probably
doesn't need one here. It's likely just surveillance."
Jason sighed.
"All right. Do you want to dance?"
While they were
dancing, Jamie and Jason noticed two things. One, the man at the bar never
stopped watching them, and two, Franklin Park finally got up the courage
to ask Rosa De Santos to dance. Unfortunately, while the two of them were
swaying around the floor, Jason saw Franklin's expression change, and the
five kids quickly regrouped and sneaked out the back. "Guess Divatox doesn't
take the holidays off," Jason sighed.
"Guess not.
It's getting kind of late, Jason. How about we head back to your place?
We can watch TV or something."
"Sounds good
to me. Are you sure you don't want to go home, though? Your mom and dad
might get worried about you."
Jamie chuckled.
"Jason, this is the first Christmas my parents have spent together in almost
fourteen years. Tonight is probably going to include a bottle of wine,
a roaring fire, and no kid in the house."
"Ah. Well, you're
welcome to come over. I don't think Mom and Dad will mind at all." The
two of them left, but Jamie was uncomfortably aware of the scrutiny of
the man at the counter as they did so.
"'And what happened
then? Well, in Who-ville they say/ that the Grinch's small heart/ grew
three sizes that day,'" the TV informed them. Jamie smiled, snuggling a
little closer to Jason on the couch.
"I always loved
this special, ever since I was a very little girl," she sighed. "You know,
my dad used to read me this book on Christmas Eve to get me to go to sleep."
"Bet you never
thought he'd be cast as the Grinch," Jason teased gently. She elbowed him
lightly in the stomach. Suddenly, their communicators went off, shattering
the mood of peace and contentment.
"We read you,
Zordon," Jason sighed.
"Jason, there
is a platoon of Gasket's Cogs on the street not far from your house. They
appear to be attacking a lone man, who is holding his own. I fear, however,
that he is quite outnumbered. You are the only Rangers available at this
time."
"We're on it,
Zordon," he responded, rising from the couch. Jamie followed suit, grumbling
about super-villains and union regulations. "Come on," he told her. "We're
going to have to do this human form, or at least I am." Jason grimaced.
His Morphin Warrior powers, being magic-based, reacted poorly with cold
iron. This was less of a problem with Gasket's minions than with Mondo's,
since Gasket preferred plastics to metal, but there was still enough iron
in them to render his powers unreliable, if not useless.
"Well, it would
look kind of suspicious for a Zeo Ranger and an ordinary human to tangle
with these goons, so I won't morph either. Let's go!" The two of them ran
out the door, and in a matter of minutes, had reached the struggling man.
They stopped short as they saw it was the man from the juice bar, the one
who had been watching them. Jamie winced as he threw a Cog over one shoulder,
ripping its arm off.
"Oh yeah, he's
a company man," she sighed. Then she threw herself into the fight after
Jason.
With the three
of them, the tide quickly turned, and Gasket's Cogs retreated back through
the space warp. Jason turned to the man they had rescued, intending to
get some answers, only to find him lying on the ground. "Shit!" he cursed,
rushing to the fallen man's side. "Jamie!"
Instantly she
was beside him, coolly checking for a pulse and head injuries. Then she
saw the rip in the front of the man's T-shirt. Pulling the shirt up, she
winced. "Jason, I think they got him with some sort of poisoned blade.
His pulse is steady and his pupils show no sign of a toxic reaction, so
I'm guessing that the poison was some type of tranquilizer. We should take
him back to your place."
"My place?"
"Mine's too
far away, and we can't exactly take him to the Power Chamber. I can take
a blood sample there and send it to Zordon and Alpha for toxicological
analysis. No sense taking him to a hospital if we don't have to. Besides,
I have a few questions to ask him."
Jason grumbled
some, but helped her lift the unconscious man by the shoulders and carry
him back to the house.
He woke up on
a soft bed. Sitting up, he looked around in confusion. The last thing he
remembered was being jumped by some sort of odd robots. Then someone had
come to help him, one of the robots had slashed him across the chest, and
he had passed out.
He shook his
head, trying to clear it. Had he been captured by the robots? He somehow
doubted it. The room he was in looked far too nice to be a cell. Looking
down, he realized that someone had bandaged up the slash on his chest,
and done an excellent job of it, too. Rising, he pulled on his T-shirt
and headed down the stairs.
Jason and Jamie
looked up as the man came down the stairs, rubbing his head. "Ah, you're
awake," Jamie smiled, pouring him a mug of coffee. "Are you all right?
No headache or dizziness?"
"No, I'm fine,"
he replied, taking the mug from her and sipping from it. "Did you two help
me out with those robot things?"
"They're called
Cogs," Jason told him. "Yeah, we saw you fighting them, so we came to lend
a hand. Those guys are bad news. They're always attacking people. Most
of the time the Power Rangers take them, but I guess we just got to you
first."
"Thank you."
He took another sip of his coffee. "Who dressed the wound on my chest?"
"I did," Jamie
answered. "I grew up in LA. First aid is a good thing to know there. Now,
if you don't mind, we have a few questions for you, like why were you watching
us in the youth center?"
The man looked
startled. "You saw that? Damn, I'm getting sloppy in my old age."
"Not necessarily,"
Jason contradicted him. "Jamie's good at spotting things like that." There
was a note of obvious pride in his voice. The man smiled slightly.
"I take it from
your question that you don't recognize me, Jason," he sighed, wincing as
a shift in position pulled at the wound on his chest. "No reason you should,
I suppose. You've never seen me before, and the only picture you might
have seen was almost ten years old. My name is Michael Lee." Jason stiffened,
his eyes wide. "Ah, I see that name rings a bell. So your mother did tell
you about me, after all."
Jason nodded,
unable to speak. Jamie looked from one man to the other in bewilderment.
"Could somebody please tell me what the heck is going on here?" she asked,
confusion warring with irritation in her voice.
Jason swallowed.
"Jamie," he responded, finally finding his voice, "this is Michael Lee,
my biological father."
"Your what?"
she asked.
"He's my father,"
Jason repeated. "It's a long story. You see, Mom, Dad, and Michael were
very good friends in college. In fact, Mom and Michael were in love. Unfortunately,
Grandma and Grandpa didn't like the idea of their only daughter marrying
an Asian man, and threatened to make life miserable for everyone. Well,
after a while, Mom got pregnant with me. She didn't want to have an abortion,
but she didn't want Grandma and Grandpa to know it was Michael's, either.
So Dad pretended that he and Mom had been dating, and that the baby, me,
was his. Michael disappeared, and Mom and Dad fell in love and got married.
That was the last any of us heard of him until now."
"Not quite,"
Michael cut in. "I didn't leave until after you were born, actually. I
was in the hospital, and I visited your mother after the delivery. I only
decided to disappear when I saw how much your mother and John cared about
each other. I only wanted her to be happy, but I wasn't sure I could stick
around and watch them. I wrote to your mother often, though, and she sent
me updates on your progress."
"So that's why
your name is Jason Lee Scott," Jamie realized.
Jason nodded.
"Yeah, Mom wanted to give me some part of both fathers." He turned toward
Michael. "But when Mom told me all of this, when I was thirteen, she said
she didn't know where you were or how to contact you. I wanted to meet
you, but I never could. What happened?"
"Well, I got
into a rather- dangerous line of work, one that required me to cut most
of my ties to the past," Michael grimaced. "I didn't like doing that, but
I felt that what I was doing was important enough that it had to be done.
Besides, you had a mother and a father, both of whom loved you very much.
You hardly needed me around."
"What were you
doing?" Jason asked.
"CIA, NSA, or
DOD?" added Jamie nonchalantly. Michael chuckled.
"She's very
perceptive. One of the above, and that's all I'm at liberty to say. However,
I've recently quit, and I can start picking up my life again. The first
thing I wanted to do was to see you, just to know how you'd turned out.
I got a picture of you from some friends, but I wanted to see you in person.
I hadn't really thought beyond that. If you want me to leave, I'll go."
Jason thought
about that for a moment, then shook his head. "No, I don't. Mom and Dad
will certainly want to see you, and- you are a part of me, part of who
I am, and a part I don't know very well. I would like to get to know you,
even though I don't think I can think of you as my father."
Michael nodded.
"I understand that, Jason. But I'm also glad that you'll at least allow
me to be part of your life. I've been away from that for far too long."
"Jason!" Karen
Scott called, opening the door. "Are you here?"
"Keep it down,"
her husband John chuckled. "He and Jamie probably don't want to be disturbed."
"Thank you so
much for raising uncomfortable images in the mother's portion of my brain,"
she shot back, a smile on her face.
"Um, Mom?" Jason's
voice replied, cutting his father off. "We're in the kitchen, and there's
someone here you might want to see."
Exchanging confused
looks, John and Karen headed for the kitchen. When they saw who was sitting
at the table with their son and his girlfriend, Karen gasped and John's
jaw dropped. Karen found her voice first.
"Michael? I
thought you were dead! You stopped writing, and I was afraid-"
Michael winced.
"Yes, I'm sorry about that, Karen. I wound up in government work, and I
wasn't able to write. I just recently retired, and I was coming to see
you. I would have called, but I was jumped by- Cogs, I think Jason called
them. Luckily, he and Jamie came to my rescue."
Karen raised
an eyebrow at her son, who shrugged. "I guess the Power Rangers were busy
with something else," he responded. Karen sighed. She didn't like the fact
that her only child was a super-hero, constantly risking life and limb,
but after a while, she had learned to deal with it.
That aside,
she immediately moved to concern. "Did they hurt you? Do you feel all right?"
"Mommm," Jason
sighed. "It's been a year, and the Rangers said I wouldn't have any relapses."
Michael looked
at the two of them curiously. "What are you talking about?"
"A year ago,
Jason was accidentally winged with a stray blast from a monster. That caused
a chemical imbalance which nearly killed him," Karen responded, telling
the official tale in clipped tones. These memories still bothered her,
and the fact that it was Christmas once again was only strengthening the
painful recollections.
"But the Rangers
saved me," Jason replied, looking his mother straight in the eye. This
was still a bone of contention between them, dragged out after every major
battle and occasionally just out of the blue. Karen believed that Jason
was going to get himself killed, while Jason had decided that the cause
was worth the risk. John, sensing another verbal battle in the offing,
quickly interrupted.
"So Michael,
how long are you in town for?" he asked.
"Well, that
depends on all of you. Jason has already stated that he wouldn't mind the
two of us getting to know each other. If the two of you have no objections,
I was planning on staying in Angel Grove.
Karen smiled.
"We'd love that, Michael. We've missed you, you know. Both of us."
Michael smiled
back. "That's good to know."
While the adults
were talking, Jamie and Jason headed to the back door. "I'd better go home,"
she sighed. "The four of you have a lot of catching up to do."
"You be careful,"
Jason cautioned. "You know Rita hates your guts on general principle, since
you were, in a way, responsible for losing her Zedd's empire."
"I know. I'll
be careful. You too." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left, disappearing
in the gathering dusk. Jason watched her go with a sigh, then returned
to the table.
"You're up kind
of late, Karen," John remarked, watching his wife putter around their kitchen.
It was almost two in the morning. Jason had long since gone to bed, and
Michael had returned to his motel not long after. Now it was just the two
of them, and Karen looked as if something was bothering her.
"Hmm? Oh, I
didn't hear you come in. And look who's talking. I don't see you in bed
either."
John ignored
this. "What's the matter? Are you sorry Michael's come back? You seemed
very happy about it this evening."
"No, I'm not
sorry. It's just- it's Christmas, John, and I can't stop remembering last
Christmas. Jason was so pale and weak, and I was so sure we were going
to lose him."
"But we didn't,"
he reminded her. "His friends saved him."
"He would never
have been in danger if he hadn't accepted those damn Gold Ranger Powers!"
"No, and he
wouldn't have been our son, either. Karen, we raised Jason to be responsible,
and always think about the greater impact his actions would have. He's
lived up to our teachings better than we could ever have imagined. You
know Jason. He lives to make a difference. Once it was made, how could
he ever turn down an offer like Zordon's?"
Karen sighed.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm thinking too much like a mother and not enough
like a rational human being. It's just that, sometimes, I'm not sure I
know my own son anymore. John, he was risking his life day in and day out
for almost a year, and we never knew!"
John looked
at his feet. "I can't explain that. I know he lied to us a lot about where
he'd been and what he'd done, but I can't understand why we never thought
that something might be wrong."
"He's just changing
so fast. I'm always afraid I'll lose him, and I won't have known who he
was," Karen sighed. John had no answer for that, and just folded her into
his arms.
"It was nice
of you to take the day to show me around Angel Grove," Michael commented.
Jason shrugged.
"Hey, it's not
a problem. I'm just glad that I've finally gotten to meet you. For six
years, I've been wondering what you were like."
"How exactly
did you find out that John wasn't your blood father?"
Jason chuckled.
"Well, I was thirteen and I had my first exposure to genetics in a science
course. They told us that dark hair was dominant over light hair and dark
eyes over light eyes. I noticed that I was a great deal darker than either
Mom or Dad, so I asked if I was adopted. That's when they told me the story."
"I'm sorry I
wasn't there during your childhood, Jason. I thought it would be best for
all of us, though, since John already thought of you as his son."
"Well, I used
to be a little steamed, but as I've gotten older, I've come to understand
about difficult decisions. I do want to get to know you, but I don't think
I can ever call you 'Dad.'"
"I don't expect
you to," Michael replied seriously. "'Michael' is fine. I'm just glad that
I have a chance to know you and to see what kind of a man you've grown
into. I must say, I'm very proud of you."
Jason smiled.
"Thanks." Suddenly, their day was interrupted as a large hole appeared
in the fabric of space and a veritable army of Cogs poured through. Jason
groaned, dropping into a defensive stance. "As if we didn't have enough
trouble!"
The two men
fought in an excellent team, sending Cogs in all directions, but were outnumbered.
Suddenly one managed to slip a punch through Jason's guard, knocking him
unconscious.
"JASON!" Michael
screamed, trying to reach his son's side through the press of Cogs. It
was no use, however. The Cogs latched onto him and teleported both men
out.
Jason woke up
with a very bad headache and the sinking feeling that he was in deep trouble.
Raising his head, he groaned at the sight which greeted him. He was in
a darkened room, tell-tale shimmers in the air before him indicating that
he was trapped behind a force-field. Directly in front of him, on the other
side of the field, was Gasket, prince of the Machine Empire.
"What do you
want, you bucket of bolts?" Jason growled, slamming a fist into the force-field.
Gasket chuckled.
"Let me see.
I want to destroy the Power Rangers, conquer the Earth- oh, and finish
what I started almost a year ago."
"Forget it,
Gasket," Jason snarled. "I'm back at full strength now!" Suddenly he stumbled
as a wave of dizziness overtook him.
"You young fool.
Did you forget that my machine drains the life from anyone? Just because
you're no longer leaking life-force into the cosmos doesn't mean you're
immune."
Forcing the
sick feeling in his brain away, Jason glared at his captor. "Where's Michael?"
he demanded. "What have you done with him?"
"See for yourself."
Stepping out of the way, Gasket allowed Jason to see Michael Lee, strapped
to a chair that Jason recognized immediately from Tommy's descriptions.
"The Brain Drain?
But he doesn't have any powers!" Jason cried, stopping just short of throwing
himself into the force-field.
"But he does
have an excellent store of knowledge. Hand to hand combat, infiltration
techniques, everything I could want in a warrior! I will download his knowledge
into my newest robot, the Cyber Agent, and it will finally be victorious
over the Rangers! Oh, and don't worry. It won't erase his mind the way
it did your friend's. It just copies the knowledge, not transfers it."
"So what about
me? Why am I here?"
"You get to
watch, knowing that you are helpless to stop the destruction of your friends,
as your life-energy fades away to nothing! Enjoy the show." With a cruel
laugh, Gasket disappeared. Closing his eyes, Jason sank down along one
side of his force-cage to think.
"We came as soon
as we got your message, Alpha," Tommy reported, worry in his voice.
"Yeah, what's
the problem?" Fred seconded, looking around him. Every Ranger that was
currently in Angel Grove was now in the Power Chamber, except-
"Where's Jason?"
Jamie asked, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.
"Ai yi yi!"
the little android cried, hitting a few switches. "Jason and Michael Lee
have been captured by Gasket's Cogs! Observe the viewing globe!" The Rangers
watched as a replay of the battle in the park.
"Oh, man!" Adam
cried. "What are we going to do?"
"Maybe I can
find some way to track them," Billy mused. Justin and Adam were right behind
him, and the three of them were soon lost in the intricacies of the problem.
Suddenly, the
alarm went off, startling all concerned. "Ai yi yi!" Alpha cried again.
"We have another problem, Rangers!"
"It appears
that Gasket has sent down a pair of monsters," Zordon rumbled. "This is
the Modulator, a creature which can meld any sort of machinery to itself
and turn it into a weapon. It is currently raising havoc in one of the
residential sectors of Angel Grove. The other, in the park, is the Cyber
Agent. It looks harmless, but I doubt that it is."
"Cyber- Agent?"
Jamie mused. "Alpha, scan that robot for human energy patterns." Alpha
did so, and soon hit paydirt.
"You're right,
Jamie! There seem to be energy patterns around the monster rather similar
to those of Michael Lee!"
"Figures. Gasket
must have downloaded Michael's abilities into that thing. He used to be
government. Cyber Agent will most likely be tougher than anything we've
ever faced!"
"There are more
of us," Tommy decided, "so we'll take the Cyber Agent. Fred, you think
you guys can handle Modulator?"
"We can try,"
the younger boy replied.
"The three of
us will stay here and continue to try and track Jason," Billy said from
under a console, indicating the rest of the Morphin Warriors as he did
so.
"Right," Tommy
responded. "It's morphin time!"
Fred was right
behind him. "Shift into Turbo!"
Jason was jarred
from his meditative state as a pair of Cogs threw Michael through the force-field.
Jason was instantly at the man's side as he slowly came around.
"Michael, are
you all right?" Jason asked. He tried to help the other man sit up, but
could not lift him. He was suddenly frightened at how far his strength
had deteriorated.
"Ugh, I think
so," Michael moaned. "That was the strangest thing I have ever experienced."
"Well, I hope
the two of you are enjoying yourselves," Gasket laughed, appearing before
them in a burst of light. "I've decided, since I am a reasonable machine,
to give the two of you a sporting chance."
"What are you
talking about, Gasket?" Jason gritted out.
"I'll drop the
two of you into my labyrinth. If you escape, you're free to go. If not,
Taurobot will tear you to pieces!" A huge humanoid robot with the head
of a bull appeared beside Gasket. "Let the games begin!"
Jason and Michael
suddenly found themselves in a network of cave-like tunnels that ran in
all directions. "Come on, we need to get moving," Jason cautioned, helping
Michael to his feet. "Gasket plays for keeps, and he likes to cheat."
The two of them
moved off, hearing the echoing of Taurobot's footsteps in the tunnels behind
them.
"Take this, Turbo
Brats!" Modulator laughed. Raising the large leaf blower it had appropriated
from one of the yards, it sent the Rangers sprawling with a blast of air.
"Man, what a
windbag," Yellow Turbo grunted, getting to her feet.
"Yeah. Let's
see if we can't shut him up," agreed Blue Turbo. Leaping into the air,
they threw themselves at Modulator, who knocked them back with ease.
"A direct assault's
no good," Red Turbo informed them. "We've got to use our brains."
"It's either
that, or get them splattered all over the pavement," Pink Turbo muttered.
"Everything's
got a weak spot," Green Turbo puffed. "We just have to find his."
"While we're
thinking on it- Turbine Laser!" called Red Turbo. The large laser cannon
materialized above them and lowered into position. "Fire!" A beam of energy
flew out of the cannon, striking Modulator and knocking him back several
feet.
"Rrrrg, you'll
pay for that, Rangers!" Modulator threatened. An arm snaked out and grabbed
the Turbine Laser, incorporating it into the monster's weapons systems.
"He's turned
our own weapons against us!" Blue Turbo cried.
"That gives
me an idea!" exclaimed Yellow Turbo. "We have to head back to the Power
Chamber, though."
"Leaving so
soon, Rangers?" laughed Modulator.
"We'll be back,
metal-head," Red Turbo shot back. "Count on it."
"Ooof!" Red Ranger
gasped, as a vicious kick from the Cyber Agent sent him reeling. "This
guy is tough!"
"No kidding,"
Blue Ranger replied. "We've got to figure out a way to take him!"
Ever since their
arrival on the battlefield, the Rangers had been getting their butts kicked
by the rather unimpressive-looking monster.
"Adam, any ideas?"
Yellow Ranger asked, turning to her boyfriend.
Green Ranger
ducked as a laser blast nearly took the top of his head off. "Why are you
asking me?"
"You're the
one whose Dad taught him to make a Burmese Tiger pit at the age of 12,"
Black Ranger pointed out reasonably.
"13," Green
Ranger grumbled, but it was obvious that he was thinking. "I don't know
about stopping him, but maybe we can slow him down. As good as he is, he's
only one robot. Let's see how he does against a number of multiple, moving
targets, none of which are moving towards him. Use long-distance attacks!"
The Rangers
did as he suggested, and found that the Cyber Agent was indeed vulnerable
to such an attack. Unfortunately, he wasn't badly damaged, and he seemed
quite content to wait them out.
"Man!" Purple
Ranger cried. "If somebody doesn't think of something fast, we're gonna
get roasted!"
Up on the moon,
in Gasket's labyrinth, Jason and Michael's luck had just run out. Taurobot
had finally caught up to them. "You have nowhere to go, humans!" the robot
laughed. "Are you too cowardly to face me?"
"Not cowardly,
smart," Michael puffed, falling into a ready stance. "Of course, I wouldn't
expect a beef-brain like you to know the difference."
Laughing, the
Taurobot kicked out at him. Between the robot's lightning movements and
the weakening effects of Gasket' Brain Drain, Michael didn't move aside
quite quickly enough. Taurobot's foot made contact with his side.
Jason winced
as he heard Michael's ribs crack with the force of the blow. Instantly,
Jason threw himself between the robot and the fallen man, sinking into
a defensive stance, despite his own weakness.
"You fool! Do
you truly think you can defeat me?" Taurobot laughed. "I will crush you
like an egg."
Jason smiled.
"I don't think so," he replied. "You're very fast. Are you made of plastic?"
Taurobot frowned.
"I- uh, I don't think I'm supposed to answer that," the robot said nervously.
"I'll take that
as a yes." Jason's grin widened. "It's morphin time! Tyrannosaurus!" In
a flash of red light, Jason was transformed into the Red Morphin Warrior.
Instantly, the power of the Morphin Grid flowed into him, replenishing
all that Gasket's life-drainers had taken away.
"Jason?" Michael
asked, incredulous.
"Stay there,"
Jason ordered, never removing his eyes from Taurobot. "I'll explain everything
later." Drawing his sword, he began to press the attack against Taurobot.
Raising a hand, the monster quickly conjured its own sword. The two of
them fought back and forth across the cavern, while Michael lay on the
floor wondering what was going on.
"Hey, I've got
something!" Billy cried, just as the Turbo Rangers teleported in. "Looks
like a surge of Morphin energy!"
"Jason must
be under attack," Trini fretted.
Zack moved a
little closer. "Can you track him, Billy?"
"With my eyes
closed," the genius replied. "Teleportation ready."
"You guys go,"
Fred said, startling them. "Alpha, we're gonna need your help with something.
Tasha has an idea."
"You be careful,"
Trini told the five young Rangers. They rolled their eyes, but agreed.
"Let's go get
Jason," Zack suggested, as the three of them dissolved into multi-colored
streams of light.
"Ai yi yi!"
Alpha cried. "Tasha, what's this plan of yours?"
"Where are we,
Billy?" Zack asked, looking at the cold rock walls around him.
"Not too far
from Jason," replied Billy, scanning the area. Suddenly the sounds of clashing
swords and angry grunts reached their ears.
"Obviously,"
Trini concurred dryly. "Come on, let's go!" They ran down the corridor,
and soon saw Jason, in his Red Warrior costume, fighting with Taurobot.
"Hang on, Jase!"
Zack called, summoning his ax. "We're coming!"
The other two
drew their weapons as well, and threw themselves into the battle. With
four Morphin Warriors fighting it, Taurobot never stood a chance. It was
blasted into scrap almost immediately.
"Michael, are
you okay?" Jason said quietly, turning to the man lying on the ground.
"Well, my ribs
hurt like hell, but other than that, I'll be fine as soon as I figure out
what on God's green earth just happened!"
Billy chuckled.
"We'll explain everything to you soon, sir. Right now, we'd probably get
you down to the Power Chamber and have Alpha take a look at your ribs."
"Alpha?" Michael
asked, wincing as Jason and Zack helped him to his feet.
"You'll see,"
Jason promised, and the five of them disappeared into streams of light.
"So, you're back!"
Modulator laughed as the Turbo Rangers teleported in. He fired a shot from
the Turbine Laser, which they quickly dodged. "Ready for another round?"
"More than you
know, metal-brain!" Yellow Turbo cried. "This weapon is going to send you
into the stratosphere!" She stepped away to reveal a large energy cannon
on the ground. "We're gonna blow you away!"
"Tasha, are
you sure about this?" Green Turbo asked worriedly.
"Trust me,"
she replied, a smirk in her voice.
Blue Turbo looked
at her. "The last time I did that, we were mopping the shelter floors for
a week!"
"You're doomed,
Rangers!" the robot cried. Faster than thought, the Modulator's arm snaked
out, grabbing the energy cannon. Quickly, it modified itself to make the
cannon part of its own weaponry.
"Aw, man!" Red
Turbo cried. "He's gonna toast us!"
"That's right,
Turbo Brat! Hope you enjoy the irony of being destroyed with your own weapon!"
The end of the energy cannon began to glow as a lethal charge of energy
built up, about to be fired. Suddenly the entire cannon exploded, blowing
a VERY large hole in Modulator itself.
"The old Trojan
Horse trick," Pink Turbo said with satisfaction. "A bomb in a gun, and
he swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker."
"Turbo RAM,
Cannon Mode, now!" Red Turbo cried. The cannon appeared before them, and
the Turbo Rangers discharged an incredible pulse of energy at the robot,
blowing it into a thousand pieces.
"And that's
all she wrote!" Blue Turbo yelled.
Green Turbo
chuckled. "Come on, let's get back to the Power Chamber. They may need
our help." In five columns of sparks, they disappeared.
"All healed,"
Alpha told them, shutting off the ray he had aimed at Michael's ribs. The
man stretched gingerly, surprised to feel that there was indeed no pain.
"Wow. I can
hardly believe it," he mused.
Jason smiled.
"Believe it. Alpha has patched up worse than a couple broken ribs on us
in the past." His smile flickered a little as he remembered the internal
injuries that his fight with Goldar in the Dimension of Doom had left him
with.
"I'll bet. I've
seen some of the Power Rangers' fights on the news, and they can be brutal.
How long have you been a Ranger?"
"Since the beginning,"
Jason told him with some pride. "I was one of the first five, the first
to hold the Red power."
"And he has
served with honor and dignity ever since," Zordon rumbled. Michael looked
up at the head floating in his tube and shrugged. He had been a bit startled
by Zordon when the Morphin Warriors had just teleported him in, but had
adjusted quickly. Jason supposed that he saw enough unusual things in his
former line of work that nothing surprised him for long.
"Jason, that
illness your mother seemed so upset about. Did that have something to do
with the Power Rangers?"
"I'm afraid
so," Jason sighed. "It's a sensitive subject between Mom and me. See, the
reason I was so sick wasn't because of a monster. Trey, the Gold Ranger,
he couldn't hold onto his powers for a while, so I took them. Unfortunately,
Trey is an alien, and the powers weren't compatible with human DNA. I gave
them back to Trey, but my troubles didn't stop there. The powers had short-circuited
my own life-force, and I was dying. If it wasn't for Jamie and Christina,
the White Zeo Ranger, I might have died. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat
if I had to. It's what I was meant for."
Michael nodded
slowly, looking at his son. "I can see that. You know, Jason, I said earlier
that I was proud of you, but now that this has come out, I don't think
I can say just how proud of you I am. You've grown into a son that any
man would be proud of."
Jason smiled.
"Thanks." Suddenly the harsh sound of the alarm cut through their conversation.
"What the hell
is that!" Michael cried, hands over his ears.
"It's the alarm,"
Billy responded, crossing quickly over to the viewing globe, even as the
Turbo Rangers teleported into the room.
"Now what?"
Fred cried in exasperation, even as Justin dropped everything and headed
over to the console with Billy.
"Look's like
Cyber Agent is beginning to get a leg up on the Rangers," Justin reported.
"I see you rescued
him, guys," Tasha said to the assembled Morphin Warriors, nodding towards
Michael. Michael regarded her incredulously.
"How old are
you five?"
Franklin sighed.
"We're thirteen, but we know what we're doing."
"Speaking of,"
Rosa broke in, "I suggest we get out there and help the Rangers before
that thing toasts them!"
"Gasket based
that thing on your knowledge of combat and such," Jason told Michael. "You
wouldn't happen to know any weak spots on it?"
Michael looked
thoughtful. "Maybe one. I've always been a little impulsive, especially
when my temper was involved."
"Oh, gee, that
doesn't sound like anyone we know," Zack chuckled. Jason glared at him,
and the Rangers leaned closer to hear Michael's plan.
"Never fear,
the cavalry is here!" Blue Turbo cried as the Turbo Rangers and the Morphin
Warriors appeared in the park.
"Just in time,"
Red Ranger wheezed. "I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out."
"We've got a
plan," Jason told him. "Form the Zeo Blaster. The kids'll call the Turbo
RAM, and we're going to fire at him in unison."
"Are you kidding?
Those won't do more than make him angry! We'll need the Zeo Cannon and
the Turbine Laser to do any damage!"
"Tommy, trust
me," Jason replied, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know what
we're doing."
"Okay, Jase,"
Red Ranger sighed. "Zeo Rangers, form Zeo Blaster!"
"Turbo RAM cannon
mode, now!" the Turbo Rangers cried. The two weapons shot out two fast
beams of light, knocking Cyber Agent back onto it's butt. However, it levered
itself up again and began to advance on the Rangers.
"Oh man, now
we pissed it off," Blue Ranger gulped. Jason grinned.
"All part of
the plan, man. Now run! Follow the Turbo Rangers!" All of the Rangers took
off running, and as they ran, Black Ranger noticed something. There was
no green anywhere in the group. Green Ranger and Green Turbo were nowhere
to be seen.
The Rangers
ran until they came to a dead end, in between to buildings. Trapped, they
could only watch helplessly as the Cyber Agent advanced towards them.
"This had better
be one hell of a plan, Jason!" Purple Ranger yelled.
"Trust me!"
he shouted back.
Cyber Agent
had made it halfway down the alley when two bolts of green laser fire blasted
into it, one on each side. The Rangers looked up to the roofs of the buildings
on either side of them, and saw Green Ranger and Green Turbo up there,
firing away. Cyber Agent was unable to deal with either assailant, as they
were too far away to attack.
"Now," Jason
called, "while he's distracted! Open fire!" The light from four Zeo pistols,
four Autoblasters, and the Golden Power staff joined the two streams of
green, and within seconds, the Cyber Agent was just an unpleasant memory.
"Man, where
did that plan come from?" Gold Ranger asked incredulously.
"Michael, of
course. He filled us in on the monster's weak points, which are his own.
Come on, we'd better get back to the Power Chamber," Jason replied. In
a blaze of multi-colored light, the Rangers disappeared.
"Jason Lee Scott,
where have you been!" Karen cried as Jason and Michael tiptoed through
the door. "You have been gone for hours!"
"Sorry, Mom,"
Jason sighed. "Gasket decided to bust up the family reunion. One thing
led to another, I wound up fighting an ugly robot called Taurobot, and
Michael was introduced to Zordon and Alpha."
"So you know
about Jason's secret, do you?" John asked his old friend, coming out of
the family room.
"Yes, thanks
to those machines. Do I have to worry about getting kidnapped a lot?"
"I don't think
so," Jason told him. "No one ever went after Mom and Dad, and after seeing
what happened to Gasket when he tried to use your specialized knowledge,
I don't think they're going to be too eager to try again. But we did give
you a communicator, just in case."
Karen looked
from one man to the next, her lips pursed in disapproval. "Well, I can
see you're just thrilled about this." Turning on her heel, she stalked
out of the room and up the stairs. Michael and John looked at each other.
"You go," John
sighed. "Maybe she'll listen to you." With a shrug, Michael headed up the
stairs after Karen.
"Karen?" he
asked, knocking on the door to the master bedroom.
A muffled voice
answered him. "Go away."
"Karen, do you
really want me to pick the lock on your bedroom door? I can do that, you
know." For a long moment, there was no answer, then the lock on the door
clicked and it swung open.
"What do you
want, Michael?" she sighed.
He brushed past
her into the room, and sat down in one of the chairs. She did the same,
staring at him. "Why is this so hard for you?" he asked quietly.
"Why? My baby,
my only son, is risking his life constantly, and you wonder why it's hard
for me?"
Michael sighed.
This was not going to be easy, but it had to be said. "Karen, he's not
your baby anymore. From what I saw today, he hasn't been your baby for
a fairly long time now. He's a man, and a very good one. Do you think that
you're going to be able to stop him from putting himself in danger to defend
what he believes in? Do really want to? All this constant sniping is doing
is driving a wedge between the two of you."
She looked at
him in astonishment. "Don't you care at all? Don't you care that he could
die?"
"Yes, damn it!"
he snapped. "He's my son too, even if I never was around for him. But I
respect his right to make choices, just as I respect my own. I'd be pretty
hypocritical if I told him that he couldn't put his life on the line for
what he believed in when I'd spent the last ten years doing just that.
Yes, the thought of losing him scares me. But if you try to make him be
someone he's not, you'll lose him anyway, and it'll be a lot worse. Karen,
don't you understand? What you're doing to Jason- it's not that far from
what your parents did to us."
Her head snapped
up and her eyes went wide. "What are you talking about?" she croaked.
"You want to
protect him from what you see as a threat, and so you're restricting his
ability to make a choice. Back when we were together, I was your choice.
At least, I always thought that what we had between us meant something
special. But your parents thought that I'd be bad for you, because of who
I was. They just wanted to protect you from what they perceived as a threat,
to your reputation and your happiness. And in doing so, they forced you
to make a choice that no one should ever have to make."
Karen sighed,
her body relaxing. "It turned out for the best, I suppose. I did love you,
but John and I- I love him so much. We're happy, and he really loves Jason
as if Jason were truly his son. Still, you're right. I always swore I'd
never make the same mistake my parents did, and now here I am, following
in their footsteps." She looked at him. "It's not too late, is it?"
He shook his
head, smiling. "No, Karen. You haven't lost your son yet. Just bite down
on your worry. He's got his friends to watch out for him, and there's nothing
more you can do." He rose to his feet and she followed suit, throwing her
arms around him.
"I missed you,
Michael Lee," she told him shyly. "I'm glad you're back, for all our sakes.
"I'm glad I'm
back too," he told her, hugging her tightly. They broke apart and descended
the staircase, hand in hand.
A few days later,
December 24, all of the Rangers and their close friends had gathered in
the youth center for a private party. They would all spend the evening
and the next day with their respective families, but for tonight, they
were all celebrating with the other family they had, the Power Rangers.
Lita was beginning
to get nervous. She had seen Justin and Tasha in a corner, whispering and
throwing looks her way. Whatever was going on, she wasn't at all sure she
wanted to be in the center of it. Suddenly, the two kids broke from their
huddle and approached her, the picture of innocence. Lita was not fooled.
"All right,
what are you two up to right now?" Lita sighed. Justin and Tasha gave her
their best wide-eyed stares.
"Us?" Justin
asked. "We're not up to anything, Lita."
"Yeah, why would
you think we were up to something?" Tasha added, her pores oozing sincerity.
"Because the
last time I saw anyone turn the charm on that high, Lillian wound up swearing
vengeance on Tommy for talking her into a certain evening gown," Lita chuckled.
"We've just
got something you ought to see," Justin told her, smiling.
Tasha nodded.
"Yeah, it's in the back room."
Lita sighed,
but rose to her feet. "All right, but if you two are looking for a way
to get rid of stolen property, forget about it." She followed them into
the back room of the juice bar, and immediately regretted it. They ducked
out the door quicker than she could follow and slammed it behind her, leaving
her in pitch darkness. She finally found the light switch and flipped it
on, only to find herself staring at a sprig of mistletoe. Pulling her eyes
down from the mistletoe, she saw Max leaning against a wall, smiling at
her.
"Max?" she asked
incredulously. "What are you doing here?"
He chuckled,
and Lita was reminded once again of why he had never lacked for dates all
through college. "Following tradition," he replied in his deep, gruff voice.
"Tradition?"
Lita squeaked.
"Well, you are
standing under the mistletoe," he pointed out reasonably. Then he reached
out and pulled her closer, giving her a deep kiss. When they finally broke
apart, she grinned.
"It's about
time," she told him. He just laughed and shut her up with another kiss.
Justin and Tasha, who were outside with their ears to the door, shook hands
in satisfaction. Jamie would be proud of them.
John and Michael
sat at the juice bar, watching Karen as she laughed and danced with her
son out in the middle of the floor. After her talk with Michael, Karen
had found herself far more at ease with the Rangers, and was enjoying the
party immensely.
"I don't know
what you said to her, Mike, but it worked," John told his friend, never
taking his eyes off his wife.
"I just pointed
out that what she was doing wouldn't really have any effect anyway, and
she might end up doing to Jason what her parents did to her. She didn't
like that idea."
"Neither do
I. You know, in all the chaos, I didn't get to tell you. I really am glad
to see you again. I've missed you. We were pretty good friends back then,
and I was sorry that you had to leave."
"Yes, I was
too. But some wounds just have to heal with distance and time."
"And have they?
Healed, I mean?" John asked softly, watching his friend. Michael smiled,
a bittersweet expression.
"Yes, they've
healed. I still love her, of course, and always will, but it means so much
more to me that she's happy. That's something I never got a chance to say
to you in all of this nuttiness. Thank you."
"What?" John
was startled.
"Thank you.
Thank you for taking care of her, making her happy, loving her, and for
loving and raising Jason. I don't think he could have turned out any better."
John nodded.
"He's had a lot of good influences." Suddenly, he shifted. "Look at these
kids, Mike. I've never seen anything like it, you know. I've seen friends
before, I've even had friends that I thought I couldn't get any closer
to. But these kids- it goes beyond that. They'd die for each other without
a second thought."
"They're family,"
Michael said softly.
"Yeah. Kind
of makes you think, huh? Family is more than bloodlines and marriages.
It's about feelings, bonds. Don't you ever think that you're not part of
the family, Mike. You are, and you always will be."
Michael chuckled.
"Looks like I'll have a Christmas with family after all. Merry Christmas,
John."
"Merry Christmas,
buddy."
The End ... for now