Dark Blue Return 4/?
Tommy stood there, a picture of defeat as he waits for Zordon to say something to him
"TOMMY, GO HOME. THERE IS NOTHING TO DO FOR NOW, BRING THE OTHER RANGERS HERE AFTER YOU ARE DONE WITH SCHOOL TOMORROW. I WILL ATTEMPT TO FORMULATE A PLAN OF ACTION BY THEN. GOODNIGHT TOMMY."
Tommy left, Zordon's tone leaving no room to argue. He went to bed, fearing telling the others that he had failed so spectacularly. Meanwhile, Billy was up and smiling at having bested Tommy. He closed his eyes, letting the darkness flow through him. Billy finally went to his computer and was about to email Adam but he figured let Tommy tell them that he was back; at least in a manner of speaking.
Billy finally went to bed, awaiting the repercussions of his actions from the others. He did feel bad about Adam, but that could be dealt with later. The next morning comes with the gang meeting up at school. Tommy looks like he is walking the last mile, but refuses to tell them what is going on. Once school is over, he rounds up all the Rangers and asks them to come to the Command Center, once there he finally speaks.
"Um guys, I have bad news for all of you. There are three more Zeo shards out there. Well two now that we don't know the location of. The third, the Black Zeo shard has been found and claimed by someone. Unfortunately that person is someone who has a huge grudge with us, is frighteningly intelligent and knows us all well.
Billy has the Zeo shard, but it's not a good thing. The Black shard is drawn to a person's inner darkness, the evilness we all have but control or don't act upon. As we all know, Billy has been pretty ticked off at us for the last few days. He has the shard, and he is planning to use it against us. I failed when I tried to get it from him; it seems that only served to make him madder at me. We should all be on our toes, since he knows us too well to take chances on letting our guard down. That's all from me for now."
The others stand there, unable to process what Tommy just wanting to hear that Billy willingly let himself be drawn to evil like that. Adam looks at Tommy, wanting to say something, wondering if the dagger he gave Billy had any connection to this happening. "Tommt, did the crystal look like?" Adam asks hoping he will not hear that is was the dagger he had given to Billy.
"It was formed into a dagger, he was holding onto it for dear life. I'm afraid I failed this time guys. Let's just do what we can to get the other two shards and work on helping Billy to become good again. Should you see him, or hear from him let Zordon know. I need to get home; my parents are expecting me for an early dinner. See you later." Tommy teleports out, not letting the others have a chance to say anything. Adam is standing at a console, eyes closed and shaking slightly. He opens his eyes to find the others looking at him expectantly.
"Guys, I need to get home as well. My mom will be looking for me soon. Catch you all later." Adam teleports out without another word and goes to call Billy, hoping he can get through to his friend.
Billy looks over at the phone when it rings wondering if it will be one of his former friends or his father. He decides to pick it up and answer, figuring he can always hang up if it is someone he would rather not speak to. "Cranston residence, William speaking; hello Adam."
"Billy, please tell me it's not true. I could never live with myself if that dagger was actually the dark crystal and I gave it to you."
Billy laughed coldly as he wandered into the living room. "No need to apologize or feel badly Adam. I should be thanking you after all. You have given me back something I have desperately wanted for months. Be glad of that fact otherwise you too would be on my list for payback. Now if you don't mind I need to get some things done before my father gets home. I'll be in touch soon Adam, and thanks again."
Adam stood there with the phone in his hand, wondering what kind of hell this would bring for them. He finally hung up the phone and went to the den to help his mother with some of the housework. Rocky, Tanya and Jason are in the power chamber running a few tests to see if they can somehow purify the crystal thus allowing Billy to keep the power and not be evil. After a short time Jason looks up to the tube housing their mentor.
"Zordon, so far we have come up with nothing. I don't know what else we can do for now."
"VERY WELL JASON. FOR NOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE DATA ON THE ZEO SUB-CRYSTALS. I WILL BE IN CONTACT ONCE WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION. I SUGGEST YOU ALL GET SOME REST, SINCE WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT BILLY MAY DO NOW THAT HE HAS THIS POWER."
The assembled Zeo rangers teleport out, with Tanya heading to the park instead of home. She feels like this is partially her fault, she should never have taken the Zeo shard. It should have gone to Billy. After all he had been a Ranger for the longest amount of time. As she wandered the park, she collided into a person and stumbled back. She looked up to find that she had run straight into Billy.
He looked down on her with a scowl on his face, giving no false assumptions as to how he felt about her or the other Zeo rangers. "Watch where you're going Sloan, or is common courtesy no longer part of being a goody two- shoes." Billy said this with such coldness in his voice Tanya nearly flinched and wished she had a light jacket. Billy went around her and continued on his way, giving her only a fleeting thought.
She picked herself up off the ground and went to Adam's house to find him staring at the television in his room blankly. "Adam?" Tanya queried gently, realizing Adam felt as guilty as she did. maybe more so.
"Hey, come in." Adam says as she sinks on the bed with him and he caresses her cheek gently. "What's wrong? You seem upset."
Tanya laughs, the humor never reaching her eyes. "I ran into Billy on my way here. He could have frozen a glacier with his gaze. I think we are all in trouble, to say I'm upset would be the understatement of the year." Adam hugs her close and kisses her cheek.
"This is all my fault Tanya. I gave him the dagger. he was drawn to its spell because of how he was feeling. Damn, couldn't I have given him something that won't cause our destruction?" Adam berates himself.
Tanya gently pulls his face to hers. "Adam Lucas Park, stop blaming yourself. You had no idea that dagger was the black Zeo shard, its not as if you handed it to him with a smile and full rights to enact revenge on us for some imagined slights! Now we need to all think of a way to help him see we aren't the enemy, ok?"
Adam sighs and stands up. "I know you are right. I'll call you after we have dinner ok?" Tanya smiles and kisses him on the cheek as he walks her out to the front door. "I'll ring you later, don't worry we'll get through this, all of us."
Tanya leaves to head home and Adam comes inside to help his mother set the table for dinner. Meanwhile, Billy is in the forest working out his new powers plotting ways to get back at his former friends. Dad and Adam will be the only ones who will be spared. The rest shall fall at my feet begging for mercy before I'm done with them. Billy thought as he scored a tree with his black lightening. After getting bored with his games, Billy heads home to see if his father was around. Just because he was now evil, it didn't mean he couldn't finish re-connecting with his father it would make things easier once he took over the world.
His trip home is interrupted by running into Aisha, Rocky and Tommy as they are passing through the park to get to the youth center. Billy stopped, smiling at them, wondering if he should start his campaign of revenge then and there. "Well, looks like I won't have to look far for you losers after all."
Rocky snarls at Billy, unhappy at the change in his friend while they had never been really close Rocky saw how this turn of events had hurt Adam and for that Billy had a big debt to pay. "You have a lot of nerve calling us losers Cranston. You are the one who was too weak to resist the crystal's calling." Tommy cursed inwardly, knowing how personally Billy would take that statement.
Billy merely smirked and summoned his powers without saying a word and hurled a huge bolt of black lightening directly at Rocky. Rocky managed to get out of the way, but not unharmed as he landed on his back grimacing in pain. "Let that be an early lesson that all bets are off kids. Next time we meet, there will be no end until either side has won." Billy teleports out in a streak of pure black energy, letting them think about what has just happened.
Tommy helped Rocky up and teleported to the Command Center…thinking that it may be worse than they imagined, Billy was on a path of destruction that wouldn't end until every one of them had paid up in full for hurting him.