Over the next several weeks the treatments continued and Celestria kept her distance from the two ailing Power Rangers. Neither of them was ready to accept what was going on. Zordon slowly prepared them for the battle that lay ahead, but he kept quiet about their chances of survival. It would do nothing for either of them to know the likelihood of their deaths. They had consulted every means available and all they all said that it came down to a flip of a coin, fifty-fifty. That was something none of the Power Rangers would care to hear, so the truth remained hidden.
"Zordon, Tommy and Kimberly should know the risks. Neither of them can stand to lose the other at a time like this," Celestria said as Zordon just shook his head. He did not like thinking of what would happen if one lost the other. They were too close for the other to just move on without any problems.
"Telling them is of no use, they'll only try to save each other and get killed along the way. In utter ignorance, they have their only chance," Zordon said as Celestria huffed. The stubborn old being was going to get two of his best rangers killed by inaction. "Celestria, I've thought this through, consulted every being, Power Ranger and human that could help and they all came to the same conclusion-it could take them dying to make this happen."
"Don't they have the right to refuse? Zordon, they're kids, kids that have had to make decisions that even I am wary of making after all these years. They deserve a choice in this matter," Celestria said as the two Power Rangers in question walked into the Command Center and looked over at the two of them.
"We've never questioned what might happen to us, Celestria, we've known for awhile that we're in danger, we don't need to know anymore," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded next to him. "We're going for a run outside."
"Don't go too far or there's a chance you'll be found," Celestria said a Tommy just smiled.
"We're ready Celestria. It's time for them to find us," Kim said as they both morphed and then headed out through the large metal doors of the Zord Bay.
"If we lose them…" Celestria threatened as Zordon looked up at her.
"If we lose them I'll have more than you to worry about," Zordon said and he then faded away.
"How dare you just go to your room and hide! Your Power Rangers need you and your running!" Celestria ranted as Zordon blinked back and glared at her.
"My Power Rangers will be more harmed by my presence than helped, sometimes you just have to let them grow up," Zordon said and then disappeared again. Celestria stared at the tube and silently fumed. She knew that he had corrected her in the only way that he knew, but it still hurt. Zordon was supposed to be the Power Ranger's guide, above all others.
"It's been too long, something has gone wrong," Jason whispered as he and Aisha met in the 'study' room and huddled in a corner.
"We've got to trust them. They've never let us down on something like this in the past," Aisha said as a siren sounded and they looked at each other. That only happened if there was a Power Ranger attack.
"Let's go," Jason whispered and the two of them bolted from the room. The teens knew to make as much chaos as possible, so that they could get away. This time they really needed them to do that.
"Jason, Aisha, good to see you," Kim said as they stared at her in shock. "Come on, Tommy's getting the others."
"We had given up," Jason murmured as Kim looked over at him. "Don't look at me like that."
"I'm doing good not to throw you into a car. Tommy and I aren't expected to live through this," Kim said as Aisha and Jason exchanged a glance, but kept in stride with the infuriated pink ranger. If Kim was telling them this there must be a reason and it was probably something they didn't like.
"If you're not going to live then why would you even do this?" Aisha asked as Kim smiled under her helmet. They had come to terms with things after the escape from their first injury. They were supposed to die, that much they knew and the treatments had kept them alive, but would they die after this was done or earn their chance to live again?
"Because what's our other option? We'd be dead if they didn't need us to fight," Kim said as they stared at her in shock. Why would they be dead? Why couldn't they have a life together after this was over. "Things like this take sacrifices, we've got to do what we can."
"Good, you got them," Tommy said as he wrapped her in a hug. "Guys, morph and evacuate the buildings, we've got to take care of Vintovskiy on our own."
"Why you two?" Rocky asked as Tommy grabbed Kim's hand.
"Because we're the only ones that have survived his attack and can attack him, vengeance is a nice way to put what we'll do to him," Tommy said as they two of them ran off and then the other Power Rangers did as ordered.
"Do you think Kim and Tommy have lost it somewhere along the way?" Aisha asked as she and Jason ran next to each other.
"I have no doubt about that," Jason said as Aisha barely nodded and they sprinted away.
"Power Rangers downtown, just the two of them right now, sir," Isaac said to Vintovskiy as he shook his head. In the weeks since Tommy and Kim had been killed the government had taken a major interest in him. He'd had to completely revamp his program to hide the 'problems' the government saw. He had not even begun to find a way to fix the Power Ranger issue.
"Send a patrol, I'm sure they'll turn back soon enough," Vintovskiy said as he nodded and sent out the order. "Why are you still here?"
"All of the dorms have been evacuated," Isaac said as Vintovskiy looked back at him.
"Lock down the building. No one goes in or out of this place," Vintovskiy ordered as the man nodded and then frantically began fulfilling the order. He did not know why it was important, but it was to Vintovskiy.
"Where do we go?" Kim asked as they walked the halls in their everyday clothes and he held onto her hand. If they were going to die together he wanted to be able to look her in the eyes and say he was sorry. This mess could have been prevented, but it was too late to think of that now. He had to get out of here alive and hope that Kim made it as well.
"Just stay with me, when we get to Vintovskiy, you know what to do," Tommy whispered as her hand compulsively tightened over his and he smiled back at her. "Don't worry, the others are taking care of everything else."
"No turning back," Kim whispered as she looked up at him. "One more kiss?"
"Just in case," Tommy murmured as he turned to her and pressed his lips against hers. If this was the last memory he had of her before they went into all out war, he would be fine with it. At least the both of them would know that the other cared, even if there was no other left after this.
"I love you," Kim murmured as he gave her a quick hug.
"I love you too," Tommy whispered as he closed his eyes and when he opened them he noticed the head of his department walking towards them. "We've got to go."
"How much further?" Kim asked as they calmly walked down the hall.
"Not far, are you okay?" Tommy asked as she barely nodded her head yes as he stopped outside a door. "Blasters."
"Okay," Kim said as they stepped back from the door and aimed. The door was blown off the hinges and they walked into their own worst nightmare.