Disclaimer: Saban owns Power Rangers and the characters within, not I.
"Tommy... hold up," Jason called out as he jogged after his friend. He saw him disappear down a hill in front of him and increased his pace until he finally was matching his steps at once they reached the bottom. "Hey..."
"This is bs Jason," Tommy said, his voice tinged with frustration.
"It is... I agree... but," Jason began to respond. Tommy stopped and Jason did so as well.
"But what?" Tommy asked with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Look... I know you are angry, but we don't know what's happening for sure," Jason replied.
"You were just in there," Tommy said with a nod back to where the ship was located in the mines. "You heard them."
"Right... I heard them..." Jason agreed. "They aren't sure."
Tommy took a few more steps and came to stop on the train tracks in front of him. He turned back to Jason.
"I mean... what else could it be?" Tommy asked. "It's not happening to you."
"Yet..." Jason rebutted.
"He's doing something... he's stealing my powers somehow," Tommy stated.
"Maybe... maybe not," Jason countered.
"I don't know what to do man," Tommy said throwing his hands up. "It's just really frustrating that these powers... they just... when I think they are mine and I'm like you guys..."
"They are yours and you are," Jason said. Tommy shook his head.
"I'm sorry... I don't mean to take all of this out on you," Tommy apologized as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"It's cool... I'd feel the same way," Jason responded. "Zordon and Alpha, they'll figure something out."
"I hope so," Tommy responded. Tommy considered something for a moment. "I'm not going to stop using the powers."
"They said..." Jason began.
"If there is trouble I am there," Tommy cut him off. Jason nodded. He understood the mentality and knew he'd be the same way.
"It's your call," Jason relented. The two began to walk along the tracks in silence.
(****)
"Hey," Kimberly said as she slid into a chair and rested her arms on the table in front of her.
"Hey," Trini replied from across the table. "I got you a coffee."
"Thanks," Kim said as she took note of the cup in front of her.
"So what's up?" Trini asked before taking a drink of her own beverage.
"I just wanted to talk..." Kimberly responded before she too took a sip of coffee.
"Okay... anything in particular?" Trini inquired.
"No.. no... just you know... chat," Kim answered. Trini shook her head and laughed. "What?"
"You want to ask about the ride back from the trip don't you?" Trini asked with a small grin.
"Not if you don't want to," Kim answered with a small shrug. Trini eyed her curiously.
"Okay... fine... we won't talk about it," Trini said before taking another sip. There was silence between the two for a moment.
"Are you sure we can't talk about it?" Kim asked, breaking the silence. This prompted some laughter from Trini and Kim caught on that she was being teased.
"I knew you'd crack," Trini stated with a smirk.
"Well it was just awkward and I hated it," Kim replied with a shrug and a smile.
"It's..." Trini began and then took a deep breath. "It's complicated... no wait... I am complicated."
"Right," Kim agreed.
"Hey... you aren't supposed to agree with that," Trini replied with mock shock.
"Sorry... go on," Kim said with a smirk before hiding it behind her coffee mug. "What did Tommy do?"
"He didn't do anything," Trini replied. "Nothing wrong anyway."
"Okay..." Kim said with a nod.
"Everything has been great there," Trini continued. "Just... we were together and things were perfect and it... it felt wrong..."
"Wrong?" Kim asked.
"Maybe that's the wrong word," Trini attempted to explain. "Like... a sense of impending doom type thing."
"Oh," Kim reacted.
"My last couple of relationships... they didn't end well as you know... the pressure from my family caused me to sabotage them I guess," Trini surmised.
"I thought your family liked Tommy?" Kim questioned.
"They do... both of them..." Trini paused.
"That's the problem isn't it?" Kim asked. Trini lifted her gaze from her cup and raised her eyebrows. "Listen... you like who you like... it has nothing to do with your parents, you have to stop thinking about that."
"I know... but it's easier said than done," Trini said. "There is this part of me that resents my relationship with Tommy because they don't."
"Trini... I don't know what to say, except I think you got to just let yourself be happy, in whatever form that comes in," Kim replied. "If your parents are happy, that doesn't mean you can't be..."
"These are things that I know... I really do... but there is soooo much..." Trini took a deep breath. "Sometimes things have been horrible with them and I don't want to just..."
"Forgive them?" Kim questioned.
"I mean... yeah... I guess I feel like I'm letting them off the hook by dating Tommy," Trini responded. "If things don't end well and the next person is a she... it's going to go back to World War Three in the family again."
"I get it," Kim said with a nod. She reached across the table and placed her hand on her friend's.
"So yeah... that was the source of the awkwardness... just me letting it come between us," Trini explained.
(****)
"Yo Billy," Zack said as he descended the stairs to the basement and hopped off the last few to the ground. He saw Billy approaching him and took note of his clothes. "Hey... why you so dressed up?"
"I'm going out," Billy replied as he reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped in front of Zack.
"Really?" Zack asked.
"You don't have to act so surprisedly," Billy responded.
"I'm sorry... but you never really go out," Zack countered.
"I know... this is true... but tonight I am," Billy stated with a small smile.
"So... you going it alone?" Zack inquired.
"No," was Billy's short response before he began to ascend the stairs. Zack was close on his heels.
"You have a date?" Zack questioned as the two reached the top of the stairs.
"I do," Billy answered.
"Come on... give me something here," Zack said as Billy retrieved the car keys off of a table near the front door.
"I am going out dancing... with Marge," Billy stated. Zack smiled, and Billy eyed him.
"Well... have fun, my man," Zack said with a pat on his shoulder.
"Thanks," Billy responded with a grateful smile of his own.
"I won't hold you up," Zack said a with a gesture towards the door.
"Okay..." Billy popped the front door open before turning back to Zack.
"What are you doing tonight?" Billy asked glancing around the empty house.
"Don't know... maybe Netflix and chill," Zack countered.
"Alone?" Billy questioned before raising his hands. "Nevermind... I don't... I'm gonna go now."
"Catch ya later," Zack with a laugh as the front door shut. He glanced around the house and contemplated just what he would be spending his evening doing. He fished his phone out of his pocket and text the first person that came to mind.
(****)
"You don't have to keep me company... I'm okay," Tommy said as he glanced over at Jason who was walking along the other side of the train tracks from him.
"Hey... it's not that, I know you are..." Jason paused.
"I mean... I don't mean to come off like a jerk," Tommy responded.
"Nah...I get it," Jason said. "My house isn't too far now anyway."
"Any big plans tonight?" Tommy asked as he kicked a stray rock off and into the woods next to the tracks.
"Umm... I haven't talked to Kim," Jason replied, using this moment to retrieve his phone to make sure he had no missed calls or messages.
"It's Saturday night... I just assumed," Tommy said.
"We'll probably hook up later," Jason replied. "What... what about you?"
"I'm probably just gonna go home and train," Tommy responded. Jason considered him for a moment, internally questioning whether to broach the subject on his mind. He finally decided to go for it.
"Is everything okay with you and Trini?" Jason asked. Tommy slowed his pace and turned his attention to him.
"Sure," Tommy responded.
"That didn't sound that convincing man," Jason countered. "But I won't pry."
"Nah... nothing to pry into," Tommy said. "It's just... things got a little weird at the end of the trip."
"Didn't notice," Jason joked. Tommy chuckled.
"Yeah... I guess it was just..." Tommy hesitated. "We are good I think."
"You think?" Jason asked. Tommy stopped and crossed his arms. Jason stopped and turned to him.
"Trini has some issues... I think they are with her folks... I'm just trying to let her sort them out you know... no pressure," Tommy explained.
"Yeah... I've gathered things with them can be a bit intense sometimes," Jason said.
"Yeah... it just puts us in um... things get awkward," Tommy stated.
"I get it," Jason said with a nod and the two began to continue their walk.
(****)
"So yeah... we talked at the pier and I think things are better," Trini said before finishing off the last drop of liquid in her mug. She glanced up at Kim who had just leaned back in her chair.
"That's good," Kim replied.
"Mmhm," Trini agreed before her phone lighting up on the table in front of her garnered her attention she picked it up and saw it was a text from Zack. She smiled and began to read it.
"That him?" Kim asked.
"No... Zack," Trini replied to Kim before she began to send a message back.
"What's he up to?" Kim questioned before glancing at her phone to make sure she didn't have any missed messages.
"Apparently Billy went on a date and left him home alone," Trini said glancing up briefly at Kim.
"Billy went on a date..." Kim digested the information. It was the first date she'd known their reserved friend to go on, at least since she knew him.
"Yeah... it's Marge... you know the girl he was talking to the last day of school," Trini explained.
"Ah... yes... I remember," Kim said with a smile. "I hope it works out for them, she seems nice."
"Yes... nice... but if she hurts Billy I'll hurt her," Trini said with a smirk as she placed her phone down.
"I have no doubt," Kim agreed with a laugh.
"So Zack is bored and is asking if I wanna catch a movie with him," Trini stated.
"No plans with Tommy tonight?" Kim asked.
"We haven't talked about anything," Trini answered with a shrug.
"You wanna come with?"
"I don't want to be the third wheel," Kim joked and Trini rolled her eyes.
"Don't even..." Trini responded. Kim smiled and the two rose from their seats.
"Sure... is it okay if I text Jason and ask him if he wants to meet us?" Kim asked.
"Fine by me," Trini replied.
(****)
"Did I ever tell you about the time we were hit by a train?" Jason asked as he glanced over at Tommy who turned to him.
"You were hit by a train?" Tommy asked in response.
"Yeah..." Jason answered with a nod. He was about to tell the story when there was a strong gust of wind and the area darkened. He turned in front of him just in time to see Zedd step from the darkness and into the path of both teens.
Both Tommy and Jason dropped into defensive stances and with a short glance at each other and a nod, both were soon fully armored.
Zedd wasted no time in attacking. He reached Jason first and with a backhand knocked him clear of the tracks. Tommy hit Zedd with a kick that got his attention. He turned to him and blocked Tommy's punch. Zedd grabbed his arm and went to throw him to the ground but Tommy flipped and landed on his feet and threw another punch that connected.
Jason reached his feet and charged towards Zedd and tackled him to the ground. He began to throw some punches but soon found himself being thrown up and threw the air. He crashed into a nearby tree and sent splinters everywhere. He glanced behind him to see Zedd was now using his staff to swing at Tommy who was managing to avoid each swing.
As Jason got to his feet it was when he saw the first crackles of energy appearing across Tommy's form and he immediately raced back into the fight. He jumped between the two and was rewarded with a hard strike from Zedd's staff that resounded through his helmet. Jason steadied himself, determined not to fall. He blocked the next shot with his sword.
"Tommy... call for help," Jason said glancing back at Tommy who was looking down at his form as his armor came and went. "Tommy!"
"Move," Zedd snarled as he knocked Jason out of the way and blasted him with a shot from his staff that caused to fall the ground in a heap.
Tommy swung a punch at Zedd who blocked it and laughed as Tommy's form went from appearing morphed one moment and not the next.
"Keep fighting Tommy... don't give up," Zedd taunted as Tommy tried to continue to swing during the fluctuation of his powers. Zedd cut him off with a punch that hit the flesh of his jaw and not the armored helmet. Tommy fell backward onto the train tracks and fought his body attempting to black out on him. He cursed as he attempted to stand but was met with a foot on his chest pushing him back onto the steel rails.
"Get away from him," Jason said coming back into the picture with a flying kick that knocked Zedd from his perch over Tommy. Jason glanced down at Tommy to see his armor was now over him but was still crackling with energy all up and down it.
"I'm fine," Tommy said as he got to his feet and stood next to Jason. Jason raised his wrist to activate his communicator to call for help. It was a blast from Zedd's staff that knocked him back to the ground that interrupted his attempt.
Tommy's Dragon Dagger materialized and this prompted a low chuckle from Zedd. Tommy charged him and slashed. Zedd blocked it with his staff and the two were locked in a test of strength. Zedd leaned into just a few inches away from Tommy's visor.
"Keep fighting..." Zedd said. Tommy furrowed his brow from beneath his helmet just as his armor faded out on him once more. It was then he felt Zedd's hand grip him around the throat. Tommy silently prayed for his armor to return as he felt his throat being crushed in the evil lord's grip. Just when he felt everything going dark Zedd dropped him to the ground and stepped back. Tommy felt his legs go weak and he fell to his knees.
"You okay?" Jason asked as he was quickly by his side. Tommy glanced up just as Zedd disappeared back into the darkness.
"I... I don't know," Tommy responded turning to his teammate.
