Double Act
Chapter 37: Thunder Struck
Part I
A/N: Last time, the rangers talked through their trust issues and reminisced about how being power rangers changed them. Trent presented his case, and after he helped them defeat a monster, they agreed to trust him again. Now, it's part one of the finale, and for the rangers, it means prom season. Conner still hasn't completed his part of the deal with Kennedi, so what's going to happen with that? And what is it that Cassidy and Kira have been planning?
This chapter might be a bit short.
So, I'm hoping to get back to regular updates for a few weeks during the winter break. I am still sticking to my idea of only posting/updating stories I have completely written out as it works best for me with my schedule right now. Now that my classes are done and I only have a few finals to worry about, I'm going to do a few updates over the break. So...enjoy!
Disclaimer: I only own things not originally in the show.
With the issue of Trent and Mesogog behind them, the rangers found themselves preparing for one of the best nights of their lives. School for the senior class had already ended, and their Prom was coming up fast. Ever since the issues with Trent were finished, Kennedi had been pestering Conner about their deal. Kira had been spending a lot of time talking with Cassidy over the past week, something they all noticed but chose not to question. At the moment, Conner and Ethan were entering the Cyberspace Café.
"So, let me get this straight," Conner tried processing Ethan's words. "You're going to the movies instead of the biggest social event of the year?"
"It's not just a movie," Ethan pointed out. "It's the sequel to Asteroid Conquest, the greatest sci-fi film of all time."
"Dude, it's the prom," Conner argued. "It's tradition!" they headed for a table.
"Oh yeah," Ethan rolled his eyes. "Nice tradition. The smart kids spend the entire semester in agony, wondering if they'll get a date, or if they'll be forced to sit in the corner with the other smart kids." They took seats. "It's too painful, bro."
"Whoa," Conner frowned. "I never thought about it like that."
"Who are you going with?" Ethan wondered. "Don't you still have to complete the deal you have with Ken?"
Conner grinned. "Trust me dude. I've got it all figured out." Ethan chuckled as Kira and Kennedi entered the room. Both girls took a seat on either side of the boys. "Hey Kira, Ken."
"Hey," both girls smiled. Kennedi was about to continue, but Conner cut her off, looking at Kira.
"So Kira," he began, getting the girl's attention. "Wanna go to prom with me?" Kennedi gaped at him as Ethan snickered a bit. Kira ignored their reactions.
"Sure," the singer shrugged. "And just a heads up, Ken and I are gonna be performing for like, half the night, and then I have to help Cassidy with something, so I don't know how much of a date it'll actually be."
"Oh so not fair!" Kennedi cried, startling the two. "You waited to the very last second to finally ask her out!"
Conner smirked as Kira turned to her sister. "Actually, he asked me out while we were dancing at mom's wedding. We've kind of been dating since then." Kennedi's eyes widened further.
"What?" she nearly screeched. This drew some attention to them. "And you've managed to hide it from everyone the entire time?"
"You're not the only one who's good at sneaking around," Kira grinned. Even Ethan was a bit confused at this point. Conner decided to change the subject.
"So is Hunter coming down or are you going solo?" he asked.
"As far as I know, he won't be here for another couple of days," Kennedi answered. "So I'm dateless for the prom. A few guys have asked though, not caring or realizing I have a boyfriend."
"So then why don't you go with Ethan or Trent?" Conner suggested. "Not as a date, but as friends? Hunter wouldn't get jealous over that, would he?"
Kennedi rolled her eyes. "Ethan already has plans and Trent's going with Krista. He asked her out before the whole Mesogog is Mercer thing."
"Trent and Krista?" Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Did not see that coming."
Kennedi simply shrugged as they continued on with their day.
Kennedi, Kira, Conner, Trent, Ethan, Tommy, and Hayley were standing in the dino lab, waiting for the woman Trent recognized as Elsa to wake up. In their recent fight against Zeltrax, they had noticed he had taken the woman hostage, and she was no longer an evil minion. They had fought him off and rescued Elsa. They had also learned that Anton was free of Mesogog, and that made their mission easier. It was a rather easy fight, but they knew it couldn't have been good.
"Trent, do you know what happened?" Tommy asked, knowing the boy had been spying on Mesogog.
"Mesogog's powering up a laser that will transform humans to mutant dinosaurs," Trent replied, giving all and any information he could. "He drained Elsa of her energy to use in the beam."
"That can't be enough to run that kind of equipment," Hayley frowned.
"He's gonna use the dino gems to get the rest of the power," Trent stated.
Conner looked at the boy. "What do you mean he's gonna use the dino gems?"
"Yeah, how is he gonna get them?" Ethan wondered.
"I'm gonna give them to him," Trent answered.
"I'm not gonna give anyone my gem," Conner protested.
"Just hear me out," Trent pleaded. "You want to get on to that island. Mesogog wants the gems. If I hand them to him, I can open a portal for you. Once you get inside, you can destroy the beam and Mesogog in the process. And I can rescue my father."
Tommy shook his head. "No way. It's too risky."
"Do we really have another choice?" Hayley asked. "The only gem there'd be a problem with is Kennedi's, since it's infused with the stone. There's no telling how much power is in it."
"She's right," Kennedi agreed, popping her gem out of her morpher. "Besides, I still got my ninja powers, both with and without the morpher, and aren't the DNA embedded things still with us even if our gem's not?"
"That's true," Hayley nodded.
"And it seems to me like this machine Mesogog has needs a certain amount of power, no more and no less," Kennedi continued. "If there is more power in my gem because it's infused with the stone, then it's possible it could overpower his device and cause it to implode on itself."
Everyone stared at her in silence. "It's a reasonable theory," Hayley finally commented.
"He is going to get that thing going eventually," Kira reluctantly added. "This could be our only shot."
With the others finally in agreement, Trent pulled out a box that held a spot in it for each dino gem. The rangers each popped theirs out of their morphers and placed them carefully in the proper area in the box.
"This better work," Conner told the white ranger.
Trent nodded. "I'll call when the portal's open." He walked out of the room as Elsa began to stir. They all surrounded her.
"Are you all right?" Tommy asked.
"I remember everything," she spoke softly.
"Mesogog? Mercer? Fighting against the power rangers?" Tommy pressed. She nodded.
"Mesogog had my mind completely in his power," she explained. The monitors beeped, drawing everyone's attention to them.
Hayley read what was on the screen. "The new vehicle's ready to go."
"Kennedi, you stay behind," Tommy ordered. "If there's an attack in the city while we're gone, you at least have your ninja morpher to handle it." Kennedi nodded. "We'll call for help if we need it. Let's go."
"Come back safe," Elsa looked at all of them.
"We always do," Tommy assured.
Once they left the lab, the rangers found themselves standing in a quarry, waiting for Hayley to bring forth their ride and protection. Trent was already in Mesogog's lab and had directed them where to go for when he opened the portal. They knew they had to hurry as the portal would only be open for a short time. Hayley pulled up a control box, one that resembled a joystick. "Okay," she reported. "We're ready to roll." She pushed a button on the controller.
Then, to the rangers' surprise, an eighteen-wheeler came rolling out, the logo emblazoned on the side.
"You've done it again, Hayley," Tommy smiled. "Good job."
"That is sweet," Ethan grinned.
"Can I drive?" Conner asked hopefully.
"Uh, no," Hayley denied. "We have to make sure we hit the portal at the exact right speed, and we only get one chance at it. Better let me drive."
"Now it's up to Trent," Tommy added.
In the dino lab, Kennedi and Elsa sat in the computer chairs and monitored the rangers' progress. Neither of them had said a word to each other yet, considering Elsa now remembered everything she did as Mesogog's minion, including torturing the younger girl. Kennedi couldn't find anything to say to the woman either. They had managed to get footage of the rangers fighting on the island, and Elsa seemed worried about them. Kennedi wasn't as worried as she knew they could get the job done.
"I am sorry," Elsa finally spoke, getting the younger girl's attention. "About everything we put you through."
"It's fine," Kennedi shrugged. "Not your fault. Not entirely, anyway. I don't expect much from the villains we face, aside from counting on their stupidity."
"Are we really that stupid?" Elsa frowned, confused.
"You actually weren't, most of the time," Kennedi answered truthfully. "And you were the only one of them who had to keep up an everyday job on top of it. I don't blame you for being brainwashed, or for the things you did while you were working for him."
"So how are villains usually stupid?" Elsa wondered, curious. This was news to her.
"Well," Kennedi bit her lip. "I tend to notice the little things that make people tick, so I can easily spot someone's weak points, if I needed to. Years of ninja training helped, too. There was always some sort of flaw in your plans outside of us showing up to destroy them."
Elsa thought about this as they turned their attention back to the screens. They watched carefully as the saw Mesogog's lab being destroyed, Trent still inside it. Just as they were about to contact the rangers, Kennedi stiffened and spun around, shooting a jet of fire across the room. Elsa was surprised but only for a moment as the fire collided with an opposing blast. Kennedi was overpowered and the other blast knocked down a column that supported the room.
"It's all over now," Zeltrax marched in.
Kennedi regained her footing and got ready to fight. Zeltrax began firing, and so did she. Elsa, unsure of what to do, attempted to find a hiding spot. Thankfully Kennedi was instructing her to do so, knowing that Zeltrax was probably after the older woman. In their fight, something which Kennedi got close enough to actually fight, they managed to destroy most of the lab. Elsa seemed to have hidden herself rather well as neither one could spot her easily.
The lab was not a pretty sight.
After blowing up Mesogog's island and realizing their plan had worked (even though it possibly cost them the dino gems), the rangers exited the giant truck Hayley had landed back in the quarry they started in. They stared at the space where the invisaportal had just closed up, and they were all shocked. However, though slim, there was still a chance Trent and Anton made it out alive. The portal closed.
"No!" Kira shouted. "He can't be gone!"
"Now what do we do?" Conner wondered.
"I knew we shouldn't have left him," Kira shook her head. Conner wrapped an arm around her to comfort her.
Ethan got an idea. "It's not like they're gonna fall out of the sky and land in front of us." They all gave him odd looks as he looked to the sky, hoping for some sign.
"Were you knocked on the head or something?" Kira demanded.
"What?" he looked between his teammates. "Last time I did that, it worked!"
An invisaportal opened across from them, spitting out Trent and Anton before closing up.
"See?" Ethan grinned. They all ran toward the two. Tommy and Trent helped Anton stand up straight.
"You guys are all right," Kira noticed.
"What about Mesogog?" Tommy asked.
"I don't think he made it," Trent breathed. "But just in case," he opened the box, revealing seven dino gems. Tommy smiled and nodded.
Anton looked to the teacher. "Tommy…I don't know where to start."
"We'll talk later," the black ranger assured. "Right now, we better get back to the lab. We still have Zeltrax to deal with."
A/N: Here's the end of this chapter. What'll happen next?