Author's Notes: Hi, readers. Here's chapter thirty-eight of "Don't Run Away." I'm glad it took just three days to get out. This chapter has more elements from "Green With Evil." It is mostly part three, but it has bits and pieces from parts four and five. It has some action in the form of Tommy and Jason battling each other in the Dark Dimension. There is a small bit of Jason/Trini. Jason and Trini's first smutty scene will be in the next chapter or the one after that. Stay tuned for chapter thirty-nine.
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Chapter 38: Escape/The Return/Debriefing
Jason grunted at his back hitting a pillar in the Dark Dimension. He dropped his Power Sword. Tommy charged at him, slamming him against the pillar. He punched him in the face with one fist. He repeated his action with the other. He alternated between fists for twenty seconds before delivering a backhand across the cheek. Jason shoved him away with his foot. He came up to him. He took hold of his arms and jumped over his head. He threw him into the air after landing behind him.
Tommy went flying, colliding with a pillar headfirst. He dropped the Dragon Dagger while falling to the floor with a groan. Jason approached him. He yelled in pain when Tommy punched him in the groin. He moved back as his enemy stood up. Tommy grabbed his arm with both hands. He twisted it around as he went under it. He placed his foot on Jason's shoulder and pulled to stretch it out. Jason groaned in a loud manner.
"Hurts, doesn't it, Red Ranger?" Tommy taunted and pulled a little harder. He smirked at his opponent's groaning again.
"It does," Jason admitted. "Then again, you should never taunt your opponent when you have him in your grasp!"
Jason gave Tommy two rough punches to his face. He felt his grip on him loosening. He did one final punch to the same area, freeing himself. He performed a spinning heel kick. Tommy jumped back to avoid it. He slammed his fist against Jason's back, knocking him on his stomach. Jason grabbed his ankle, pulling his feet out from underneath him. Tommy ended up on his back, a loud groan leaving his mouth.
Jason stood up. He rushed his elbow downward, only to miss when Tommy rolled aside. He straightened his arm to avoid injuring it. Both of them jumped upward. Tommy targeted his foot at Jason's head. Jason held up his hand to catch it up. He shoved him away. Tommy barely regained his footing. Jason took hold of his arms to knee him in the stomach. Tommy shoved him away with his foot. He approached him, grabbing his throat with both hands. He picked him up, slamming him on a pillar. Jason grabbed both wrists, a determined expression forming on his face.
"How does it feel to be hanging in my hold, Red Ranger?" Tommy asked, tilting his head somewhat.
"It sucks," Jason admitted and gritted his teeth. "Then again, I can easily get out of it!"
Jason kicked Tommy in the chest with both feet, forcing him to let go. He dropped to the floor, only to recover quickly. Tommy rushed his fist forward. Jason leapt out of the way. He rolled to his feet. Tommy spun around, as did the Red Ranger. He charged at him, yelling fiercely. Jason jumped through the air. He did a front flip, landing softly. Tommy skidded to halt and turned around. Becoming angry, he rushed for him. Jason elbowed him in the head, knocking him on his back.
Tommy flipped himself on his feet. He gave Jason a rough backhand to the face. Jason stumbled sideways. Tommy delivered five uppercuts to the neck before performing a roundhouse kick to the chest. Jason flew backward, crashing into the bars. He cried out agonizingly at electrical surges going through him. He dropped to one knee, panting hard. Tommy spotted the Dragon Dagger next to him when the mist cleared. He picked it up and looked toward his opponent.
"Look at you. You've fallen and can't get up," Tommy taunted with an evil laugh. "Maybe a few green bolts will do you some good."
Tommy targeted his weapon at the floor in front of Jason. He fired green bolts at it. Jason got to his feet and jumped aside. He rolled to his feet and caught sight of his Power Sword. He raced for it, ducking as Tommy shot green lightning from the Dragon Dagger at him. He picked it up. He held it up when more lightning came at him. He absorbed it, throwing it back toward him. Tommy was struck in the shoulder and thrown backward into a lion head. He fell on his stomach, but he recovered quickly.
"Just when you thought you had the upper hand, I proved you wrong," Jason growled in a fierce voice.
"You didn't prove anything, except you were very quick on your feet," Tommy retorted, encircling along with him. "I have to admit you have some of the fastest reflexes I've seen in anyone."
"You have just as fast reflexes as I do," Jason complimented. "It's too bad you aren't on the right side. You'd be a great asset to us."
"I am on the right side. It is with Rita," Tommy insisted and snarled. "She has made me her prized warrior. She will rule the world. You'll see."
Jason scoffed. "If you think Rita cares about you, you're wrong. She sees you as just a pawn in her little game. Once she is done with you, she will toss you out like garbage. She does that to everyone she meets."
"You can say that all you want. It will never make it true. I will have a place in Rita's kingdom once she conquers the world. Everyone who is loyal to her will have one," Tommy responded.
"You are very delusional," Jason said, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You are the one who is delusional," Tommy blurted out and curled his hand into a fist.
"Shut up," Jason yelled, raising his Power Sword. "Let's fight."
Tommy held his Dragon Dagger high and emitted a loud hiss. "Fine by me. I will finish you!"
Tommy and Jason rushed at each other with determined growls. The former swung his weapon at the latter. Jason rolled out of the way, getting to his feet. They faced each other. Tommy approached him. Jason nailed him with a kick to the face, causing his enemy to drop his weapon. He made a swing of his Power Sword at his feet, sweeping them out from underneath him.
Tommy flipped himself to his feet. He punched Jason in the face, seeing him drop the Power Sword. He chopped him in the neck. Jason slammed the back of his fist against his head. He grabbed his arm. He twisted it around while going under it. He put his foot against his shoulder and pulled, stretching it out. Tommy punched him in the head roughly twice, making him let go.
Tommy got his Dragon Dagger. He raised it high and brought it downward in a rapid motion. Jason picked up his Power Sword and held it up. He caught the Dragon Dagger. They struggled to gain the upper hand. Tommy became determined. He pushed downward, forcing Jason on his knees. He brought his face closer to his opponent's.
"It's too bad you are down, Red Ranger," Tommy commented, a big smirk crossing his face.
Jason tightened his grip on his Power Sword. "I might be down, but I am not out! No way!"
Jason pushed upward while grunting loudly and got to his feet. He swung his Power Sword around, knocking Tommy's Dragon Dagger out of his hand. He took hold of his arm with both hands. He twirled him around five times. He released his hold on him. Tommy crashed into a lion head sideways. He snarled angrily and raced for Jason, who drew his Blade Blaster and switched it to gun mode.
Jason targeted his Blade Blaster at the floor and fired. The laser exploded on impact. This threw Tommy into the bars. He yelled painfully, electric surges going through him. He dropped to his knees. He groaned loudly and shook his head rapidly. Jason switched his Blade Blaster to sword mode and sheathed it. He panted heavily.
"I'd love to stick around, but I have to go," Jason said and snorted. "I need to reunite with my friends."
Jason touched his Morpher and teleported away. Tommy made it to his feet and looked around. He was relieved Jason escaped, but he couldn't show that. Goldar appeared in a hologram above him with an angry growl. Tommy shifted his attention to him. He breathed hard.
"You fool!" Goldar yelled disapprovingly. "You had him right there, and you let him slip through your fingers!"
"It wasn't my fault! I didn't expect him to give me such hard hits!" Tommy insisted.
"I don't want to hear to your excuses!" Goldar retorted and flared his nostrils. "Rita trusted you, Tommy, but it is obvious she should've let me do the job! More importantly, you failed twice in one day!"
"I promise you. I will give the Power Rangers the beating they deserve," Tommy growled in determination. He felt sick to his stomach saying that. Still, he needed to keep his cover. "I won't fail next time."
"You will get another chance to prove yourself, but it won't be for a time," Goldar answered sternly. "As punishment for your failures, you will remain where you are for now."
"I guess that's fair enough," Tommy commented.
"Good," Goldar responded. "Enjoy your time alone in the Dark Dimension. Practice your karate moves a little bit."
Tommy watched the golden warrior fade away. He looked around slowly. He hoped he wouldn't be here for a very long time. He needed to return home because his parents would be back in a couple of hours. He proceeded to practice karate moves.
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At the Command Center, Billy was still pressing buttons at the console before the plasma tube. Zack, Kim, Trini, and Alpha continued watching him carefully. They waited anxiously for any signs the main computer was about to power up. Just then, loud beeping came from the console. Billy checked it out and sighed in relief.
"We have partial power in the main computer," Billy announced warmly.
"Wonderful, Billy," Trini responded happily.
"Now, let's get to locating Jason," Zack added.
Suddenly, Jason teleported into the main room and landed in front of the Viewing Globe. His teammates and Alpha heard it and turned around to see him. He panted heavily as he grabbed on to a console's side. Billy, Zack, Trini, and Kim raced to him.
"Jason, you're okay!" Trini cried, hugging the Red Ranger tightly. She received a hug from him in return. "We've been worried sick."
"I am sorry for worrying you," Jason responded as they let go of each other. "I didn't mean for that to happen."
"What happened to you? Why are you morphed?" Kim asked very confusingly.
"I've got a lot to fill in you guys on," Jason said seriously. "You won't believe what happened at all."
"Then let's hear it," Zack said, swallowing hard.
"Of course," Jason answered, nodding at him. "Let me demorph first."
Jason touched his Morpher and demorphed. He walked over to the step to sit down. He breathed heavily. Trini sat next to him. Kim seated herself next to her. Billy and Zack took seats on the rim of the console on the Viewing Globe's right. Alpha went to Zack's side.
"I was walking down the sidewalk toward Billy's place when I stopped to help a boy retrieve his beach ball. I talked with him for a minute before continuing on my way. I was transported to another place not long after. I was very confused. I suspected Rita was behind it. I realized I was right when Goldar showed up. He called the place the Dark Dimension. I fought with him hard. He had my Power Morpher," Jason explained, his body trembling so much that it seemed it wouldn't stop.
"Oh, shit," Trini mumbled, touching his shoulder and squeezing it gently. "You must've been scared to death."
"Oh, I was. By some miracle, I managed to score a few good hits on Goldar. Then the Green Ranger showed up. We went at it," Jason continued.
Billy became curious. "Did you find out more about him?"
"I can tell you one thing," Jason said, exhaling sharply. "He is one mean fighter. I was more successful at getting hits on him than I was with Goldar. I got my Morpher without him seeing it. I morphed. He actually said he'd rather fight fair."
Zack expressed much awe. "Wow."
"You got that right. We fought with our weapons. I managed to get clear by shooting at the floor with my Blade Blaster as he was charging. The explosion threw him backward into the bars. They electrocuted him. He fell down. I teleported out," Jason finished.
"Can you believe our new enemy is another Ranger?" Zack asked in disbelief.
Kim cupped her chin in her hand. "Not once did we think this would ever happen. It feels so unreal."
"You got that right, Kimberly," Alpha agreed.
Kim pressed her lips together. She felt grateful to Tommy for helping Jason to escape the Dark Dimension. She suspected Rita was quite furious with him over it. She hoped he was okay. She stood up along with her teammates.
"What's been going on since I went missing?" Jason wondered.
"The Green Ranger and the Putties terrorized civilians at the park's playground. We fought them for a little bit before he went to a forest north of Angel Grove and unleashed the Dragonzord on it. We battled it with the zords and the Megazord. We defeated it, though we took many hits. Alpha managed to get a lock on Zordon briefly before he lost his signal," Kim explained.
"It's good to know that remote control system came in handy," Jason murmured.
"At least the wrist communicators are functional," Billy said while pressing buttons on the console. "The computer is back online."
"Do you think it has enough power to begin searching for Zordon again?" Jason wondered hopefully.
"We have partial power, Jason, but it is enough to search for him," Alpha replied in some uncertainty.
"Then we need to get to it," Trini said, her heart beating a little faster. "We can't afford to lose any precious time."
"Trini's right," Kim said, shuddering somewhat. "Rita could launch another attack at any time."
"All right, let's do it," Jason said with determination.
Alpha went over to the console in front of the plasma tube. He and Billy scanned the sector Zordon was in before they lost him. Nine minutes passed before Alpha let out a hopeful gasp.
"I think I've got something," Alpha announced. The others rushed to him and could see Zordon becoming visible.
"Rangers, can you hear me?" Zordon said in a barely audible voice.
Zack gasped. "Zordon!"
Jason became a bit uncertain. "Zordon, we can barely make you out."
"Hang on," Kim called hopefully.
"Alpha, do something!" Jason cried frantically.
"Ay-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha shouted, waving his arms about. "I've got him, but I don't know how to keep him!"
Billy started shaking. "Lock on to his molecular pattern, and try to increase the power."
"Come on, Alpha," Trini encouraged. "You can do it."
Alpha did what Billy asked him. Unfortunately, the lights started flickering. They began to go off and on repeatedly. Everyone looked around, becoming a little nervous. The entire group returned its attention to the plasma tube.
"Oh, goodness," Kim muttered, shuddering quite a bit.
"It's not holding!" Alpha cried with much frustration.
"Be careful…" Zordon said, his voice becoming quieter. "Please…"
Zordon faded away again. The lights stopped going off and on, though they continued to flicker. Alpha shook his head while looking very panicky.
"We lost him again," Jason yelled and clenched his teeth. "Damn it."
Zack stomped his foot in anger. "It feels like things will only get worse."
Billy started making gestures toward the consoles. He seemed to be deep in thought. Suddenly, he got an idea.
"I am going to try something," Billy said, going over to the console next to Alpha. He grabbed his screwdriver and undid all the screws. He took them out and put them in his pocket along with it. He lifted the motherboard and took hold of a wire. "Let's see. I could connect this electrode here."
Billy touched the wire to another area. It set off a series of small sparks. Alpha became even more panicky.
"Ay-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha yelled.
"Alpha, calm down," Zack said seriously and touched the robot's shoulder. "Billy is trying to concentrate."
Billy grabbed another wire and connected it to a different area. He proceeded to do it with more.
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Billy was still working on connecting wires ten minutes later. He whispered inaudible words while expressing determination. Kim and Trini came up behind him and watched him with much fascination. Jason and Zack went to Alpha's side. All five of them wondered when he would be done with his work. His teammates' hearts beat quite fast.
Billy grabbed the final wire, his determination growing. He moved it to an area and made the last connection. A large spark erupted from it, followed by another. Suddenly, the lights returned to their incredible brightness, causing everyone to look up. The computer beeped repeatedly as it powered up. He smiled warmly.
"Guys, it worked. We're at full power!" Billy announced.
"All right, Billy!" Jason cheered and gave him a high-five.
Zack pumped a fist. "We knew you could do it!"
Alpha expressed great happiness. "Ay-yi-yi-yi! Let's get back to work locating Zordon, Billy!"
Billy set the motherboard down and got out his screwdriver and the screws. He put them in their proper places. He screwed them down and returned it to his pocket. He and Alpha resumed scanning the sector Zordon was in. Their friends gathered around them. He laughed delightfully eleven minutes later.
"We've got a good lock on him, guys," Billy said, pressing two buttons.
"He should begin to come through any minute now," Alpha added excitedly. "Ay-yi-yi-yi."
Jason, Trini, Zack, Billy, Kim, and Alpha looked toward the plasma tube. They saw Zordon beginning to come through within six minutes. There was still a bit of static, but they could see rather well.
"Rangers, can you hear me?" Zordon called.
"We can, Zordon!" Kim answered.
"I am in the 10Q9 sector," Zordon boomed, his voice cutting out somewhat on the last word.
"10Q9! Billy and I are on it, Zordon!" Alpha commented eagerly. "It's time to bring you home."
Billy and Alpha looked at the console and typed in the coordinates. Their friends turned to them. They watched them closely. The computer beeped as it decoded them. Three anxious minutes passed.
"With any luck, we should—" Alpha started.
"Well done, Billy, Alpha," Zordon said as he returned fully. Everyone looked toward him. "You have reestablished the computer linkup."
"Zordon!" Kim cried joyfully and choked back a sob. "You're finally back!"
"It's been six days since you disappeared. It's been hell without you," Jason commented seriously.
"I am aware, Jason," Zordon answered gently.
"Zordon, why didn't you tell us about a Green Ranger or a sixth Power Coin?" Trini asked.
"How could you keep something like that from us?" Zack added with a little anger. "We thought you told us everything about the Power."
"I apologize for never telling you about the Green Power Coin, Rangers," Zordon responded with much guilt. "I didn't want you to deal with the possibility of an evil Power Ranger."
"You could've told us. We would've been able to prepare for the Green Ranger's arrival if you had," Jason pointed out.
"I understand you are frustrated with my secretiveness, but you need to put that aside," Zordon boomed. "Now that Rita has a Power Ranger of her own, it's time for you to know the entire story of the Power Coins."
Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, and Kim looked at each other. They wondered what details their mentor was about to give them in regards to the Power Coins. They wanted to hear them. They shifted their attention back to him.
"Legend had it that six coins had the ability to give their wielders great power. It didn't matter if the wielder was good or evil. It would work just the same. They were hidden in different areas of the universe. One coin was different from the others because it had a special weapon with it," Zordon explained.
"The Dragon Dagger," Jason replied.
Zordon nodded. "Yes, Jason. I sent my warriors to find them by following clues to their locations. Rita became aware of the legend and sent her own warriors to find them. She wanted her own team of Power Rangers. My warriors succeeded in tracking down the first five Power Coins and their zords."
Kim showed much awe. "Talk about lucky."
"You said it, Kim," Trini agreed.
"Rita's warriors found the sixth Power Coin, the Dragon Dagger, and the Dragonzord. She and I learned the person didn't choose the Power. The Power chose them. It would react only to those it deemed worthy," Zordon finished.
Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, and Kim looked at each other. They considered the story they had just heard to be amazing. They never thought about the possibility it could've taken Zordon a very long time to find people to wield the Power Coins had the Power rejected them. They thought they were very lucky it accepted them at such a critical time. They turned back to him.
"Zordon, do you know who the Green Ranger is?" Trini wondered.
"I don't, but I am confident he is under Rita's control," Zordon admitted. "It is possible he is serving her willingly."
Zack tensed. "The latter is what we are afraid of."
"He seemed that way when I confronted him in the Dark Dimension. It sounds crazy, but he told me he would rather fight fair," Jason commented.
"Some villains are honorable, Jason, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous," Zordon warned in a stern voice. "I sense even more danger."
Trini started to become worried. "In the form of what?"
"It is Rita's old friend, Scorpina. She has returned after over ten thousand years of imprisonment. She is a very dangerous warrior. She has the ability to deliver a lethal sting to her enemies. She has a human form and a monster form. She turns into her monster form when she is a giant," Zordon explained gravely.
"We are dealing with a triple threat in the form of Dragontor, Scorpina, and the Green Ranger," Kim muttered tensely.
"That is correct, Kimberly," Zordon said.
"Because the zords have been dealt heavy blows from our enemies, Zordon, I think it would be a good idea to give their weapon systems an upgrade," Billy suggested.
Zordon blinked. "I agree, Billy. Let's not forget Rita has the ability to manipulate natural phenomena such as solar eclipses. Because the Megazord's main source of power comes from the sun, a solar eclipse would render it powerless. An alternate power system would restore it to full power once its solar power ran out."
"Installing an alternate power system is an excellent idea, Zordon," Alpha replied eagerly. "I could help Billy with that."
"I'd be more than willing to work with you, Alpha," Billy added, patting the robot's shoulder.
Jason, Zack, Trini, and Kim couldn't help but chuckle. They thought Billy and Alpha made a great team. They were confident the duo would be able to upgrade the zords' weapons and install the new power system.
"Rangers, I want to say I am very proud of you. You managed to carry on your duties, despite my absence," Zordon said warmly.
"Thank you, Zordon," Jason responded, sniffling.
"Alpha, you showed great leadership skills in my absence. You guided the Rangers through a very difficult time," Zordon added.
"It was a difficult job, but someone had to do it," Alpha commented, tilting his head somewhat.
"Though we've made it through this trying time, our fight with the Green Ranger is far from over. With him, Dragontor, and Scorpina on the loose, we must keep our guards up. I believe it is only a matter of time before Rita launches another attack," Zordon warned seriously.
Jason, Zack, Trini, Billy, and Kim took deep breaths. They were determined to fight Rita's minions with everything they had. They took comfort in the fact that Zordon was here to guide them once more. Jason felt his stomach growl. He rubbed it.
"I don't know about you, guys, but I am hungry," Jason said.
"No kidding," Kim replied, rubbing her growling stomach. The others did the same to theirs. "None of us have had lunch."
"How about we eat some lunch right now?" Zack suggested.
"Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg," Trini called.
The Rangers ran out of the main room. They laughed as if they were children. Zordon and Alpha looked at each other.
"It is so good to have you back, Zordon," Alpha said with much happiness. "I've been so lonely without you."
"You need not be afraid, Alpha. I am not going anywhere," Zordon declared.
Alpha chuckled. "You won't believe this, but the Rangers taught me how to play darts while you were gone. I've come close to scoring bull's-eyes several times."
"That is very interesting, Alpha," Zordon commented in amazement. "I have a feeling they will teach to you to play more games."
"I also got to listen to Phil Collins and Pat Benatar on Billy's radio. They are amazing singers," Alpha responded cheerfully.
"It is good to know you got to do new things while I was gone. Even if I am here, you are welcome to do them when times are peaceful," Zordon said.
"Thank you. Now, I must monitor the universe for danger. We never know when it may strike," Alpha muttered in uncertainty.
Zordon nodded in agreement. "That's right."
Alpha looked down at the console. He proceeded to monitor the universe for signs of trouble.