A/N Power Ranger Zeo Settings and Characters all belong to Haim Saban and Toei Company and the Fox. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.
Thank you mae-E for being my beta!
Last Time:
Kimberly pulled away, and they shared another hug.
As they pulled away, Jason noticed Kim's arm. He gasped. "Kimberly, what happened to your arm?"
Now:
"No!" Kimberly cried out. She was about to pull her sleeve back down, but Jason grabbed her arm and lifted it up higher. "NO!" Kimberly struggled to pull away. "Tommy! Help, help!" she begged.
"Hey, it's ok. You're safe." Tommy said walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're ok."
"What happened?" Jason asked.
"Stop! Stop!" Kimberly cried out struggling to pull her arms free.
Sighing Jason let her arm go. Kimberly quickly pulled her sleeve down and turned, hiding her face in Tommy's chest again. "What happened?" Jason asked again.
"She was attacked, you know that," Tommy said.
"No, this doesn't look like regular attack wounds," Jason said. "What happened!"
"Stop yelling! Please! I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault! I said no! He didn't listen." Kimberly cried.
"Calm down." Tommy said to Jason as Kim started to shake in his arms. "Screaming at her will only hurt her more."
Jason sighed. "I'm sorry. Please, can someone tell me what happened?"
"Only with Kim's permission." Tommy said.
"Tell him." Kimberly whimpered.
"We aren't sure who, but someone was injecting Kim with steroids at the gym. They aren't self-inflicted, Jason. I promise."
"I believe you. That's awful. Kim, I'm so sorry."
"Do you still love me?" Kimberly whimpered.
"Tommy, let me see my sister." Jason said.
Tommy pulled away gently. Kimberly whimpered. Jason gently turned her to face him. "Do I still love you? Kimberly Ann Hart what kind of question is that? There is nothing in this world that could cause me to stop loving you. You've been like my baby sister since the day I saw you in the hospital after you were born."
"You were a year old." Kimberly muttered.
"You were introduced as my baby sister. I was so excited." Jason said.
Kimberly smiled softly.
"Nothing you do can ever make me stop loving you, Kim."
They shared another hug.
They all moved and sat down on a bench allowing Kim to rest.
"Who else knows?" Jason asked.
"Zordon, Alpha, myself, and now you, are the only ones who know about the injections. The other Rangers just know someone beat Kim up."
"Why haven't you told them about the injections?"
"Kimberly is worried about how they will react." Tommy said. "When the time is right we will tell them."
"They won't hear it from me." Jason said.
"Thanks, Man."
"Thank you, Jason." Kimberly smiled softly.
"Who was it, Kim? Who would inject you full of drugs?" Jason asked.
Kimberly didn't speak.
"I still can't get an answer out of her." Tommy said.
"Who beat her?" Jason asked again.
"We don't know that either." Tommy sighed.
"Does Kim even know?" Jason asked. "Could it have been a stranger?"
"I know." Kimberly whispered looking at the ground. "It wasn't a stranger."
"Please tell us who it is?" Jason said. "Please."
Kimberly didn't speak.
"When she's ready." Tommy said. "In the mean time we've got a bigger problem."
"What's that?" Jason asked.
"Kat is under an evil spell. Kim just told me."
"What?"
"How can you be sure?" Jason asked.
"Her eyes flashed red and the way she treated Kim, her actions prove it too."
"Have you told the others?"
"Not yet. I just found out."
"What do you mean the way she treated Kim?"
"Nothing. It's a long story. We have to find the others." Tommy said.
"Call them, have them meet us here." Jason said.
"The park is too big. It gives Kat too much space to run." Kimberly mumbled.
Tommy and Jason chuckled. "I'll call everyone you two just sit here." Tommy said. He stood from the bench and walked away.
Jason moved to kneel in front of Kim. "You ok?"
She shrugged. "I…what if nobody believes me?"
"Why wouldn't they believe you?" Jason asked.
"Kat's perfectly nice and normal when they are around. It's just when I'm alone with her that she's mean."
"When were you alone with her?"
"It's a long story." Kimberly sighed.
"I've got time."
"Not really."
Jason sighed. "We could try and set her up."
"What do you mean?"
"Wear a hidden camera or something and meet her alone. Then we have proof."
"No. That's not going to happen."
Jason sighed softly. "You're scared of her, aren't you?"
Kimberly blushed and looked down to her hands. "She abandoned me when I needed her the most. How can I…I can't trust her after that."
"What does that mean? She abandon you?"
Kimberly didn't speak.
Jason let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "I'll stop asking questions. I just have one more and then I promise I'm done."
"What?" Kimberly asked softly.
"Are your knees still ticklish?"
Before Kim could register what he said he started to pinch the top of her knee. Kimberly squealed and giggles instantly escaped her lips as she tried to push him away but once she got him to stop tickling one knee he would just go and tickle the other.
Tommy returned and chuckled at the sight. "Careful, Jase, not too much tickling. Her ribs are still healing."
Jason stopped. "I was just keeping her busy until you got back. Did you reach the others?"
"Yeah, they are on their way."
"Even Kat?" Kimberly asked.
"Yeah. Don't worry. I'm not going to let her hurt you." Tommy said.
"Tommy they still don't know about…" Kimberly pulled down her sleeves once more. "Everything."
"They don't need to know until you're ready." Tommy told her.
Kimberly nodded. "Kat knows. She'll tell them."
"Don't worry about Kat." Tommy said. "Jason and I will protect you."
Sighing softly Kimberly just nodded. "I want you to tell them, Tommy. Either before or after Kat I don't care. But I can't tell them. I need you too."
"I will."
"It might be better to do that first." Jason said. "Kat's going to be pretty mad when she finds out what's going on and she might lash out verbally at Kim if you want till after."
"That's a good idea, Jason." Tommy looked to Kim. "Do you want Jason to take you back to the command center while I talk with the others? You don't have to be here for this If you don't want to."
"I want to stay with you." Kim said softly.
"Then you will." Tommy kissed her head and pulled her into his side.
A few minutes later the other rangers arrived. They all hugged Kim excited to see her looking much better than before.
"So what's going on, Tommy?" Adam asked. "What did you need to talk to us about?"
"A few things." Tommy started. He looked to Kim just to make sure she was really ready for this. She nodded so he looked back to the others and continued. "First, you all know Kim was attacked, but what you don't know is that before that someone was forcefully injecting her with steroids."
"What do you mean forcefully?" Billy asked.
"I mean she didn't do it to herself." Tommy said. "I mean someone pinned her down and forced the needle into her skin without her consent."
"That's why she's been so moody lately." Kat said.
"Zordon has been helping her with the withdrawals, but yes. She is still dealing with some moodiness."
"Is the person who injected her the same person who attacked her?" Rocky asked.
"I don't know. Kim hasn't told me who either person was." Tommy explained. "Now…" Tommy sighed and looked to Kim and Jason who nodded. Then he looked back to the others. "It has come to my attention that one of us is once again being controlled by an evil spell."
"That's crazy Tommy. I think we would have noticed if someone was evil." Rockey said.
"Who is it?" Billy asked.
"It's Kat."
Kat laughed. "Excuse me? I think I would know if I was evil."
"No, you wouldn't actually." Tommy said.
"Why do you think she's evil?" Tanya asked.
"Because Kimberly saw her eyes flash red." Tommy explained.
"Kimberly? That's your sources?" Kat asked. "How can you trust anything she says?"
"Why would I not?" Tommy asked.
"Tommy, she's not exactly in her right mind, right now. I mean you said it yourself. She's been going through some moodiness."
"First of all, Kat just because her emotions are a bit more intense than normal doesn't mean she isn't in her right mind. Second of despite what Kim is going through she is a caring, compassionate person and she'd never say a person is evil without being sure first."
"Tommy you said it yourself her emotions are more intense than normal. Anger is an emotion, how can we be sure Kimberly isn't just lashing out because of anger." Kat said. "Besides there is no proof I'm evil. Have I been acting evil?"
"No, you haven't." Billy said. "But you're better at hiding it than most of us. When we first met you, you were under Rita's spell and we had no idea. What's to say it's not the same thing now? I believe Kimberly."
"Of course." Kat rolled her eyes.
"If it's not true, Kat then just let Zordon run a small scan and then you can prove us wrong." Tommy said.
"No. I shouldn't have to prove anything to you. You should believe me because I'm your friend." Kat said. Tears filled her eyes but Tommy had a good feeling they were fake. "I just can't believe you would say I was evil when I've been nothing but nice to you." Kat said looking at Kim. "Yeah I made a mistake by kissing Tommy but that doesn't mean I'm evil! I'm your friend, Kim."
"Then why did you just abandon her?" Tommy asked. He could see the guilt all over Kim's face and he knew she would soon start to regret telling him. He had to stop it.
"What are you talking about?" Kat asked.
"You know what I'm talking about. When we went skiing.
"Kimberly wasn't there." Kat said. "It was just you, Billy, and I."
"Liar," Tommy growled. "Kimberly was there, and she was hurt, and she needed help, and you ignored her."
"Did you see Kim, Billy?" Kat asked.
"No, but I do have to say Tommy's episodes were a lot worse when we were skiing, so it is possible Kim was there," Billy said. "Is Tommy telling the truth, did you see Kim hurt and weak and just walk away?"
"Of course he's not. He's buying into this whole story that Kim made up to get back at me for kissing Tommy."
"Kim is not one to make up lies about her friends," Billy said.
"She's on drugs how can we know what she capable of doing."
Kimberly whimpered. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arm around her knees and buried her face into her knees. She felt Jason rubbing her back and leaned into him.
"Tommy, I'm going to take her back to the command center," Jason said as Billy and Kat continued to argue. "This is only upsetting her."
Tommy turned to Jason and Kim on the bench and nodded. He kissed Kim on the head. "I'll be back soon, Beautiful." He put his communicator to his lips. "Zordon, can you please teleport Jason and Kim back to the command center?"
In a flash of pink and red Jason and Kim were gone. Tommy turned his attention back to the others. Billy was standing next to him.
"Kim is not on drugs. The steroids are completely out of her system. Zordon made sure of that before he allowed her to leave the command center. So don't you dare say she is on drugs." Tommy told Kat.
"Even if she's not on drugs she went through a terrible attack. She's still in shock from it all. She's confused and doesn't know who to trust."
"I agree with Kat," Tayna said. "I mean who knows what those drugs did to her head. They could have done anything to her mind, not to mention the other attack could have her confused as well. I'm sorry, Tommy. I think Kim is wrong about this one. Kim has been through a lot in a short amount of time, and that can really mess with someone's head."
"Adam, Rocky, what do you think?" Tommy asked.
"I don't know, Man. I mean Billy is right, Kim is a pretty honest person. She'd never start a rumor or lie about someone. But at the same time, I know certain drugs can change a person if you take them long enough. We don't know how long Kim has been given those injections for. It's possible she's not the same person we remember her to be." Rocky said.
Adam sighed. "Tommy, Look, Kimberly went through a lot. Not only was she forced into taking steroids but then someone physically attacks her and beats her up leaving her almost dead. That kind of trauma can really do some damage to a person's mind. I'm sure she's confused, and she's hurting. If Kat kissed you and Kim saw it, she might be trying to come up with a reason why her friend would hurt her like that. So the only thing she can come up with that Kat is evil. But then again, Kim is an honest person, and I've never seen her do anything to hurt anyone or anything, not even a fly. This is a tough one. Kat isn't showing any signs of being under a spell so…it's hard to agree that she is when it's possible Kim is confused and as a result making up stories."
Tommy inhaled and exhaled a deep breath to keep from screaming. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be then, you can all forget about coming to visit Kim at the command center. I don't want you near Kim if you're going to call her a liar and tell her she's crazy."
"I must say I am deeply saddened by this as well. I thought Kimberly's friendship meant more to you all." Billy said.
He and Billy teleported to the command center without another word.
After Tommy and Billy left the other rangers looked around among themselves, but mainly at Kat. All left to ponder the validity of the accusations just made by one of their own.
Adam turned to Rocky and asked, "Did we make the right choice?"
"Of course you did! Don't give it a second thought," answered Tanya in an indignant huff. Clearly choosing the side of her friend over some girl she only ever heard of, but never met before.
Rocky sighed deeply before he answered, "'I honestly don't know, doesn't feel like it though." As he his eyes reflect the same wounded and sightly guilty look that Adam's has.
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