Chapter 9

Kimberly and Tommy waited in the bushes for almost an hour before they decided to come out. Kimberly's silence had persisted, stubbornly refusing to speak with him for the duration. It had given Tommy the opportunity to think about the situation and, the more he thought about it, the more he suspected Zordon had the right of it. Something was controlling Kimberly by remote; the only real question left was what were they using to control her? It would have had to be something she never removed, if it was worn, or something she carried with her at all times.

He came to the conclusion he was woefully ignorant of his girlfriend's wardrobe.

Asking her was out of the question with her giving him the silent treatment, so he did a visual inspection instead. Starting with the tips of her toes, he dismissed her shoes and socks almost immediately. Both would be shed at the earliest convenience. It was one of her quirks and one he thoroughly enjoyed - Kimberly had adorable feet. He moved upwards, pausing on the expanse of her legs, letting his gaze linger on the trim muscles of her thighs even as he dismissed her clothing and wondered if maybe she wore something underneath it all that he didn't know about. Of course, the form fitting training uniform for her gymnastics didn't leave much to the imagination, even with the sweater overtop.

Tommy shook off the thought, moving upwards. It couldn't be clothing - she changed on such a regular basis that it would have been impossible to be that. Her hands came into view, a ring and her communicator ever present. His brow furrowed. She hadn't even taken her communicator off to sleep when they'd been in high school - did she still follow the same practice? He silently cursed Kim's stubborn nature. Asking her now would get him nowhere but more silence. He'd have to wait until she came out of it.

Mentally filing it away to bring up the idea with Zordon, he continued the enjoyable job of perusing Kimberly's trim form. Her torso held little that wasn't naturally always attached and he wasn't naive enough to think she continued to wear the pendant he'd given her under her shirt - not since sending him that letter anyway. He finished his perusal and found he could see little beyond jewelry that she chose not to remove. It narrowed the field considerably since Kimberly was still acting strange and in control of whatever it was.

Unless whatever it was could be applied daily.

He scowled at the thought.

"What?"

Tommy jumped as Kimberly snapped the peevish question. "Pardon?"

She beat the sides of her leggings to clear off the dirt as she slid from the planter. "You look like you swallowed something sour - or are looking at something distinctly unpleasant."

"Never." He grinned. "I was just thinking."

"Then it can't have been very nice from the look on your face." She straightened, seeming to have decided that not speaking to him was worse than conversing.

"I was thinking about this whole mess." He waved one hand, encompassing the two of them and the direction the Cogs had disappeared in. "You heard Zordon; you're emitting some kind of signal that's luring the Cogs to you because of what's happened."

"Let's assume for a second that you're right - what then?"

"Then you'd better start thinking about anything you wear all of the time because it has to be something constant. If we can't track it down, the Cogs will likely continue coming back until they capture you."

"They can try." She straightened to her full height with certainty.

"You're no longer a Ranger, Kim – what could you alone possibly do against the Cogs if they tracked you down when you were by yourself? You don't know this enemy, not like you knew Rita. They're tougher and more determined in a lot of ways."

"Alright then, Tommy, what do you suggest?"

He winced at the sarcastic tone in her voice. "I was going to suggest we take you to the Command Center until Zordon gets this all sorted out. The Machine Empire can't enter there since they don't have power coins."

"Nuh uh, no way," Kimberly shook her head firmly. "There's no telling how long it will take you guys to figure this thing out. I wouldn't be able to practice, coach would flip and Jason would be a million miles away!"

Tommy was secretly starting to suspect his friend would have preferred it that way right now and had deliberately ditched them to escape Kim's advances. "Look, the only other option is that you're never alone. And I mean never Kim. Not when you're sleeping, not when you're awake, doing your practice or competitions, meals, everything."

"Even when I change and shower?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

Tommy smiled faintly. The idea had merit. "Providing you're within hearing distance – of course I could always get in touch with Aisha or Trini for those instances."

"I wasn't serious Tommy, and neither should you be. I've never even heard of Cogs until today."

"They're not going to stop, you know. They'll keep coming until they get what they want."

"Which is you, from what Zordon said."

"I'm flattered you now believe me, but that's not exactly it."

She arched her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"Whatever or whoever is controlling the signals you're emitting are after my position as a Ranger; not intent on kidnapping me like they are you. I'm far safer than you are, physically anyway. Zordon believes whoever is doing this is trying to break me."

"And having me break up with you would do that?"

He looked away.

She tossed her head, flipping her hair back. "Whatever. Right now I just want to get this day over with so I can pretend it's all a bad dream."

He couldn't have agreed more. "Look, I don't like it anymore than you do, but until we can either remove or jam the signal you're sending, it's just not safe for you to be alone. Accept it Kim; I'm going to be your shadow."

"Jason should be my shadow, not you."

"Jason's not here – and he's no longer a Ranger."

"So?" She headed away from their hiding spot and back towards the beach. Tommy, given no choice, followed as she continued. "Jason and I may no longer be Rangers but we're still quite capable of taking care of ourselves."

"Did I ever say you weren't?"

"You implied it."

"Never." Tommy smiled a half-smile she didn't see. "I'm just thinking about the next phase – after the Cogs show up, we usually encounter the Quadrafighters and, as skilled as you and Jason are, you'd never be able to take them on by yourselves. The Machine Empire would end up with that they want – you – and we'd be no closer to finding the source of the signals."

"And if I don't cooperate you're no closer either."

The Cogs chose at that moment to reappear, popping up from a sand due several yards away.

"Cogs!"

They split, Tommy moving forward and to the left, Kimberly moving forward and to the right as the rest of the Cogs swarmed in – and suddenly stopped, forming a circle around them. Tommy's gaze went to Kimberly just in time to see the Cogs beyond her lifting their face plates and exposing the weapons behind their eyes. He lunged for her.

"Kim! Look out!"

Fire sprayed from the Cogs eye sockets as Tommy bodily slammed into Kimberly, knocking them both down and away. Kimberly shrieked as he collided with her. He rolled with the impact as they hit the ground, trying to minimize the injuries he knew he could do. The ground exploded where they'd been standing just moments before.

Hitting the top of a due, Tommy forced a last roll which sent them over the side and down into the cleft. Isolated and cut off, he regained his feet, his gaze dropping to Kim. She was groggy, disoriented, but regaining her senses.

Standing, he narrowed his gaze. Enough playing around. "It's Morphin' Time; Zeo Ranger Five – Red!"

The transformation took only seconds and in moments he was standing before Kimberly in his Zeo Ranger uniform. She was shaking her head, trying to clear it, and didn't seem to realize where she was at the moment. Good; she wouldn't try to help. "Stay here – you'll be safe."

One forward flip took him to the top of the sand dune and the next brought him slamming into the first two Cogs closest to him. "Zi-yah!"

The Cogs fell away, one slamming into the sand and shorting out, twitching violently. The other was sent careening into its partners, knocking four other to the ground. A flying snap kick shorted a second and a quick roundhouse destroyed a third.

Three down, five to go.

Untangling themselves slowly, a mess of interlocked arms and legs, the remaining five Cogs were momentarily out of the battle, and Tommy took the opportunity to glance back at the sand dune. No Kimberly yet – he hoped she'd listen to him just once and stay down. He was apprehensive fighting the Cogs today. They'd seemed intent on kidnapping her first, now on killing her. Why? What would that possibly accomplish but to martyr her?

"Zi-yah!"

He dove into the Cogs as they were struggling to regain their feet. No mercy. No quarter, no compassion – they were evil creature trying to destroy Kimberly. One was downed as Tommy's fury began to play itself out, a second following in quick succession. The odds more manageable, he leapt away, taking a moment to center himself as he watched the Cogs gather themselves together and then retreat.

"Tommy!"

He spun at that familiar shriek – Kim's call for help – and found the sight he'd been trying to avoid. Kimberly reached towards him, one hand outstretched in a silent plea for help. She was caught in the arms of a monster unlike any he'd ever seen. Eight tentacles made of metal sprang from the central humanoid body. Wrapped in three of these, Kimberly was struggling to get free.

"Kim!" He dove towards her and the monster. "Let her go, tentacle face."

"I'd love to stay and chat, Red Ranger, but I'm afraid your girlfriend and I have a pressing en– oof!"

"Hi-yah!"

The creature was sent sprawling as a powerful kick landed in the center of its back. Kimberly shrieked as the tentacles released every-which-way, throwing her into the air. "Tommy!"

Tommy didn't wait to see who'd helped him. Leaping up, and ignoring the monster almost completely, he soared into the air with a power jump. Kimberly flailed for a moment, free-falling, and then latched on as he caught her. She clung to him, her arms tight around his neck as he dropped back to earth.

Rolling, Tommy regained his feet in an instant before putting Kimberly back on hers. "You okay?"

"I'm fine; help Jason!"

Tommy turned to find his old friend battling the monster – without Ranger Powers – and slowly being backed in towards a corner. He pointed to a sheltered area a few feet away from the area Jason and the monster were in. "Head there Kim, I'll send Jason to help you." He jumped away, slamming down on the back of the monster with both feet and fists, driving the tentacled menace to the ground and burying its face in sand.

"Thanks bro." Jason flashed him a grin before scrambling out of reach and towards where Kimberly was kicking one of the Cogs who'd returned to attempt their mission one more. Thankfully, the odds were more even and she was three against one – until Jason jumped into the fray to lend a hand.

Tommy focused on the tentacle creature as he stepped off its back and away, watching it warily. "You can't have her sushi brain. I won't let you."

"You won't have a choice, Red Ranger. I'll finish you here and take your little friend to my King!"

"Heh. Try it, fish face and you really will be sushi."

The tentacle creature rose to its 'feet' and flailed its unusual limbs. "You're the only one who will be diced, Ranger. Your friends can't help you now."

"We'll see about that." Extending one hand, he grinned behind his visor. "Zeo Five Power Sword, now!"

The tentacled menace hissed with displeasure and lunged for the Ranger.

Tommy held his sword to the sky. "Zeo Five Battle sword, power up!"

There was a flash and Tommy and his sword began to glow as the monster closed in. He slashed this way and that and the monster screamed as its tentacles were cleaved from its body. In quick succession the mechanical monster was hacked to pieces, Tommy finally slashing it down the middle with the sword as great lines of red energy did his sword's bidding.

The monster screamed one final time before exploding, the shockwave hurling Tommy back through the air only to be stopped by the collision with something semi-soft. There was a shorting sound and then he hit the sand as it disappeared. Jason appeared in his visor's view with a grin on his face.

"Man, that was awesome!"

Tommy accepted Jason's help to his feet and powered down, returning to his street clothes. "That was easy - too easy."

Jason slapped Tommy on the shoulder. "I'll take easy when it means no more of those metallic munchkins. Nice fight."

"You too – thanks for the save back there."

Jason shrugged it off with a grin. "Once a Ranger…"

"True enough." Tommy's gaze moved beyond Jason to where Kim was sitting on a sand dune, seemingly arguing with herself. "Is she okay?"

Jason glanced back, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugged. "She's been like that since just before the Cogs disappeared. Whatever happened, the thing that has her in its thrall seems to be losing its control."

Tommy strode to where Kimberly was sitting and crouched in front of her, searching her face. "Kim?"

"Tomson!" She flinched, muttering softly to herself and tried again. "Jammy."

Tommy looked to Jason with raised eyebrows.

Jason shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Zordon and Alpha could probably help."

Tommy leaned in and scooped an unresisting Kimberly into his arms. She continued to mutter to herself, twitching occasionally as if to protest being held by him. "Let's get her to the command center. Zordon should be able to do something if Kim's been able to fight her way to this point."

Jason nodded and, together, they teleported away.