Disclaimer: I in no way own the characters or anything from the series. Several other fanfics inspired this one. No infringement was intended
Chapter 11: Old friends and new enemies
As she drove through town, she looked at how well preserved the old buildings were. While a lot of the world had torn down the old buildings to construct the newer tech core structures, the city seemed almost untouched by the hands of time. She remembered growing up, listening to the stories about the Dino Ranger team. The school marquise still held the last message the school put up before it closed. We'll miss you Doctor Oliver. It wasn't long after Tommy retired that the school shut down, sending its students to Angel Grove High.
Driving down a dirt path, Syd parked her car in front of the log cabin. The outside was weathered, but it still held the charm of a by-gone era. She pulled off to the side where his old black Jeep was usually parked. For the last twenty-five years, he lived with Haley, in almost complete obscurity as a high school science teacher. Their daughter was off at the Academy training to be an SPD Ranger.
Walking up the path, a woman opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. She was still thin, her red hair turning grey. Even with the fine lines on her face, she still looked years younger than her actual age of fifty-six. She walked down the steps and pulled Syd into a hug. "Sydney it's been too long. When Tommy said you might be coming for a visit I couldn't believe it." Haley led her into the house and gestured to a chair. Syd heard some glasses clinking around in the kitchen when the front door opened. Tommy set a paper bag down on the end table as he took off his shoes. "Haley, who's parked out front?"
Standing up, Syd walked over and picked up the bag, taking it into the kitchen. "Just an old student." she said with the flash of a smile. Aside from the salt and pepper hair he sported, Tommy hadn't aged a day. It was determined years ago that exposure to the radiation from the morphing energy slowed cellular degradation to a crawl. Unfortunately, when it wore out of the system completely the cells would just stop functioning. Haley took the bag from her and started putting the groceries away.
"I hear my old student is wearing a lot of pink these days." He said handing her a glass of ice tea. She took a sip and smiled. When she was in Bayside High, she would go to the Cybercafé every day just for the ice tea. "Not so much over the last few weeks." She said, memories of the attack replaying within. "I need some advice Doctor Oliver." Tommy smiled, gesturing to the kitchen table. "Only if you call me Tommy. You're not a student anymore." As they sat at the kitchen table, she told them about SPD life, being a ranger and the day they lost Sky. And the team being placed on leave. Tommy put his hand on Syd's, squeezing it for support. "I know it's hard Sydney, but the one thing you can't do is give up."
"He's right Syd. We need you." Dark said appearing out of the shadows. Tommy stood up, putting his arm out as if to block passage. As Syd grabbed her morpher, Dark hit her with a green energy beam, her body freezing. "I'm Sorry Syd, but I have to speak to the Doctor. I won't hurt you."
Tommy laughed to himself as he lowered his arm. "I wondered how long it'd be before you showed up." Dark looked at Syd then back to him. "What gave it away?" Dark asked, curiosity lacing his voice. "I felt the Gem activate. Besides I recognized the energy signature of the weapons fire on Broodwing's bio-armor." "Who are you?" Syd asked, trying to activate her morpher. "I'm the Dark Ranger. I came here looking for Doctor Oliver. I was hoping he'd be able to help me with a problem I'm having."
Tommy shook his head, lips curling upward. "You need a new tailor?" Dark laughed, running his hand over his helmet. "Actually no. The looks kinda growing on me. I was hoping you could tell me how to access Zord Calling Sequence in the Dino gem." Tommy's gaze held fast, expression never changing. "Sorry to tell you but the Zords were destroyed by Messagog." Dark took a step forward, and held his arm across his chest. The gem glowed purple. "Doctor Oliver it isn't one of your Zords I want. I'm here for the Panther Zord."
Tommy turned his back on Dark, gripping a chair. "The Panther Zord can't be controlled by anyone. That's why Zordon deactivated it." Dark took a step back, and looked out a window into the surrounding woods. "Doctor Oliver, please. The power of the Panther is the only thing that can destroy it." Haley swallowed hard and looked at Dark. "Please listen to Tommy." She said softly. "No one has had the power to control Panther." Dark turned on her, staring into her eyes. "You don't understand. With Panther I could destroy Lust, Bridge would be safe again." Syd shook her head as the energy field weakened. "Destroy lust? You are lust!" she screamed as the field broke.
Tommy turned back around, arms crossed. "Dark Ranger I'll tell you where Panther is if you answer me two questions using the judgment mode. Will you do it?" Dark nodded, taking a relaxed stance. Syd looked at the Tommy then back to Dark. "Dark Ranger, also known as Lust, you are accused of murder and theft. You are accused of attempting to acquire a powerful Zord that you cannot control. While in judgment you will be asked a single question to determine the truth." Syd opened her morpher and activated the judgment mode, sealing Dark Ranger in a null dimensional pocket. Tommy looked at the shimmering figure of dark as the energy swirled around him. "Dark Ranger, what drives you to protect Bridge so loyally?" Dark held his head up high, crossing his arms behind him. "Because I love him." The judgment scanner flashed for a few moments, and then a green circle appeared over him. "He's telling the truth Doctor Oliver. Dark Ranger isn't Lust."
Before Syd closed the morpher, he called to him. "Dark Ranger was it you that attacked Piggy, Broodwing and the other aliens?" Dark took a step back, head cocked to one side. "No. It wasn't me." The judgment scanner flashed for a few moments. When it rendered the verdict , Syd looked at the display in confusion. "I've never seen it do that before." Superimposed over Dark, a green circle had a red X going through it. "How can someone be guilty and innocent at the same time?"