Author's note: I aplogize for the mix up in the last chapter, saying Brandon visited Jason and then when he got to Tommy's he said it was Mike. I realized that after I posted the chapter. For the sake of the story, it is Mike that visited Jason, not Brandon.
Chapter 14
Tommy slammed down the receiver and turned to retrieve his car keys. Conner and Kira were already out the door heading for his car. As Conner got in the drivers seat, Anna tried to go with them but Conner stopped her.
"No."
"I'm going with you." Anna said with a scared tone in her voice.
"No you are not. Go with Tommy. Meet us there."
"Conner--"
"Anna, I'm not going to tell you again, get in the car with your parents, not us."
"Fine."
Anna made her way to the jeep that Tommy drove. Before pulling out of the driveway, Tommy cast a glance in Conner's direction. As he looked into the young man's eyes, he knew what Conner was going to do.
"Just be safe!" He yelled.
Conner only nodded as he pulled out. The next thing anyone knew, Conner's mustang dissapeared in a blur. Conner had used his long dormant super speed power
from the dino gem. He didn't know if it would work with them being in a vehicle but at the time, he didn't care. He was going to try it. He had to get to Ethan and fast.
Tommy pulled out after Conner and was followed by Jason. Everyone arrived to Ethan's house in a matter of just a few minutes and Conner and Kira were already
there. They piled out of their cars and looked around but saw no sign of anyone. They decided to go into the house to see if they could find Ethan. As they
walked inside, they could hear Conner talking to Ethan. They walked into the family room and saw Ethan sitting on the couch with his hand over his arm.
At the same time, Kira walked out of the kitchen with a bag of ice.
"Is everyone okay?" Tommy asked, announcing their presence.
""I think so." Conner replied.
"What happened? Are you okay, Ethan?" Kim asked.
"I'm alright."
"Again, what happened here?" Jason asked.
"Well, right after you called me, Dr. o, I heard a noise come from the kitchen. I didn't think anything of it cuz I hear stuff a lot. So I kept working on a
paper I've been writing for one of my classes. The next thing I know, I heard another noise, like a shuffling of feet and it sounded a lot closer this time,
like it was a few feet behind me. Then I heard a chuckle and I turned around and Billy, Mr. Cranston, whatever you want to call him was standing right behind
me with a baseball bat in his hand. He took a swing at me and I was just able to duck in time, he kept advancing on me and I was able to break away from him
after kicking him in the stomach, it wasn't enough though. I got to the phone and called you, by the time you picked up, he was already coming back at me
again. He swung the bat and nailed the phone right off of the wall. I kept running but soon I ran out of space and he got me. He put the end of the bat right
up on my throat and told me that my days were numbered and that soon all of us would be destroyed. The normal bad guy stuff."
"Why are you holding your arm?" Tommy asked.
"After he told me that, he picked up the little mess he had made. Why? I don't know. As he was cleaning I noticed something sticking out of his back pocket. He turned around and saw that I noticed it. So he pushed me against the wall again and pulled it out and showed it to me. They were schematics but I'm not sure what they were for. All he said was that they were to a place that was the 'Gateway to the power' but he said there was no way we would ever find it. For good measure, before he left, he grabbed that fire poker and slashed my arm before I could move it out of the way."
"Gateway to the power?" Jason repeated.
"That's all he said."
"Any ideas?" Kira asked.
"No, but we know someone who might." Tommy said.
"Who?" Kim asked.
"Just wait here, I'll be back in a few minutes."
About an hour later, Tommy returned to Ethan's house with John at his side. After explaining the situation to John, the group sat back and listened to what John thought about the 'Gateway to the Power' as Billy had talked about.
"The gateway to the power is something I used to study when I was Lord Zedd. It is a myth to everyone's knowledge. I spent a thousand years trying to figure out if it was real or not. To this day, I have no idea if it is or not. When I was fighting the rangers, Rita and I tried to find it and use it against the rangers in our battles."
"How would Billy know about it?" Kira asked.
A look of realization hit Tommy's features as he remembered an incident from years ago.
"He wouldn't."
Everyone looked to Tommy.
"What do you mean?" Jason asked.
"Lord Zedd cloned Billy one time. The clone worked directly with Zedd in an atempt to destroy us."
"So what are you saying?" Kim asked.
"I think Billy might be the clone."
"No way. You guys destroyed the clone. There's no way the Billy that was here is the clone." John said.
"You're positive?" Tomy asked.
"Fairly. But not certain."
"What do you mean?" Conner asked.
"There may be a way but I would have to research it to make sure."
"How long would that take?"
"A few weeks."
"Anything we can do to help make it happen sooner?"
"No. I'd have to do it on my own."
"Will you? And get back to us?"
"Of course."
John left Ethan's house and went home to work on his theory while everyone else stayed to help Ethan clean up.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Conner asked Ethan.
"Yeah I'm fine bro. Just a little shook up. My arm still hurts, I think he got me deeper than I originally thought."
"I wasn't sure what to expect when we got here. As soon as I heard Tommy yell, I was gone. Anna tried to get in the car with us but I told her no and she should go with Tommy and Kim because I was going to use my super speed. That's how Kira and I got here so fast."
"Why would you using your super speed affect Anna?"
"I'm not sure it would but I wasn't going to to take a chance and injure her by doing it."
"And Dr. O was cool with it?"
"I don't think so but he knew I was going to use it anyway, he just looked at me and said 'Be careful'".
"I didn't think he would actually do anything, but I guess I was way wrong."
"Just be glad he didn't do any more to you."
"Oh I am."
Tommy walked over to Ethan as he and Conner were cleaning.
"We're going to head out now. You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah but I am going to have a good long day of cleaning tommorrow."
"That's why we tried to help."
"I know, thanks Tommy."
"Anytime Ethan."
Tommy shook Ethan's hand and Kim gave him a hug before heading home for the night. Anna however, had not left with her parents.
"You're not going with them?" Ethan asked.
"No. I'm gonna stay here and help you clean up."
"Thanks but you don't have to."
"I know, I want to. I already talked to Kira, her and Conner are going to take me home when we finish here."
"So what's up?"
"I'm scared."
"Scared of what?"
"That you aren't as fine as you say you are."
"I'm okay. I would say something if I wasn't."
"I was also scared of what was going to happen to you. I didn't know what to expect."
"Now you sound like Conner."
"When I heard dad yell your name, everything just flashed before my eyes. Everything that happened three years ago, prom, the other day at the beach. I just didn't want to get here and find out that I lost someone very important to me."
"Anna, I didn't know--" Ethan started but was soon cut off when Anna's lips met his in a kiss.
"Hey guys, I was just-" Conner started as he walked into the family room but stopped in his tracks when he saw what was in front of him. Ethan and Anna heard him and quickly broke apart.
"No no, I'll leave, as you were." Conner said as he turned and went to find his girlfriend.
As soon as he had left, Anna pulled Ethan into another heated kiss.
"What was that for?" Ethan asked when they finally broke apart.
"It just felt right."
TBC.