Jason lifted his face out of the dirt, some of it hindering his vision as it caked in the sides of his visor. He shook his head and immediately regretted it as the pain circled around it. He closed his eyes and mentally willed the sharp pain to go away. He opened his eyes again as it eased off to examine the scene in front of him.

To his right was Kimberly lying on her face in a similar posture to what he had been in. To his left was Trey, lying on his back with smoke still billowing across his body. Directly in front of him, about twenty feet was the other version of himself. He was behind held up by two putties on either side of him with Rita directly in front of him.

Jason tried to force himself to his feet but found no strength to propel him. He groaned mightily to at least get someone's attention but noticed Rita didn't flinch. She instead removed the helmet from the Jason in front of her and tossed it aside, stepping back as if to get a good look at him in his helpless state.

"No..." Jason punched his fist in the ground, one after the other as he again attempted to stand. The beating that Rita and a slew of her minions had put on them was unlock anything he had seen since he had been under attack by the very one that Rita now had at her mercy.

Jason's eyes widened in horror as he watched Rita hold up her staff and the bottom of it elongate into a sharp point. She smiled wickedly as she hovered it just above the heart of the Red Ranger in front of her.

She was talking but Jason's head felt like it was underwater and whatever she was saying was muffled to him. He propped himself up on his left shoulder and arm and fumbled down at his side for his blade blaster. He pulled it loose and fumbled it momentarily to the ground as the strength left his forearm. He quickly recaptured his grip on it and rolled over to take aim.

Jason's finger had not yet reached the trigger when an explosion struck Rita square in her chest and prompted her to drop her wand as she crossed her arms across her wounded midsection.

"What the..." Jason mouthed to himself as he glanced around to see no sight of anyone else in the area. Another explosion to Rita's shoulder and she shrieked and fell back behind a row of Putties as they dropped the other Jason to the ground.

One by one the putties were being taken down in front of Jason's eyes with no visible cause. He was starting to wonder if maybe he was still unconscious and he dropped his blade blaster and rolled onto his back staring up at a dark red sky. The faintest hit of light came through the dark clouds in front of him and Jason saw a flicker of movement go through the light.

"Jason?"

Billy's voice. Muffled and low. On the left side of his helmet. Jason blinked a few times before he felt a hand on his chest.

"Jason!?"

This voice was louder. Clear. More persistent.

"Kim?" Jason answered with a hoarse voice. "What is going on?"

"We are here."

Jason could feel her body embracing his, her small body weight pressing down on him. He began to wonder if maybe he hadn't made it. Maybe he was gone. Maybe this was his Heaven? Maybe it was his Hell?"

"I don't understand," Jason voiced even as he moved his arms up and felt her body on him. He searched for her face and it came into view. At least her helmet did.

"We are here, buddy," Tommy's voice now as he felt a hand move into his. He turned to see the Red Turbo Ranger kneeling down next to him offering him a hand to help him up.

Tommy easily pulled Jason to his feet, despite Jason's lack of being able to help him. He quickly moved Jason's arm around his neck and Kimberly moved under his other arm to prop him up.

"How?" Jason asked looking back and forth between them.

"Billy," Tommy answered.

"Oh," Jason replied. It didn't really require any further explanation currently. That was enough.

"Let's get you out of here," Kim's voice to his right caused Jason to turn back to her. He felt his head drawn to hers and wish he could see her face under the helmet.

The sound of battle jarred Jason back to reality as he snapped his head forward to see both the Turbo and original Rangers in battle with Rita's army of putties and monsters. Zack held the alternate Kimberly in his arms and was making his way toward them.

Adam was hunkered over Trey and Kat was kneeling next to the alternate world's version of Jason. The rest of the Rangers were holding back Rita's forces as best they could but they were starting to be overwhelmed.

"Okay, Billy," Tommy spoke to Billy who produced a device in his hands. He held it up and pushed a combination of small buttons on it.

"Everyone is locked on," Billy replied.

"Do it," Tommy instructed him.

With that Jason's world went black before the red appeared all around him.

(****)

Kimberly's eyes roamed the length of Jason's body as he lied before her. Everywhere she looked she saw bruising peaking out from the exposed skin of his clothes. She grimaced as Jason groaned a little when Alpha accidentally bumped in him while doing a scan.

"Gosh, Jase," Kimberly took his hand in hers. "You are a mess."

"Thanks," the reply came with a half grin as Jason shifted his attention from Alpha to her. Kimberly found his wit in this situation to be refreshing as it lightened some of her worries.

"I can't believe Rita did this," Kimberly said reaching down to tentatively lift up the hem of his t-shirt and get a better look at a bruise that ran in a large circle around his navel.

"That makes two of us," Jason replied as he watched Kimberly. "She was enraged and I swear somehow... she had some of Zedd's magic too."

Kimberly's gaze shifted back up to meet his.

"How is everyone else?" Jason asked, noting he was the only one in the medical bay.

"They are... um..." Kimberly cleared her throat which caused Jason to tense up.

"Tell me," Jason stated shifting up onto his elbows and ignoring the pain.

"Relax," Kimberly gently pressed her hands onto his shoulders to coax him back into a lying position. He reached up to enclose his larger hand around hers.

"Please," Jason urged.

"Trey is good... his healing ability is crazy," Kim responded. Jason nodded for her to continue.

"The um... other Jason, is up and moving around," Kimberly continued. "We got to him just in time."

Kimberly felt Jason's hand squeeze hers. She broke the eye contact.

"And the other Kim?" Jason asked. He noted how Alpha froze his actions at his question and Kimberly still hadn't resumed eye contact with him. "Please, Kim."

Kimberly's face was the tell. She finally made eye contact with Jason once more.

"No," Jason shook his head.

"Please... don't overdo it," Kimberly took note of the rise in his pulse on the monitor over his head.

"Just tell me she is okay," Jason's tone was low, husky, and barely audible.

"I'm sorry Jason but there was nothing we could do... she was... she was gone when we got there," Kimberly said lowering her head. Something about delivering this news was surreal to her and the look on Jason's face now was breaking her heart.

Jason fell silent and stared blankly at the ceiling. He released Kimberly's hand from his and his hands fell stiff at his sides. Kimberly started to speak but he suddenly sat up and made his way past her before she could even protest. She started after him.

"Jason... where are you going?" Kimberly asked but he didn't respond. Instead, he made his way down the corridor and to the exit of the building. The door slid open for him and he disappeared into the night. Kimberly picked up her pace to catch up with him and found him bent over just a few feet outside of the building. He was rubbing his mouth and she could tell he had just been sick.

"I..." was the only word he got out before he straightened up and started to walk away from the building. Kimberly moved behind him reaching out for him. She took his hand in hers and was relieved when he didn't immediately jerk away. She moved to get a look at his face and she could see all of the emotions he was going through written on them.

"Jason," Kimberly moved to stand fully in front of him. He was looking down at her but Kimberly could tell that currently, he was looking straight through her.

"If she hadn't come back for me... she just had to come back..." Jason was speaking but Kimberly could tell it wasn't to anyone in particular.

"She..." Jason's eyes shifted slightly so Kim could tell he was seeing her now. "You know that any of us would do that for any of the rest of us."

Jason didn't respond vocally. The tear slowly streaming down his cheek spoke for him. Kimberly reached up to wipe it away and allowed him to momentarily rest his cheek in her palm.

"Does the other Jason know?" Jason asked after a couple of moments of silence.

"Yes," Kimberly answered. Jason nodded his head as she wrapped him around the waist in a hug of comfort. She knew this was something Jason was gonna take all on himself but she was determined to help him bear the burden.

As if on cue the faintest sound of footsteps behind the two prompted Kim first to take notice and then Jason. Both turned to see the other Jason walking toward them still morphed sans his helmet. He seemed to notice them but just barely.

"Let me..." Jason spoke down to Kim as she let him go and backed away.

"Okay... I'll be right inside," Kimberly said as she glanced back at the other Jason who had almost reached them. She walked past him on the way back and noticed that his eyes flickered over to her briefly as she did. She turned and watched him until he stood next to her Jason.

Both Jason's stood in silence for several full minutes staring out at the very distant lights of the city miles into the horizon.

"Hey... man... I wish I could tell you how sorry I am."

"You don't have to say it... I know what you are feeling."

"Right."

"You know... she would be so mad at you if she knew you were doing what you are doing now right?"

"What...?"

"Blaming yourself."

"If she hadn't..."

"She was responsible for that though... no force in the known universes would keep her from coming back for you... god, you know her."

"I... still..."

"Just... I get it... I want to blame myself too, I shouldn't have let her go alone and all that... but Kim was a warrior, as capable as any of us... it was the right plan."

Both fell into silence again for several beats.

"I am really sorry."

"I know..."

"She said things were getting better with you."

"Yeah, they were."

"If I can do anything... anything for you."

"Just let your Kimberly always know how special she is... love her... that's all I can ever ask of you."

The two Jason's made eye contact for the first time through the convo and the understanding was there. Nothing more would need to be said.

(****)

Jason shifted his power coin from one hand to the other. He weighed it one hand and then moved it back to the other. His eyes were fixated on the coin, his body was sitting on the hood of his truck at a secluded part on the shore of the lake, his mind however was back on the battlefield millions of lightyears away. Replaying the last words he exchanged with Kimberly as he told her to leave him, to accept her freedom.

The moonlight gleamed off the gold coin and brought him somewhat back to reality as he eyed the object in his hands. How much joy it had brought him. A sense of purpose. Belonging. Being needed. It also held darkness in it. Pain. Loss.

"Why?" Jason spoke out loud not expecting any kind of response. There was nothing but the sound of trees all around him rustling in the breeze.

In all of his fights. All of the battles. He had never lost anyone on the battlefield. Never a fellow Ranger who had fought at his side. It was something he had thought about a lot. Dreamed about. Nightmares. He tried to prepare himself but here he was now. He was supposed to be out of the game. Out of the fight, but it wouldn't let him go and now he had to feel what it was like to lose someone.

"Not just anyone," Jason remarked again to himself.

It had to be Kimberly. Sure it wasn't his Kimberly. The girl he loved who was in their bed right now, safe under the cover, sleeping with the expectance he was right by her side. This Kimberly was her own. With her own life. Her own experiences. Different. Yet the same.

Jason was subconsciously grinding the heel of his boot into the hood, paint threatening to chip under the pressure. It was at the moment acting as the relief valve for the pressure building up inside of him. His eyes moved again to the coin in his hand. If he had the strength to go with his urge he would probably just crush it in his hands and walk away.

He couldn't do either. He couldn't crush it. He couldn't walk away either. He wasn't sure it would matter anyway as he took special note of the tyrannosaurus carved into his coin. He was bonded to it and it to him. It would probably always find him and vice-versa. He expected it to find its way into his casket with him when they placed him six foot under.

The thought jarred him back to why he found himself out in the chill of the night by himself and he hopped off the hood and planted his feet firmly into the slightly damped and soft soil along the shoreline. He fixated on a spot in the middle of the water in front of him and tightened his grip on his coin. With a swift motion and lack of a second thought, he watched as the coin flew through the air and splashed into the water where his eyes had been fixated.

Jason stood there until the water stopped rippling under the moonlight and then he turned and walked over to the door of his truck and climbed in. He placed both of his hands on the steering wheel in front of him and closed his eyes for just the briefest of moments before he shoved his hand into his pocket to retrieve the keys for the ignition.

He pulled his hand out of his pocket. In his fingers were not a set of keys. He moved his hand up and placed it on the steering wheel again. He studied the object between his thumb and finger for a moment. A half-grin crept up on his face as the realization hit him.

He could never walk away. He would always will it back to him, and it would always come. He closed his hand around the power coin and felt its energy absorb itself into him to wait until he needed it again. It would be ready, and despite himself, he knew he would be too.