Chapter Four: Unwanted Work
"So, we had three new rangers, three zords, and absolutely no idea what we were doing. Hayley, at that point, I just realized exactly what all we'd been preparing for and what if we mess up? What if this wasn't a good idea?" Kim asked as she sipped her coffee. Hayley listened patiently on the other line having been lost in the loop for the past couple of days while Tommy and Kim had been piecing everything together. She kept glancing around her café to keep an eye on things as she listened to her friend's update and concerns. "I know I told Tommy we'd take it a day at a time, but I'm just trying to get through the next five minutes without a panic attack."
"Kim, you said it yourself. You're just going to figure this out as you go along and… Damn. They just walked in. You'll be fine. I'll talk to you later, okay?" Hayley asked quickly. Kim chuckled at her friends' insistence to not be considered part of the Rangers world right now as the Techie, but instead taking on her Ernie role as she wanted to get to know them as teenagers first.
"Alright. Talk to you later, Hayley," she managed to get out before the other woman mumbled a good-bye and hung up the phone. She leaned back in her seat as she faced the computer, grumbling a bit. Tommy had gotten the more enjoyable job of rounding up whichever of the teens he could find and go looking for eggs. With Hayley working, and it being the day before Kim went to help her, she'd been given watch duty in case something happened. She used the camera to look around the city and eventually to Hayley, Tommy, and the Rangers as well. She felt calmer when she could see that they were all doing well and laughed when she saw that Tommy had only managed to rope Ethan into going along with him. She checked on the Zords to make sure that they were doing well and saw them resting in their hiding place. They didn't often expend too much energy.
After watching the Biozords for a few minutes, she realized why she hated watch duty. It was boring, yes, but more importantly it was lonely. She could use the communicators to chat with the others, but she knew better than to do that without an emergency. Besides, she didn't want to set a bad example for the teens. Everyone else was doing something they enjoyed, sans Ethan, but even Ethan hadn't looked that bothered by the scenario. She'd be working for Hayley, yes, but if there were more eggs or more experiments to be found, then she would need to come back here so that there was someone watching the camera. Fortunately, villainy tended to most attack during the day. Still, if Tommy wasn't here and Hayley was working, then she was on watch duty.
She was contemplating asking Tommy if she could take one of the extra bedrooms and pay rent to him considering how often she was over there anyway. She felt her happiness plummet a bit and realized that only a week in and she was in a rut. She was often at Tommy's house instead of her apartment, she was often on watch duty, and she was feeling like she was second fiddle to Tommy. She knew that he'd called this 'mission' because he'd helped to create the eggs, but it was still bothering her that she'd been left behind to watch the computers. She was supposed to be equal with him.
She pulled out her cell phone again and looked at it before dialing a familiar number. She patiently waited until she heard Jason on the other line. "Hello?"
"Hey Jason," she answered, not bothering to sound more upbeat. "Do you have a minute?"
"Of course," he answered and she could hear him set some things down. She heard the slight worry in his voice. "What's wrong?"
Kim quickly explained how she was feeling and Jason sighed. "I should have seen this one coming," he muttered. "Talk to him."
"What?" Kim asked, seeming surprised at the answer.
"Tell him how you're feeling. Even if you guys can't change the schedule, maybe you can find a way to make it where you feel more of a partner," he answered. "And you don't seem to be second in those teens' eyes. Tommy's their teacher, but I have the feeling you'll be something just as important to them. I know it's hard now, but you'll get through it."
"No wonder you were the first leader," she whispered, feeling a little better. "I'd forgotten how good you were at these pep talks. How's Trini?"
Jason didn't seem to mind the change in subject, but he still sighed a bit at the question. "Frustrated. You guys already have Rangers, Billy has nearly finished the morphers, but he's still in testing mode, and Trini has the morphers built along with everything else she could think of, but we can't find a power source."
"Poor Trini," Kim said knowing how annoyed Trini must be feeling. She'd explored quite a bit of the rainforests, regular forests, and various other wildlife, but she was still unable to find anything that would give out the power needed. "Tell her I'm sure she'll find it soon. Speaking of soon, when does she get back?"
"Tomorrow, fortunately, I'm hoping I can get her calm down," Jason answered. "Speaking of which, I've got to clean the house. Badly."
"I leave you alone for one week…" Kim said playfully, but she knew she should probably get going as well anyway. "Good luck, Jason."
"You too, Kim," Jason answered and with that, Kim was left alone in the room again. Still, soon enough it didn't matter as Tyrannodrones attacked Ethan and Tommy anyway. She sighed and called the other two quickly, feeling momentarily bad for interrupting their fun. Still, a Ranger had to do what a Ranger had to do regardless of anything else whether they were former or active Rangers.
"You could help, Kimberly!" Tommy snapped as he ducked again. Kim was staying way from the newborn, yet full-grown cyborg raptors as they tore apart the lab and tried to tear apart Tommy. "They're for our students!"
"Yes, but you didn't want my help before, remember?" She asked, watching everything calmly from her distant potion. They weren't bothering with her, so she was able to lean against the wall and just watch. "I believe you said 'Kim, I'm the paleontologist and I made them. Trust me, I can handle all three at once.' So, I'm letting you handle all three raptors, a pack dinosaur, at once instead of one at a time like I suggested after watching Jurassic Park two hundred times."
"Kim…" He growled, not in the mood for her attitude right then. "They're going to tear apart everything and… oh forget it! I'll handle it."
"Yes, well, I hope you'll handle our students too because they're coming up the secret way," she said pleasantly. He didn't answer as he ducked another blow and Kim took pity on him in that regard. She heard the door open and quickly called out. "Stay out there, guys. Tommy's dealing with some stuff. I'll be right there."
She ducked and covered her way across the dinosaur war zone and ended up on the other side. She smiled sweetly at Tommy who just glared at her as he looked around paranoid, waiting for another tail to smack him around like he was a tennis ball. "Kim…!"
"Happy training!" She called back to him and shut the door behind her. He'd be fine. She turned her attention to the three teenagers in front of her. "So, what's up?"
"Should you leave him in there?" Kira asked, a little nervous, and Kim shrugged.
"He said he could handle it. When we're done talking and he hasn't handled it, then I'll head back in and do it myself," she promised the younger girl who looked surprised but shrugged it off.
Connor looked at her. "You've got to find someone to replace me," he said to her. The other two immediately tried to interrupt, but Kim wouldn't have any of it and quickly quieted them. "I'm a soccer player. That's all I've ever wanted to do. Every moment of my life has led up to playing for a pro team and I get the greatest chance in my life and I blow it."
Kim just nodded as he talked and turned to the two others as he finished. "Guys, I'd like to talk to Connor alone. It'll take a while before we could replace him, so I promise you'll get your say later, but it's important that I talk to him first alone, alright? I'll beep you on your communicators when we're finished," she promised. Ethan and Kira looked at each other and looked at Kim whose face was unusually stern as she waited for them to go. They shrugged and sighed, heading out the passageway. Kim turned her attention to Connor, letting her face go back into a look of sympathy. "I understand exactly where you're coming from."
"How?" He asked, surprised that she wasn't angry with him.
"Remember when Tommy said that they practically had to push me out the door?" She asked and at his nod, she continued. "That was because I got an offer by a famous gymnastics coach to go to the Pan Global Games which was a huge honor. Only one thing held me back: I was a Ranger."
"Well, obviously you chose gymnastics," he reminded her and she nodded.
"Yes, but it was time for me to leave. I'd been doing it for so long that it was time for me to pass on the torch, but I did get something out of being a Ranger that I never thought I'd get," she told him. "Most of my experience came from the mixture of gymnastics and martial arts that I'd made my own in fighting. I'd gotten better, Connor, and was better than I probably would have been without the Rangers in my life. I was dedicated to doing a good job, more responsible, more vigilant in training, and more skilled."
"So, what you're saying is I should stick around because it will improve my game?" He asked and she paused.
"Not necessarily," she answered. "I can't make a decision like this for you. What I will say is you're a good player now and you may have been able to get on the team, but if you give this superhero stuff a chance, you may become a great player instead and be the better for it."
"You want me to stay, don't you?" Connor halfway accused and Kimberly smiled a bit.
"Of course I do. I want all three of you to stay. Like I said, I believe in all of you and I think you'll make fine Power Rangers, but I'll also understand if you don't want to do this. We'll find a way to get rid of the bond between you and the gem safely and give it to someone else, but I'd rather it be you," she told him. She paused, not sure how much she should push, but after a moment she decided to tell him how she was feeling as well. Perhaps it would help him to understand that it's not easy. "Earlier, I was thinking about giving up trying to be a mentor to all of you. After all, Tommy seemed to be doing fine and I didn't feel like I was contributing too much. Besides, I'd had a different life of coaching helping to run a gym before I came up, so I had to move my world. I was thinking that maybe it would be easier just to go back to my other life."
"So, why didn't you? I mean, you're doing great and all and… they're right. I don't know when to shut up," he said. Kim laughed.
"Well, that seems to be a Red Ranger trait, if it makes you feel better. You remind me of Rocky, the second Red Ranger, actually. Remind me later and I'll show you some footage of him. Tommy made a video." She smiled at him and then remembered the question. "And I didn't because I talked to an old friend of mine who reminded me that I was doing something even if it didn't feel like it."
"Like trying to talk me out of quitting?" He asked and she nodded. "Well, I think it's starting to work."
"Good, then I'm doing something right," she said smiling before her face became more serious. Since they'd gotten on a Red Ranger topic anyway, she decided to have the 'talk' with him. "Speaking of Red Rangers, by the way, whenever they get together, they tend to do very stupid things. I want you to listen to me, Connor," she said pausing until she felt his full attention on her. "If Tommy and a man named Jason try to convince you to go on any sort of 'Red Only' Mission, I want you to tell them that you can't go. Think of a reason, any reason. You're sick, you're dying, something, and make sure that you are not involved."
"Umm… okay. Why?" He looked completely confused, but his answer calmed her down a little.
"Because it's a stupid idea thought up by stupid men who think that they can do anything alone. You're only as good as your team, Connor," she pushed, trying to make sure at least one Red Ranger learned that and then shrugged. "Besides, Rangers tend to date other Rangers and last time they did this, there were a lot of upset female Rangers. I wasn't dating any of them, but I still nearly throttled Jason and Tommy. Rocky was smart enough to stay out of it. I'd hate to think of what we women Rangers would do if they tried it again and I don't want you caught in the middle like that boy last time… Cole I think his name was. Poor thing."
"So, it's a 'keep Connor from getting accidentally torn apart' kind of a thing," he asked and she nodded. "Okay, good plan."
"Remember, an excuse. Any excuse. I'm not about to lose my first Red to others' stupidity," she told him. He quickly nodded and her expression changed. She folded her arms and smiled before teasing. "I'm sure you'll come up with enough hair-brained ideas as it is. So, are you staying?"
"Yeah. I'm staying. I guess we should tell the guys, huh?" He asked and she nodded. Without having to be told, Connor tapped his communicator. "Okay guys, you can come back now."
They both came out, not sure what to think about the situation. "So, are you ditching us?" Ethan asked.
"Nope. Figure I'll stay around for awhile," he answered. Kira rolled her eyes.
"Goody," she told him, but she was still smiling. The three waved good-bye to Kimberly, bantering the entire way up, and headed out the back way. Kim turned her attention to the door and sighed. Talking to Connor had helped her figure out some of her feelings too and while it wasn't her ideal job, she wasn't as ready to leave. She headed back into the lab, only to find that Tommy was hiding and the raptors were still tearing apart everything. She shrugged and walked in ready to stop the rampaging dinosaurs.
They looked at her. She looked at them, seeing their colors. She looked at the red one, knowing it would be the leader, and waited as it looked back at her. The raptors stayed as still as she did for a moment before the red one attacked. She was ready for it and with a few moves, she ended up on its back. It seemed surprised at her reaction, but immediately tried to throw her off. She threw her arms around its neck and clenched her legs together to stay on it. The other two raptors were trying to find a way to help, but through the wild fighting, they were hit around by the red one's tail. They stayed out of the way, after that, only snapping in her direction a bit. The red, on the other hand, fought her all the way as she knew it would before it collapsed on the floor, confused and unsure of what to do now. Tentatively, the other two came over looked at the red, just as confused as their pack's leader. Tommy had come out by now and looked at her.
"What did you do?" He asked in surprise.
"I showed him who was boss," she answered. "Didn't I, Boy?"
The red raptor pulled itself back up as she got off and the other two joined it. His tail wagged a bit and Kim smiled. "I don't think he'll give you anymore trouble."
"Kim, I owe you one," Tommy said tiredly. "Where did you come up with that idea?"
"Aisha," came the answer as she patted the red raptor's head. "And I improvised. Plus, you owe me two."
"Two?" He asked.
"Yep. We were nearly down a red leader," she answered. "Don't worry, I talked to him. It helped both of us out a bit."
"Hey, that doesn't count," he reminded her. "He's half your responsibility!"
Kim laughed and held her hands up in a mock surrender before Tommy broke down into laughter a moment later as he looked at the lab. Seeing the ruins it was in, the three formerly insane raptors chewing on something at their feet like giant dogs, and the rest of the day that had taken place, he began to laugh even harder which got encouraged her laughter. It took them a good five minutes to calm down enough to talk, let alone move. The raptors didn't help things when, as Tommy and Kim were on the ground from laughing so hard, the three cyborgs looked down at their faces and chirped a bit, curious. It had been a rough day, but at least it was getting better.
Tommy patted her shoulder as the rangers finished a job well done. The raptor riders had returned to the lab and the blue and yellow two were playing tug-a-war with a metal pipe while the red one was laying down in a way that only a robotic version of a raptor would be able to do with his legs parallel to his body and his arms under his body like a cat. His head was resting on Kim's lap as she smiled up at Tommy who looked relieved and proud. "They did it," he said.
"Yep." She looked a little worried as she looked at him. "Tommy, we need to talk."
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"Since I came to Reefside, I've been spending quite a bit of time here rather than my apartment. I was thinking that it might be better if I moved into one of the spare bedrooms, if it's okay. I'll pay rent, but…" She started, but he stopped her.
"It doesn't make sense to pay for an apartment you don't use," he finished. "Don't worry about it, Kim. We'll get everything moved over in the next couple days, okay?"
She smiled and nodded, calming down as he had accepted her reasoning without too much question. He chuckled a bit and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. She quickly accepted it and hugged back, the most physical contact they'd had in a long time. They pulled away and Kim immediately felt a nudge at her foot. "I think you made Red jealous, Tommy," she joked as the raptor looked up at her, happy when she patted his head again. Tommy frowned at that.
"I still don't see why they're staying in the lab," he muttered. "All of the other Biozords live outside."
"Simple. First, to guard the lab. How many times did the Command Center and Power Chamber get attacked? Lots of times and it had a security bit to it. Consider this our security," she said motioning toward the three raptors. "And, unlike the other Zords, they can fit through the tunnel so they can get to the Rangers just as quickly. They're better than guard dogs. Second, I want the company. It gets lonely here. We'll introduce them to Hayley and after that, they shouldn't let anyone else in."
"Fine," he gave in. "Anything else?"
"Yep!" She said happily, grinning even harder when he groaned. "I think it would be a good idea to invite Trini and Jason up. She's already feeling out of sorts because she can't find a power source and maybe we can help cheer her up. Maybe meeting Kira will help cheer her up. I also think it would be good for Connor and Kira to meet the original yellow and red. Plus, I think we should get a hold of Billy for Ethan."
"That makes sense," Tommy agreed, relieved that was all she wanted. "We better invite Zack too. We don't want him to feel left out."
"Works for me," she agreed, petting the red raptor on the head once more before he ran off to play with his brothers. "You ever have the feeling that things are just going to get weirder from this point on?"
Tommy nodded and looked at the time. "Damn it! Kira's performance! Kim, we're going to be late!"
They dashed out of the basement and to Tommy's jeep. It was only once they were in the jeep that Kim remembered why she hated letting him drive at they moved quickly down the streets, but she didn't complain. Instead, she hung on and made sure her buckle was working properly. He parked and looked at the time again, relaxing as they got out. "Well, we're a little late, but we should be able to see most of the performance."
"Good," Kim said. "I'd hate for her to think that we missed it on purpose or something stupid like that."
"I doubt she'd think that, Kim. She probably would have just thought we forgot it," he said.
"Isn't that worse?" She asked, but before he could answer, she bumped into an appearing Tyrannodrone. She quickly backed up and looked at Tommy as they realized they were surrounded. Tommy quickly started fighting while Kim got on to the communicator. She pressed on it, trying to reach Connor, who heard bits and pieces of "outside, 'drones, attack, help" before she was cut off. Just before they were forced through the invisaportal, she pushed a different button on her communicator, one that she had had Hayley set up especially for her since she knew Tommy would never push it.
Miles away, in Angel Grove, Jason's old communicator beeped. "What the hell…?"
Author's Note: The raptor riders seemed like the most animalistic of the various creatures to me and were also not shown to be controlled through the morphers like the Zords. Thus, they intrigued me and I wanted to play with them more. I'd been looking forward to this chapter and I hope I did it justice. Sorry about the cliffhanger, by the way, but it just seemed like a good place to end the chapter.
As always, I want to thank you for the reviews. Even though I always try to bring it up every chapter, that's because of how much I appreciate them. So, thanks, guys!
