The skyscrapers of downtown Angel Grove loomed before Trent and Tommy as they drove them closer toward it through the sparse traffic.
"Dr. O?" Trent asked from the passenger seat.
Tommy shook his head. "Yeah?" he asked, glancing at Trent.
"You phased out on me."
"Only in thought."
Silence wafted for a few more seconds.
"Has it been a while since you been to this place?" Trent asked.
"No," Tommy answered simply. "It's just… well, I'll explain when we get there." Pulling into a parallel parking space near an alley, Tommy turned off his Jeep. "This is it."
Trent gazed down the street, at both sides. "Nothing much here," he said.
Holding his glasses, Tommy pointed to his right, peering down the alley. "Look there," he said.
Trent did. Flicking a finger at it he glanced back at Tommy. "What happened here?"
"This is where I became a ranger," Tommy said, exiting the jeep.
Trent raised his eyebrows. "Wait. This is the alley Rita kidnapped you?"
"Yep." Surveying the changed but familiar location, Tommy shivered. White had been painted over the 90s sky blue paint of the alley walls. In the distanced, rows of power lines strewn themselves through the alley. To his left, brown and green bulky trash barrels replaced the dozen scattered aluminum cans. Even piles of cardboard boxes (no doubt recent ones, Tommy supposed) littered the ground. Someone's been lazy.
After receiving his own communicator and taking Zordon's pledge, Tommy had returned to this place where his life had been ripped from him.
He winced.
"So Rita must have been up there?" Trent asked, pointing to the top of the building to their right.
"That's right," Tommy said, partially surfacing from his reverie. "After all these years," he muttered.
"Sorry?"
"This place didn't used to bother me. I mean at first it did but I crossed by here on my way home every day so… I got used to it."
"But it's bothering you now."
"Yeah." Glancing upward at the Rita's position, Tommy meandered forward. "Trent," he asked, words sticking to his throat. "What—what was it like when you and the White Gem found each other?"
"Like I was being pulled there. I saw my father go through an invisi-portal again at our home. Only surprising thing is that it took me to Mesogog's Lair instead of right outside Haley's Cyberspace."
"Some of the earlier portals were like that." Having helped create the invisible network of wormholes, Tommy knew this.
"Either way, I had no idea where I was. So I wandered. Then something shining on a table caught my eye. I crept toward it, my wrist already reaching for it against my will. It was the white Dino Band. The closer I got to it the more it shook until finally it leapt, latching itself around my wrist."
"And then you were at its mercy," Tommy finished for him.
Placing his hands on his sides, Trent nodded. "Yeah."
"Rita blasted me with her wand, putting me into some kind of forced sleep until I was under her spell and ready for her power coin."
Trent regarded Tommy. "Once I found out I was the White Ranger, it tore me up that I had no control over when I morphed. Soon though… it took over me, warping my mind."
"You were still a slave to it…"
"Yeah… and it felt normal … until we were freed."
Tommy stiffened.
"No. Dr. O, we were freed. Every time you've been controlled, somehow you were always released."
"Trent, you and I owe our ranger careers to Evil."
"Doesn't every ranger?"
"No. Most ranger teams are forged for goodness—"
"But some are used for evil."
Tommy held back his tongue, insults wiggling in his mouth.
"But sooner or later," Trent continued, "they returned to good."
"Or were recaptured," Tommy whispered. Rita, Zedd, Prince Gaskett, and now Jason.
Sitting upon his throne, Lord Zedd spied on Tommy and Trent. "Aw, you're beginning to understand, young one," he said, clicking his fingertips together before his mask. "Your destiny and fate… Amazing that your former student understands these concepts better than you do. Tell me… does your remarkable spirit have limits?"
Gazing toward the ground, Tommy swayed his head from side to side. "I still don't know how I was released Thursday…"
"It doesn't matter. Dr. O, you're one of the best rangers around. Maybe that's why Evil wants you so bad." Catching himself he wiped his mouth. "Sorry, Dr. O. but… maybe I'm right."
Rearing around, Tommy glowered at the young man. "Trent, you don't get it! From ever since this started, I've known what I needed to do. I've known." His eyes softened but he kept staring at Trent. "Jason isn't possessed, he doesn't have a mutation, and he doesn't have another personality. Don't try to compare this with Anton and Mesogog."
Trent glowered at hearing Mesogog's name, the mutant that had warped his father's psyche. "I was glad when we destroyed that freak."
"And you fulfilled your ranger duty then. It's time for you to remember that."
"I'm your friend."
"You're a civilian. You would only end up being a victim."
Glaring at Tommy, Trent blasted out a grunt. "So you forgot when Connor, Ethan, Kira, and I fought against the Terrosaurus without our powers?"
"I was fighting for my life then."
"Exactly."
"But this is different, Trent."
"That's an excuse!" Trent fired back.
Suddenly, sixteen tengas materialized around them, cawing and squawking at them.
"Perfect" Tommy growled, tightening his fingers into fists. "Ninjetti! Falcon!" In a flash of white light, his Ninjetti garb covered him, taking the place of his clothes. "Stay back," he ordered, stretching out his hand.
A tenga lashed out at Trent while three lashed out at Tommy.
With perfect reflexes, Trent kicked back his attacker. "Dr. O., you were never this protective last year!" he said, fending off two tengas at once.
Tommy ignored the comment. "Si ayi-ya!" he yelled. Jumping and spinning into the air, his unused leg perfectly tucked under him perpendicularly, he hook-kicked all three tengas at once in the head. Tumbling backward onto the ground, they cowered, rubbing their heads. "These are tengas, Trent. You can't beat them as a civilian."
"Aww," Lord Zedd hissed, "then let me give your comrade some opponents more in his realm of skill!" Charging his staff, he fired several lightning bolts at the earth.
Seizing Trent, two tengas flung him deeper into the alley, several yards away from Tommy. Lightning struck about him. Ten fused putties materialized in a ring around Trent.
Glancing over his shoulder, Tommy started. "No!"
"Oh, how silly of me!" Zedd said, clapping his free hand upon the side of his brow. "I sent the wrong putties." He shrugged. "Oh well."
Winded by the tumble, Trent rolled to his feet and engaged his attackers. "Trent!" he called out, charging after him. Four tengas barred his way, pecking him backward. "Ninja Ranger beams," he said, shooting a tornado of white energy streaks at them. Battering five tengas to the ground, the streams swirled and swam across their bodies. Screeching they scratched and pecked themselves, writhing on the ground. Running towards them, Tommy jumped, stepped and leaped off of one of the tengas, sailing towards Trent.
Suddenly a flying tenga tackled him from the left, slamming him into the opposite wall. Ricocheting off of the wall, Tommy tumbled onto the pavement, groaning. The tenga sprang to its feet immediately. Stiffly, Tommy staggered, pulling and pushing his torso upward.
"Since when did these guys want to win so badly?" he said through gritted teeth. Grabbing hold of him, several tengas hurled him upward. Using his core, Tommy tugged himself vertically. Descending, he front kicked one tenga and then side kicked another before landing on his feet. His torso buckling, he gripped his sides with one arm, keeping his right arm out to defend, wincing all the while. Augmented sped up healing was not a Ninjetti power. He grimaced.
Trent's yells and cries shot though Tommy's ears into his heart. "Trent, hang on!" Tommy called, watching the circling tengas. Hope he's not hurt, he thought. Tightening his fists, Tommy glowered at that the bird, seething behind his mask. I don't have time for this! He mentally shouted. "It's Morphin' Time!" he cried. Grabbing his medallion, it shifted into his morpher as he stretched it out before him. "Falcon Ninjetti Power!" he called out, instantly morphing.
"Kii-yah!" he yelled out, sinking into a low stance. Healing swam throughout his body, easing his aches and loosening the rigidity in his muscles.
Rolling his wrists, leapt forward, bicycle kicking the nearest tenga out of their ring and into the trash barrels. Landing on his feet, he jumped and spun in the air, crescent kicking a tenga sneaking up from five o'clock. Hovering in the air, he twisted ninety degrees to his left, punching and kicking two tengas at once. "What's the matter?" he asked, sliding his feet to the ground. "Never fought against someone who could fly?"
"Big deal!" two tengas chided back.
"I'm ordering you: Get out of here!"
"Sorry, not gonna happen."
Pivoting, Tommy glanced down the alley.
Trent ducked under two putties overhead bladed arm slashes.
No sooner had Trent rolled out of the way, then two tengas, closed the gap. "You, out of my way!" Cocking his hand he charged forward. Slamming his first into the left he spun around, using his momentum, and side kicked the other tenga several feet away.
Cawing, the tengas hopped to their feet, crowing and flapping their wings, gnashing their beaks and talons.
Drawing Saba, Tommy lashed out with kicks, punches, and slashes, desperate to wear these opponents down. Pushing past a two of them he sprinted down the alley. "Trent!" Leaping into the air, cocking his left leg underneath him he soared toward the nearest putty, slamming the heel of his right foot into the outer edge of where the right shoulder blade would be in a human would be.
The putty staggered forward, rolling to its feet immediately.
"Dr. O, I got this," Trent called, blocking a putty's bladed arm overhead slash with a strong X block. Curving the putty's arm to the right, Trent released it, spun around and slammed his thigh into its butt, knocking the putty to the ground. "Watch out behind you."
Tommy turned around, dodging the inward flying tenga. Taking aim, Tommy knocked it to the ground. He glanced about the scene. Seven putties were struggling to their feet, knocked down by Trent. Incredible, Tommy thought.
A second later, the putties and tengas vanished.
Tommy shook his head. Suppressing a snarl, he surveyed the alley. "Power Down." Demorphing he meandered, awed in wonderment.
"Golden Boy," Trent said from feet away.
"Huh?" Tommy looked around.
Holding his place, Trent stared Tommy down, even though he was an inch or two smaller. "Golden Boy, Zeltrax, the second Terrosaurus, Elsa, and the Ruby Dragon! I fought each of them unmorphed."
Suppressing his retorts underneath tensed cheeks, eyes, and brows, Tommy glared at Trent.
"You think those putties could be worse than they were?" Trent continued. "The second Terrosaurus fried our powers. We could have died when we choose to fight it unmorphed but we didn't care. We were following your example."
Pivoting his back to Trent, Tommy walked away.
Trent stamped after him. Stopping inches in front of Tommy, he bared Tommy's way, glared up into the older man's eyes were even though his were level with Tommy's mouth.
Tommy sneered, bottling his growing anger. Trent persisted. Irritated now, Tommy looked down Trent, his mouth hanging half open. Over a decade separated their ages, including most of their experiences—but those they shared (despite the differences in the details) bound them. Tommy could not forget that fact. Sean's wisdom had been correct again. That irritated Tommy.
"You think the rest of us are gonna do nothing just because we can't morph or have powers?" Trent flicked his hand at the sky. "They won't care about that when they attack Earth. What happened to you, Tommy?"
Thoughts swam over each other in Tommy's mind, emotions crashing into each other. He glanced away, wiped his nose, and gazed beyond Trent's head, irritated by the use of his first name—something he had never allowed from any of his students. But there was more.
Refusing to move or relax, Trent remained, staring Tommy down.
"Trent…" Tommy's voice drifted into silence as his thoughts swam even faster. He sighed, recalling how difficult it had been for him to talk after reading Kimberly's break up letter. Though the letter had been read in his Zeo teammates' presences, Tommy had retreated from them upon finishing it, spending endless minutes wandering the shoreline of Angel Grove Lake at dusk. Maybe that's why I went there today, he thought. 'Retreated' more accurately, he thought, his heart hallowing again. His throat opened, lurching but nothing came out. Shudders trailed down his esophagus into his belly.
He looked ahead into Trent's harsh eyes. Tommy imagined Sean or Dimitria staring back through them. Maybe they are, he wondered. The hairs lining the back of his neck stood up. Slowly he nodded his head up and down. "You're right, Trent," he said, smoothing his quivering voice.
Relaxing, Trent backed up. "Thank you," he said, residual anger biting his genuine words. "I'm sorry," he added ruefully*.
"I understand, Trent." Tommy breathed in deeply. Blowing out most of his anger, he felt the last remnants evaporate from his pores.
"So, what's next?" asked the teenager.
Tommy gazed off into the wind. Continuing to breathe deeply, he waited, allowing his frantic heartbeat to accelerate to normal. Turning back, Tommy beheld the teenager.
Trent's bangs swayed in the breezes, his eyes searched his former mentor, teacher, companion, and friend.
You and me both, Trent, Tommy mused in thought, nostalgia and memories shifting between them. In the old teenager, a heart and spirit of confidence, indomitable spirit, and true benevolence rooted in love blazed invisibly underneath his skin. Regardless, Tommy saw it. He's an adult, he added. Been one for months now.
The young man had been tested more so than Tommy ever had been in his five previous ranger roles. Out of all the times Tommy had been evil, Tommy had a retained his ability to choose during only one of those experiences. Though he had only been placed under Evil's hold once, Trent unfortunately, had had his ability to choose his destiny slowly stripped away as the evil of his Dino Gem had influenced and warped his personality. Only luck and/or fate had released him. Trent was the perfect candidate to accompany Tommy now.
"Someplace more important," Tommy said.