In the Command Center, the power was slowly coming back on. Rajon stood there looking everywhere but at Jason. He knew it would take a long time, if ever, for Jason to trust him if Jason calling him Rito was any indication.
"Ai yai yai!" Alpha exclaimed as it powered back on. "What happened?"
"There was some kind of power outage," Jason said. "My communicator stopped working too."
Zordon reappeared. "ALPHA I WANT YOU TO CHECK ON THE RANGERS. THIS WAS ANOTHER POWER SURGE."
"Do you think someone else is dead," Rajon asked in a quiet voice.
"I DON'T THINK SO," Zordon answered.
"All of the Rangers are in the same location," Alpha said bringing up the image onto the viewing globe.
Jason let out a gasp and started to slide to the floor but Rajon had been looking at him and was able to catch him. He helped him sit down on one of the consoles.
"I…I saw him right before it happened," Jason said unable to take his eyes off of the viewing globe. "He didn't look like that!"
Tommy's body was pale and thin. Much thinner than it normally was, as if he had been dead a lot longer than a few days. "What happened to Tommy's body?"
Zordon was silent for a moment. "I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO EXPLAIN IT," he finally said. "IT APPEARS THAT TOMMY HAD DISAPPEARED INTO THE MORPHING GRID. THIS IS WHAT HAS BEEN CAUSING THE POWER FLUCTUATIONS AND SURGES. I'M NOT SURE WHAT KNOCKED EVERYTHING OFFLINE HERE THOUGH." He turned his attention to Alpha. "ALPHA PLEASE TELEPORT EVERYONE TO THE COMMAND CENTER."
A moment later there was a flash of light as the Rangers were brought back to the Command Center. Billy laid Tommy's body down. The Rangers all looked at Rajon who looked uncomfortable. It was the first time he had not been in a force field and he was sure the Rangers didn't trust him any more than Jason did.
"So, uh," Rajon said looking down. "What's next?"
Zordon looked down at the young man who stood in front of him. He was about the Rangers' ages. He had only been thirteen when he was given the Green Ranger coin. From what he had heard, Rajon had not been a Ranger for long before his team had been killed. It could have been his fist and only fight. "NOW THAT THE SPELL HAS BEEN PROKEN, IT WOULD NOT BE ADVISABLE FOR YOU TO RETURN TO ANGEL GROVE."
"But Zordon," Kat spoke up. "Is it really fair for him to stay in the Command Center? He's no longer Rito."
"It doesn't matter if it's fair," Jason said, "I don't trust him."
"You trusted Tommy," Billy said quietly.
"That was different!" Jason said glaring at his oldest friend. "Tommy was under a spell but he didn't hurt anyone!" He did still remember when Tommy tried to stab him in the Dark Dimension but that was different! It had to be!
"I no…" Rajon started to say but stopped. He had hurt countless people as Rito. He let his team die and he let Tommy die. And there was his mother. She had died trying to protect him. "He's right Kat," he said his shoulders sagging. "I should be locked in the Command Center."
"I THINK KAT HAS A POINT," Zordon said, "AND I AM GOING TO GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT HOWEBVER. I AM CETAIN VILE WILL GO AFTER YOU AGAIN SO I NEED TO DECIDE WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERYONE."
There was a flash of light and Tommy's body disappeared again. The Rangers exchanged looks. Now what?
Jason sat next to his other at the Middle School as he tried to eat the food in front of him. He wasn't hungry at all but his mother insisted he eat something. He looked over at the Oliver's who were talking to the Chief of Police. The grief on Charlotte's face and the blank look on Ryan's face made Jason push his food away. If he could have had it done differently, he wouldn't have had Ryan be the one to find Tommy's body but Zordon couldn't explain how it had left the Command Center and landed in Angel Grove.
""Jason you need to eat," Elizabeth said pushing the plate back in front of Jason who just stared down at it.
"I'm not hungry. I…" he stopped when Ryan walked up to him. Ryan grabbed Jason's hand and placed something inside of it. Jason knew what it was but Ryan didn't say anything he just walked away.
Jason got up and followed Ryan to a quiet area where there was no one around. "Mr. Oliver…"
Ryan turned around to face him. "I found that coin in Tommy's hand. I can guess by the falcon on it that it's a Power Ranger coin and seeing the look on your face I can see you knew and/or were one also. Was he killed during the blasts like you said?"
"No," Jason said, "he was killed by the one who had ordered the attack. It…" he stopped unable to finish as he was about to start crying. He had been holding it in for so long and couldn't hold it in any longer.
"It's okay Jason," Ryan said, "you don't have to tell me." He pulled Jason into a hug. Ryan wasn't sure how he felt about this. Tommy may have died a hero and it explained so much but it didn't change the fact that his oldest child was dead.
Notes: A little closure though I haven't quite decided why Tommy keeps 'moving' and how the coin appeared in his hand. Muses! Gotta love them. I am ready to move plot wise so that's the good side.
