Disclaimer: I do not own the franchise, but I do own this team.

*Italic indicates thought

' ' indicates Zach using sign language

Episode IV: Watch Me

Chapter One: Doubtful Deafness

A/N: Hey guys and gals! Here's the next chapter and episode! Please, please, please review! Pretty please! It would make me so happy!

"You are not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have." -Oscar Pistorius

Zach stood in the goal of the soccer field. One of the forwards dribbled the ball up the field and kicked it. Zach was ready and dove to the side. He slid on the ground, thankful the goalie shirt saved his arms, and caught the ball. He smiled as he got up. He dropped kicked it back on to the field to the defense. Zach and the forwards had a love, hate relationship. They hated they never got a shot off hIm, but were happy no one else could ether. He watched the forwards dribble it up the field, back towards the other goal.

Just then, they all stopped. One of the defensive players closest to Zach raised his fists in an 'x' at the wrists over his head. Zach smiled. Practice was finally over. He jogged to the center of the field where everyone was gathering around the coach.

"Good practice everyone," Coach Smith said. "You all worked very hard today. Lets make sure we're working this hard everyday. Go home, rest, and do your homework."

Zach smiled and followed everyone back to the benches. He undid his gloves and stripped off his goalie shirt. He wasn't wearing another shirt underneath because it was too hot. He put them in his bag and grabbed his water bottle. Someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind. He turned around and saw Steven, the assistant goalie. Zach raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, Uh...Zach. Can...can you...maybe...help me out with some goalie stuff sometime?" His stuttering messed up Zach's trying to read his lips, but he got the gist of it. Zach nodded. Steven smiled. "Thanks."

He hurried away to his friends. Zach shook his head and grabbed his bag.

Hector, one of the team captains came up. "Dealing with stuttering freshmen?"

Zach smiled. 'Always.'

"I think you intimidate him."

'I intimidate him? Me? The deaf boy?'

"Come on Zach. Your not just deaf, your an amazing soccer player. The poor kid looks up to you."

Zach smiled. He saw Miley, fresh out of colorgaurd practice, waiting for him at the top of the hill by the locker room door. "Hey Zach."

'Hey Miley,' he signed.

"At least I've learned sign language for my name," Miley said. "Nice abs by the way."

He looked down at his still bare torso and saw the outline of his modest six-pack. 'Thank you.'

He pulled a shirt out of his bag and threw it on; following her across the sports grounds.

They got to the dojo and started practicing. Kyle was already there when they arrived. He was practicing his sword work. "Hey, lets spar a little," he suggested.

"Great idea," Miley said. She and Zach dropped their stuff in the corner and grabbed wooden practice swords. Zach was pretty sure they were weighted some how, because they weighed as much as real swords.

"How about you do some two-on-one?" Sensei Chiron suggested. "Miley and Kyle against Zach."

"That's not fair," Kyle said.

"How? Zach is the best swordsman amongst you."

"Yeah, but he's deaf," Miley said. "We can easily out do him."

"We'll see," Sensei Chiron said.

The only part of the conversation Zach mad been able to see was Sensei's, but he could guess what the other two were saying. He took a place in the middle of the mat, Kyle to one side, Miley to the other. All three took a ready stance.

"You attack him first, then I'll come on from behind," Kyle said to Miley, trying not to move his lips. She nodded. Zach looked from one to the other. He smiled. Sensei nodded for them to begin. Miley attacked first, running at Zach with amazing speed. He sidestepped her and swung his sword around. She put her own up and blocked his. She spun and faced him. The two of them battled it out for a couple seconds, trying to push the other backwards.

Kyle joined in from behind. Zach sensed the movement and spun around, kicking Kyle in the chest. The red ranger stumbled backwards and Zach resumed his fight with Miley. He swung his sword at her head, but she ducked. He blocked the next blow she sent to him, keeping his sword close to his chest. She pushed on her sword as the two locked. Zach glanced back and saw Kyle was getting up. He thought of a plan really fast.

He put one foot back and bent backwards a little bit, like Miley was beating him. The pink ranger felt the movement and pushed harder. Zach slipped one foot to the side a little, then quick as can be he made a mad dash to the side. Miley didn't have any time to recover and fell on top of Kyle who had been waiting for his next chance to jump in. Zach smiled victoriously at his teammates.

"That's not right," Kyle said getting up.

Zach's smiled disappeared. Sensei Chiron came over. "What's not right?"

"He beat us."

"So?"

"So? We lost to him."

"I'm well aware of what being beaten implies. You can't win every fight."

"But we should be able to win a fig with someone who's deaf," Miley said.

Zach flinched and cringed away from them a bit. He felt a bad feeling grip him. He turned away to put his sword on the rack, trying not show the hurt look on his face. He now had no idea what they were saying to Sensei, but he guessed it wasn't good. He could picture them saying to Sensei what Zach had feared every day since this had started. Zach wasn't good enough.

He shook his head stubbornly. Someone tapped his shoulder he turned around.

"Monster attack," Kyle said.

Zach nodded and followed.

The rangers arrived on the scene of the battle. People were running from the Titans that chased them around. "Hey dummies!" Kyle shouted. The Tiatans stopped and looked at the rangers. "Leave those people alone!"

The rangers raised their rings into the air, "OLYMPIC FORCE, POWERS OF THE GODS UNLESHED!" They shouted.

"Powers of Zeus, Lord of the Sky!"

"Powers of Aphrodite, goddess of love!"

"Powers of Poseidon, Lord of the Sea!"

They raised their spears. "Defenders of Olympus, saviors of the world!"

They charged at the Titans, taking them down one by one. "This is too easy," Miley said.

"Tell me about it," Kyle said. "I'm not even breaking a sweat." He stabbed another through the chest, turning it to ash.

Zach destroyed the last one and looked around. He started to get a sick feeling in his gut. He felt a pain in his head at the bottom of his skull. It spread slowly, like it was taking the paths in his brain. Soon the pain was everywhere. He put his hands to his head and fell to his knees as daggers and knives pierced his brain. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Kyle.

He guessed the red ranger was saying something, but their helmets prevented him from seeing what it was. He moaned. He felt a tremor travel through his body. He turned and almost fainted. He pointed excitedly behind Kyle and Miley who were trying to help him. The pink and red rangers turned around and drew their swords.

Standing a few yards from them was a monster. He was maybe eight feet tall with thick arms and legs. He was extremely muscular with a round head with shaggy blonde hair on top. He wore a breast plate, shin plates, and carried a sword and shield. The most alarming thing though, was he only had one eye.

"What is that?" Miley asked.

"Nothing good," Kyle said. "Hey ugly!" He shouted at the monster. The monster turned its head at the sound of his voice. "Who are you?"

"Me! I am Polyphemus!"

That name seems familiar, Zach thought. he struggled to his feet. The pain in his head was subsiding, but the sick feeling in his gut was growing stronger. He unsheathed his sword, ignoring his spear, lying forgotten on the ground. He faced the monster. Kyle and Miley attacked it head on.

Polyphemus moved his shield so it was facing them and swung his sword. Kyle blocked it with his shield. He didn't anticipate the monster being that strong though and felt pain reverberate down his arm. He sucked his breath in. Polyphemus slammed his shield into the red ranger. Kyle, stumbled backwards, but managed to stay morphed. Miley swung her sword at Polyphemus, but he turned his shield towards her and swung his sword at her. She stopped the blow with her own, but the force brutally knocked it out of her hand. She shook her wrist, trying to relieve the tension in it.

Zach ran up form the side and stabbed Polyphemus in the shin, just behind the metal shin guard. The monster screamed in agony. Zach removed his sword and ran to the side, testing his theory. Polyphemus always seemed to position his shield in front of him, or at the threat. Zach dashed to the other side and plunged his sword into the shin. Polyphemus screamed again and stumbled backwards. Zach removed his sword and move back.

"Gaaaaaaahhhhhh! You foul blooded demigod!" He screamed. "Worthless son of the sea god! You haven't seen the last of me!" He disappeared through a red crack. Zach de-morphed. Miley and Kyle rushed over.

"Are you ok?" Miley asked.

He nodded. 'Yeah. Are you guys ok?'

"I'm gonna guess you're asking of we're ok," Kyle said. "Yeah. Just a little banged up. He's strong, and big."

Miley nodded. "What happened earlier?"

Zach shrugged. "Come on," Kyle said. "We should get back to the dojo. We have some planning to do."

They began their journey back. It was only when they were half-way there that Zach realized that his headache was gone, as was the sick feeling in his gut. Disappeared as mysteriously as they had come.