27
Casey Rhodes stared in amazement at all the people in the room, he had known that there were other Ranger teams out there, but he had no idea that there were so many Rangers. He had received an e-mail, as did all the other Rangers, saying to attend a meeting that was being held in NASADA. The e-mail had been sent by Tommy Oliver and was marked as urgent. He asked R.J. about it, and he had said he received one too and that he knew what it was about. The meeting was to take place a week after the funeral, as that was the only day that everyone would be free. Casey felt his shoulders being grabbed and he immediately whirled around to see had grabbed him. "You must be Casey Rhodes." Tommy held his hand out, and Casey shook it. "I'm Tommy Oliver, glad you could make it." Tommy saw the expression on Casey's face and frowned. "This must be your frist time seeing the other Rangers of Earth."
Casey nodded and said "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard the rumors saying you're the greatest Ranger. One question; why did I have to turn over my morpher before I entered?"
Tommy snorted and said "Those rumors are highly exagerated, and I'll inform everyone of that during the meeting. Now, take your seat. I'm about to start." Casey took his seat, on his left was a man dressed in red soccer clothes with his feet propped up on the table, and to his right was a guy dressed in a red shirt and an orange jacket. He watched as Tommy stood at the front of the room, behind him he could see a girl dressed in black leather with a purple jacket, a girl in a yellow and black neo punk style, a man in a silver shirt with blue jeans, a woman dressed in a white T-shirt with black dress pants, and man with dark hair dressed in a red T-shirt. He straightened up as Tommy began to speak.
Tommy was relieved to see all the other Rangers still alive, especially after what Kim had told him; "I'll kill everyone you care about." He had immediately upped the defenses around his home, his friends and families homes, and his friends families homes. Though none of them knew it, if Kim's signature were to show up at any of their places, he'd know immediately and leap into action. He had even asked Karone to move in with him and they were busy moving her stuff into his place now, just another day or two and she'd be moved in. His team and everyone who had been at Andros's bachelor party knew what the meeting was about, he had announced it after the end of the party and had Hayley get everyone's e-mail addresses for him. He scanned the room and saw everyone except Trey, the Aquitian Rangers, and the Galaxy Rangers were present. He had managed to track Zejtar down after his mysterious departure from the Aqua Base and informed him of the meeting.
"Alright," he began, his voice commanding and everyone quickly put a stop to their conversations "some of you know why we're all here. It has to deal with Katherine Hillard's death." Some them nodded. "I know most of you were at her funeral last week, and I thank you for coming. But a lot of you don't know who killed her." He gripped the podium in front of him, turning his knuckles white.
"Well," he sighed "I hate to say it but, one of our own was responsible..." The conversations started up, he heard some people saying that it wasn't possible, and some saying that he was lying.
"Quiet!" He shouted and the conversations ended again. "It was done by a veteran Ranger. She was a Ranger long before I came along..." He stared down at Zack and Trini as the realization of who it was dawned on them. "Her name was, is, Kimberly Ann Hart. Now she did not make this choice herself, just as I did not, nor did Ryan, and so on. We had in our possession a pink gem just like this one," he held his gem out for everyone to see.
"But sadly," he continued "we underestimated its strength and willingness to find its owner." He sighed and said "So in short, it's the gem that is evil, not her."
"You mean like it was with me?" Trent Fernandez asked.
"Yes Trent, and no. Her gem was encased in a remaining piece of Dark Specter, that's where the evil energy comes from. Now, I want everyone to avoid her at all costs." He gripped the podium and cracked it. "I won't lie to you, she had vowed to kill everyone I know and care about. That's why you are all here, and the reason your morphers were taken. An old friend of mine, Billy Cranston, is over in the lab adjusting the morphers for teleportation. If anyone of you see Kim, run. Don't engage her. She was able to best most of our current team and leave them hospitalized."
"So, dude, what you're saying is that your ex girlfriend has gone psycho and is out to kill each and everyone of us?" Conner McKnight asked. "I mean, why us? What did we ever do to her? Hell, I've never even met her!"
"Yes, Conner. That's what I'm saying." Tommy let out a tiresome sigh. "She going after those I care about to get to me. Why, I don't know. I do know though, that it is my problem and I'll deal with it. Kim is very dangerous now. But I promise you, I'm not going to let her get to any of you. If you see her, call me immediately."
Rocky sat in the mess of people with Adam, Tanya, Justin, and Aisha and listened to what Tommy was saying. He couldn't believe that sweet little Kimmie was responsible for Kat's death. He thought back to the days when he first joined the team, Kim had been so sweet, so innocent. Well, mostly innocent. He remembered the time that Kim had been upset because Zedd had attacked Earth while she and Tommy were in the middle of sex. Listening to her complain had been more than a bit uncomfortable, but he had dealt with it. Rocky thought of his Zeonizer, thinking that maybe it was time he came out of retirement. He looked over at Adam and could tell that he was thinking the same thing.
"Alright, now if everyone except the Red's would please leave." Tommy said as he wound down his speech. Billy will hand you all your morphers back outside." At that, everyone except for a little over a dozen Rangers left. He did a headcount and saw that none of the Red's had left.
"Okay," he said "as Red Ranger's, or former in a few our cases, including mine, it's our job to make sure the teams are well protected. Carter," he said the man in the orange jacket next to Casey. "Captain Mitchell upped security around both the Aqua and Ground Bases, correct?"
"Yes sir," Carter said with affirmation "Each and every Med Room requires a specific DNA signature to be able to enter, the same with every bunk. He has also quadrupled security on the outside as well as the inside."
"Good. Wes," he nodded to the co-leader of the Silver Guardians. "You and Jen have upped security around your son's school and his friends houses, right?"
"Yes," Wes nodded back "hidden security camera's and DNA scanners everywhere. If Kim goes anywhere near him or his friends, we'll know about it."
"Excellent. Cole, you're sure that Kim won't be able to find the Animarium?"
The former leader of the Wild Force Rangers stood and said "Yes sir, I'm sure. It's difficult for even Taylor to find it, and she's known its location for years."
"That's true. She comes home cursing when it isn't where she thought it was..." Eric grumbled, getting a nudge from Wes to shut up.
"That's great. I want you to take your old teammates there and stay hidden until we can put a stop to her."
"But...sir...we want to help..."
"That's an order Cole."
"Yes sir," Cole said, disappointed.
"Shane, Hunter. You're both sure that both the Wind and the Thunder Academies are hidden thoroughly?"
The two Red Ninja Rangers stood and said "Yes. No one who does not know the location can find them."
Shane added "When I was just starting as a Ranger, I even had a slightly difficult time finding it."
"No joke, me too." Hunter added.
"That's great. If either of you see her in Blue Bay, alert your team and stay hidden. Even Tori. Kim has ten more years worth of experience than she does." The two nodded.
Tommy looked over at the two Mystic Rangers and said "Leanbow, Nick. You said that Rit, that the Mystic Mother has prepared a spot for your team to hide in should Kim return to Briarwood?"
Leanbow nodded and said "Yes. Though I do not like it. This girl may have killed an experienced Ranger, but I have more experience than she does. Should she return, Daggeron and myself will try to repel her. But if need be, we will contact you."
Tommy didn't feel like arguing with the man, he still had to check with T.J., Andros, Rocky, Mack, Casey, and Conner. "Mack," he said "you're father's basement. It's more secure than my own?"
"Y-yes," the young boy said "very secure. I'll gather the others and we'll stay around the mansion if that's what your insinuating."
Tommy nodded in agreement and turned his attention to the newest Red Ranger, Casey Rhodes. "Casey, you're positive that R.J. has Jungle Karma Pizza secured?"
Casey nodded and added "He's already asked us to stay close by, just in case."
"Great, tell him thanks for me. Conner, Rocky, T.J. You guys are close enough that I can keep an eye on you myself. Now, if everyone except Andros would leave please." Jason, Rocky, and the others departed, leaving the once filled room now almost completely empty.
"Andros," he began, but Andros held his out to stop him.
"Tommy, I'm sorry about losing the Red and Black gems. I take full responsibility for losing them, and for letting Zedd and Trixabus get, well actually get two steps closer to opening the gate to the Shadaow World. I'm sorry. If we hadn't gone on-"
Tommy cut him off "If you hadn't gone on your honeymoon then we very well could have been burying you or Ashley too. Don't beat yourself up. You wanna know how times I lost my morpher in High School?"
"Yeah but we didn't lose them, we took them off thinking-"
"Thinking you wouldn't need them. I've taken my communicator off before, thinking I wouldn't need it. By the way, I lost my morpher over a dozen times in high school. Just ask Billy. Or Jason. Point is, Andros, don't be so hard on yourself. You've still got your morphers, just not the powers. Your communicators still work, so go. Go back to your wife and go back on your honeymoon. But," he raised his finger for emphasis "keep your morphers with you in case you need to contact us." Andros nodded, the look of sorrow not leaving his eyes.
After Andros exited the room Leanbow returned. "Tommy," he said strongly.
"Yes?"
"The Mystic Mother asked me to tell you that she wishes to speak with you as soon as possible."
"Tell her I'm busy." He said flatly.
"She says that it's really important, and that you need to know about it." Leanbow pleaded.
"Then why don't you tell me?"
Leanbow sighed "Because she wouldn't tell me what it was about. Only to tell-"
Tommy cut him off "Alright, alright. Tell her I'll be there in two or three days."
"Thank you, really."
Tommy nodded but didn't say anything as he lead Leanbow out of the room.
After the meeting Andros and Ashley drove to the airport. "I still find it strange," he said.
"What's that?" Ashley asked, not looking up from her fashion magazine.
"Using airplanes to travel across the planet, on KO-35-"
"We're not on KO-35," Ashley said, placing her hand on his thigh "We are on Earth."
"We just teleported." He finished anyway. He knew she was right, they were on her world, not his. He had to abide by their customs, their rules. After twelve years though, he was still having some trouble adjusting. Granted, he spent a lot of that twelve years helping to rebuild the galaxies, and Ashley had followed him. His work in helping rebuild continually forced him to put off proposing, but lucky for him Ashley understood why he waited. She had been more than a little elated when he'd finally proposed. He smiled 'It was worth the wait,' he placed his hand on her thigh in response to her hand on his and just smiled.
Tommy and Karone packed up the last of her stuff and loaded it into his jeep. "I thought you had a lot more than this?" He asked as he loaded the last box up.
"I did," she smiled mischieviously "but I gave some of it to Hayley so I could move in tonight, instead of tomorrow."
He smiled back, he knew what she was planning. Tonight was the night they had agreed upon, the night she moved in with him.
When they got back to his place though they found Rocky and Adam sitting out on the front porch waiting for him. Karone excused herself and ran upstairs. Rocky explained that he and Adam wanted to join the fight and help save Kim. After a long conversation about it, Tommy reluctantly agreed to let them help out as Zeo Rangers III and IV. He explained though, that it was just temporary, and they said they understood.
It was dark by the time Rocky and Adam left for Angel Grove, and the only thing that had kept Tommy's anger in check was the thought of the beautiful woman waiting for him upstairs. He ran up the stairs and calmly entered his bedroom to find Karone sitting on is bed, waiting on him with a devious smile on her face.
Baneero was growing impatient, he had already fried four of his subordinates. "Gruumm," he said angrily "how much longer until we reach Earth?"
"About two Earth weeks, sire." Gruum said hesitantly.
Baneero growled and shouted "Speed it up! I want to be there within a days time! Do you hear me? Within a day!"
"R-Right away sire!" Gruumm clumsily fumbled at the controls and increased their speed "We should be there in about twelve Earth hours, sire."
Baneero sat back and said more coolly "Good. Gruumm, maybe I won't kill you."
Around the palace Rito had been non-stop complaining about how Kim had crushed his head and how hard it was to pull it back together. He claimed to have lost brain cells, but Zedd had told him he needed a brain in order to lose brain cells, to which he readily agreed. Kim had since gone back down to Earth and was stalking who she intended to be her next victim. She watched as Hunter Bradley walked out of the motocross shop. She closed her eyes and licked her lips as she imagined the sound of his bones breaking. "It's going to be beautiful. A true piece of art." She smiled and fell into line behind Hunter, being careful to stay a safe distance away.