"Okay who's going first?" Billy asked, looking from the clipboard in his hands to the collected forces inside the cafeteria.

It was a rarity but every one of the able-bodied Renegades was in the room, including Phillip. Following the morphing of the prince a discussion had erupted that ended with him deciding to stay down in Zandar while his Energem staying aboard the ship, the only one of them with a secret identity now. He visited every so often, doing his best to continue acting as an ally and now also as a Ranger, but unlike the rest of them he didn't live there.

Still a collection of every single one of them, from Andros who had taken to sticking to the cockpit to Hunter and Laura who sometimes just disappeared to Tommy who managed to still be around despite his odd behavior, all in one place was a rare event between missions, repairs, and general malaise. Even the Mystic Force Rangers had been brought up from the temple temporarily and Leanbow leaned against a wall, watching as the blue Mighty Morphin Ranger glanced about, waiting it seemed for an answer.

No one stepped forward or even addressed him; there was talking, murmurs from one person to another, and Billy sighed after some time, readjusting his glasses.

"Because of the addition of even more new Rangers, plus the sheer number of us and various other variables, a medical examination is in order. In all honesty the fact that we have postponed this all for this long is a travesty; we should have held these months ago and continued to do so regularly at planned integrals," he said sounding only mildly annoyed.

"In our defense, we've been busy trying not to die," Trent said raising a hand, "But point taken."

"Only Dustin, Karone, Anton and Tsuki get regular checkups honestly and that's because they need it the most," Riley said shrugging, "They're the ones who are stuck in the infirmary after all."

Zack popped some gum in his mouth but no one paid this much mind. He nodded. "We haven't even really suffered any real injuries since Tsuki reactivated the Morphing Grid; it heals most of our wounds before we even really notice them. There hasn't been a need for examinations for the majority of us."

"For you Rangers at least," Hayley commented, "Heckyl was bedridden for days after the fire and Lyta still has a broken leg from falling through one of the vents."

The young princess pouted and swung said leg in a cast despite her brother trying to stop her. She had basically taken to living on the ship, especially after her brother's morphing; her parents had been displeased by her being hurt but Lyta had refused to leave, not wanting to abandon a place she seemed to fit in so well. She looked at Hayley with her arms crossed. "I'm fine, I've done worse to myself."

"Whether or not that's true," the other woman started but was quickly interrupted by Lauren.

"We are getting off topic a bit here. The important thing is that we do the examinations now; we can't change the past and we can't help who the morphing grid does and does not choose to help." The irony of who was saying that was not entirely lost on Billy who cleared his throat quickly and glanced at his clipboard again.

"Shall we go alphabetically then? If so Abigail Philips-Navarro, that would be you."

"You did not just call me by my full name," Abby said walking over to her old friend; her tone was light and playful which put him more at ease.

He simply smiled in response and gestured for her to follow him as they left the room. The rest of the group went back to grumbling and talking among themselves; Heckyl and Ivan, dragged from their usual place in the infirmary by force, both shook their heads and went back to playing chess. The blue haired outlaw was winning but it was a narrow game.

Abby sat across from Billy in the infirmary and glanced around. Dustin was taking a nap in his bed, having just finished doing his daily physical therapy, and with the trio slumbering as they always did anyway, that left only the two of them to be awake and speaking. She rarely visited; it wasn't like she disliked being here but as Zack had pointed out there was little point for most of the Rangers to go there. She knew the three in the beds, two of them better than the last, and she did feel for them but there had been so much to do, she just never came by.

"Tsuki and Anton still haven't changed," she said, more as a statement than a question and she could see Billy freeze up from the corner of her eye; to his credit though it was small and he recovered quick but she still saw it.

"Don't change the subject," he said in a slightly scolding tone, "Stick out your arm for me, we'll start with blood pressure."

She scoffed. "Billy, we're physically like sixteen; what blood pressure?"

"Abby, we have no idea how much change happened; we barely understand what happened. Honestly," he started and started to mumble under his breath about how they should have done this sooner, that it would have been smarter, how he should never have put this off.

Part of her felt concerned. She was used to some strange behavior from Billy; she had been a Ranger alongside him, been his friend, watched as he experimented and created amazing things and sometimes didn't make a whole lot of sense but he always meant well. And when he got frustrated it was often for good reason. Maybe this had just been building up with everything else going on, the fights and the problems and the deaths and the announcement about Zandar, and maybe it had just finally exploded into a sense that he needed to do something. But she wasn't sure, because it was hard for anyone to truly understand anyone else, especially the mind of someone like Billy Cranston; what she did know was that her friend was obviously agitated and as she held out her arm to him and he took it, she spoke in the kind of tone only a mother who knew what it meant to have to soothe a scared child could take, "Billy, if something is wrong, you know you can always tell me."

He didn't answer; he started the tests, checking her blood pressure as he had said and then taking a needle out to draw some blood. All the while not saying another word; that was of course even more concerning in her experience and she watched him carefully, trying to discern from his facial expressions and body language clues perhaps to what was happening with him. The boy gave no real indications though and as he pulled out the stethoscope to check her heart rate she decided enough was enough.

"Billy," she said switching to strict mom voice; he glanced up at her but didn't respond, "Come on, what is going on in that brilliant mind of yours? You're acting strange."

"I do not believe I am acting outside normal parameters."

"See there, that right there; you might have done it casually as a teenager but you only really use that kind of technobabble nowadays when something is bothering you. And you especially only lean into it that much when you're stressed. I know you Billy Cranston, so don't try to lie to me."

"You're speaking to me as if I was a juvenile."

"You're certainly acting like a moody kid."

This made Billy frown and he gave her a look. She did not back down. "Don't you try that on me, I raised a teenager, I was a teenager, I currently am a teenager; I'm not intimidated by teenagers. You know I'm right; there's something wrong and you're not telling me. What is it?"

"It is nothing," he said slowly and with emphasis, "I am simply concerned with the health and wellness of our collected forces. There are ails even the Morphing Grid cannot heal so readily and I for one am appalled at my own lackadaisical approach to the survival of my teammates."

It was Abby's turn to glare but it seemed that nothing was going to come out; despite being able to tell something was on his mind, it was clear that he was not going to readily give the information unless it was dragged out of him. And for a moment she could have sworn she saw a sad emotion flash over his eyes, something she couldn't quite decipher but that threw her temporarily before she was able to recollect herself.

He went on with his examination and scribbled down notes. Abby noted that the thing that was hovering over her old friend's head was not the only thing he was keeping back; he told her plenty about her health, her heart rate seemed to be normal, her blood pressure was normal, she was healthy in terms of what a sixteen year old should be, but there was obviously things he kept back. He had her morph, switch between her different powers, then once she unmorphed he only only checked her heartrate again but took her temperature as well. There were other strange things but when asked Billy just gave her that look that said he was thinking too deeply about some idea that trying to get more from him was not really going to work. It didn't really stop her from asking but the result was no better than their previous argument had been.

By the time Abby's examination was over with and the next person was called in, she was curious and irritated but with no real clues. She returned to the cafeteria, despite not really needing to, and sat down, arms crossed as she watched Andros walk out. The only choice she seemed to have was wait and see if she could ask the others what happened with them in their examinations.

It was kind of ridiculous how many of them there really was. Even without the four who already were in the infirmary, the examinations seemed to go on forever. Abby did talk to a few of them but no one seemed to really have much to tell her. Andros basically just shrugged when asked if he thought anything was wrong and after hers, Kira tried to assure Abby that while she was concerned over Billy's apparent stress levels, she was sure the veteran Ranger was only holding back information he didn't think was important. James tried to comfort her but she couldn't shake the sense that something was going on and it irritated her that after years of friendship, of fighting alongside each other against so many enemies in the past, that the one she always thought was the most open would be so willing to keep everything to himself. It felt like Billy didn't trust her but she felt a hand touch her shoulder and looking up she saw Zedd standing there, shaking his head slightly.

"You should trust Billy more," he said and when she opened her mouth to get annoyed at him, he smiled and continued, "I know you trust him a lot but right now you're letting emotion override logic. You've both done stupid things in the past but your team has always been the type who will talk when something is on your minds, and that is part of what always made you so dangerous. If Billy doesn't want to tell you something, then there must be a reason; he might just be working off some theory, uncertain of what he's thinking yet, or it could just be something small he doesn't feel is really important enough to worry you over too. Things have been hectic, we've all been stressed and suffered because of the events that have happened; try taking a deep breath and just trusting that the boy is doing what he thinks is right."

"I want to trust him," Abby said furrowing her brow but doing as the ex-emperor of evil suggested: she breathed and shook her head, "I do trust him but I can't help but think that this isn't just some small thing."

There was something else too, something she wasn't sure how to voice; Billy was the most logical of them, he always had been and likely always would be. He took care of them in many ways and had kept the team going in ways he probably would never know. And she had no doubts he'd say the same thing about her and Tommy, and all the others too; even now, with their team no longer seven but over two dozen, she was aware that the team only worked so well because they were there for each other, worked together, took responsibility and they each had their own specialties and skills. But in the beginning, when things had only been the five, then six, finally seven of them, honesty had saved their lives, yet Billy didn't seem to be being honest. None of them seemed to be anymore.

"I suspect this might have to do with more than just Billy," Zedd stated raising an eyebrow, regarding Abby carefully; she did not answer and he sighed lightly, "We have spoken on things similar to this before; if you let the worries get to you too much you'll just drive yourself mad. You need to trust in Billy, and in the others who are holding back too; you have no other choice after all."

There was no arguing and she knew that too. But as she walked Shelby walk back into the room, she couldn't help but wonder still what could really be going on in the mind of their original blue.

Despite his words to Abby the moment Zedd walked into the infirmary, last of the Renegades to be examined, he spoke, sitting across from the blue ranger, "Abby is concerned over you."

"I'm aware of that," came the answer and looking at him the sorcerer could see a flicker of something behind Billy's glasses, a pain or uncertainty, floating about and causing him to hesitate before grabbing a nearby roll of bandages, "Hold out your arms; it's been a while but we should probably start by checking your..."

"Yeah I know, wounds is a bit of a misnomer in my cause I suppose," Zedd said and did as asked, wincing slightly only as the old wrappings were removed and the air touched his exposed muscle.

For Billy's credit he didn't seem too bothered though Zedd knew that had to be an act; there wasn't a person aboard the ship, save the sleeping trio, who did not know of the extent of what magic was doing to him. Each spell caused more rot, more removal, and the result was uncomfortable at least to look at. But it was more than just his body reverting to that of Lord Zedd, Emperor of Evil; there was more at work than just his reversal of appearance. They pulsed and strung with pain, the wounds that were left by gone skin borderline festering but never healing. There was nothing to heal, nothing to regrow; attempts to try by magic or by science had only caused more pain for him and thus all they could do was wrap him like a mummy. Billy could have been cruel in his treatments but Zedd knew that was never possible honestly; he was a kind soul and even though the being before him was with each casting of magic becoming the monster who had tormented his team for a year, he still cleaned the pus and blood gently, applied soothing ointments to the lesions, wrapped carefully with new clean gauze to replace skin that would never be again.

"I'm worried too," Zedd said as he closed his eyes, letting Billy tend now to his face; little by little he had become more and more mummy like but he liked to remember how the little girl Lyta liked to say it made him look like a honorable warrior, returning home from endless battles. It felt like such a nicer fantasy than the reality of the situation.

This proclamation seemed to stun Billy for a second but only that long before he quickly resumed again and in a soft voice, almost inaudible, he spoke, "I'm not the one to be worried over."

"William, you know better than to think in such narrow ways. Or to expect the others to be willing to do anything but be concerned when you act so strange."

"I thought it was just you and Abby."

"You are delusional if you actually believe that." He opened an eye to look at the other man but he was frowning and Zedd decided maybe he hit a little too hard with that.

"This started happening after the Morphing Grid was reactivated," Billy said, almost as if from nowhere.

Zedd was no fool though and he hesitated for a moment, just to observe Billy's face first, then decided to answer. "I did have access to some magic before the Incident, not nearly as powerfully as Rita's or as mine is now or was back in the day, but it never did anything like this. I suspect this is the Grid's way of reminding me I was a bad guy."

"You're not one anymore," Billy mumbled and the stubbornness to his tone made Zedd chuckle.

"I am who I want to be. And who I want to be is an ally to the Renegades who are fighting so hard to survive and protect each other and this planet, even if their homeland wants them locked up or worse. The pain is considerable but I have handled worse, I've done worse."

"I don't understand why the Grid is punishing you if you've done nothing wrong..."

"The Grid does not go by morals like you might. It gives it's power and there must always be give and take. For every Ranger team born, there must be a darkness to stand as their opposite number. For every good there is evil. The rebirth of your team means that there needed to be a rebirth in contrast of mine, but just like Jason and Rocky and you and Abby and Tommy, we have a right to make a choice of how to use that power too. Whether or not we will let ourselves be the darkness."

There was some silence for a time and Zedd wondered if it was Billy thinking deeply on the things that were filling his mind today. Seeing a chance he continued, though he took a careful tone, "Billy, what is going on? I understand you being concerned over the fact that we don't have data on everyone's health but as Zack said, there hasn't really been a need...has there?"

"Zedd," muttered Billy softly, almost like a plea though for what the ex-evil was not sure.

"Is there something involving our health that you're worried about? Something maybe connected to the Morphing Grid?"

"...You know why Anton and Karone are in those beds right?" This too almost felt out of nowhere but everything was connected and Zedd started to line up the dots.

"Because when the Incident happened Astronema and Mesagog started to wake up. RJ told me that you did tests and found proof of changes to their biology that matched up with what they would have been like as those two. Probably similar to what happened to me and Rita."

"And you're aware of Trent and Merrick?" Zedd froze up though it was not because of not knowing. It was more along the lines of surprise that Billy, even when it was really just the two of them talking, would willing talk about that particularly issue out loud.

Merrick was more subtle than Trent about it but there had been rumors. The ancient warrior's eyes would sometimes get a strange tinge of gold to them, when angered enough his body seemed to exude a strange energy, and he sometimes seemed to be brooding, more than usual if Ileana was to be believed on the subject. Admittedly he hadn't acted out specifically, like Trent had, and outside of knocking Jason out rather harshly in the courthouse, he hadn't used any excessive amounts of force either. But he didn't seem to like to talk about what he might be going through, an ex-evil ranger like Trent and Tommy and Leanbow all had been, even though all who knew the lore could easily enough guess what was going on. It just was that no one said it aloud, no one was willing to.

"...Yes, I am aware of that particular situation," he said and felt Billy look at him; he felt a little on the spot but was not entirely sure why he would be.

"The awakening of the Morphing Grid, what Tsuki Kokuryuu pulled off about a year ago, we should have done tests immediately once we saw what it did to our bodies. After Karone and Anton put themselves to sleep," Billy muttered and put his hands on his lap, digging his nails into the fabric of old faded jeans, "Mentally, physically, in the short term and in the long, we know so little; we always did. We thought we understood it before, we thought...we believed we had cracked some great code or something. But you're literally falling apart and Trent acts so wrong sometimes and there's the sleeping ones, and..."

He drifted off; there was definitely more but he seemed to be having a hard time getting it out. His expression was one of fear and it made Zedd wonder what could make Billy Cranston so afraid in this moment; the blue's eyes flickered past Zedd, to the beds, but only for a second before returning to the bandaged man and he took a deep breath.

"We need to learn more. If we want to survive, if we want to somehow one day figure out a way to fix everything so we can go back to living our lives, if we want there to be peace again, we absolutely must learn more. About the Morphing Grid, about it's effect on us, about why we were chosen and why others weren't, about the connection between those of us who are heroes and those of us who are our opposite numbers." It felt a lot like that wasn't the whole truth of what was on Billy's mind still but it was more than he had probably given Abby it seemed. Zedd was not sure how to feel about it, any of this really, but he supposed that if he was willing to talk about it now, then he would surely tell Abby his concerns soon knowing she was worried.

Zedd flexed his fingers, making sure the bandages weren't too tight, then nodded. "I can tell you whatever I know but in the grand scheme of things I feel it won't amount to much more than you. The Grid is a mysterious thing, few understand that better than those of us touched by it, but maybe the answers you seek can be found with more research. The biggest problem is the fact that you can only learn so much from this area."

He meant Earth. The Morphing Grid was spread across the universe, touching many planets and many lives; this planet, as significant as it could feel to those who ended up there or lived there, was but one piece in a cosmic puzzle. The obvious answer should have been to travel but Billy had already been on other planets and it sounded like he hadn't really gathered enough information, and with the way things were none of the Renegades seemed willing to leave the planet when everything was still so chaotic. Or could with the Megaship still in repairs and no other ship in their possession that could make it very far.

Billy simply nodded solemnly, seeming to already understand that. But Zedd was certain it would not stop him nor deter him; the ex-evil smiled and patted Billy on the head, causing the boy to furrow his brow in some form of displeasure. Zedd laughed. "You'll be fine, Billy. You're the boy who built the Turbo keys after all, one of three longest lasting of your team. A little thing like the Morphing Grid and it's mysteries, and more importantly it's effect on you and your friends, is only enough of a challenge for you to handle."

"Why is everyone treating me like a child today, needing scolding, needing comforting," Billy said though there was minimal irritation to the way he said it.

"Maybe because you seem like you're brooding and some of the team want to help." Zedd pulled no punches and sat back as Billy stared at him, "Now about the rest of my examination..."

This seemed to remind him, as if somehow the whole point for Zedd to be there alone with Billy had slipped his mind. The blue nodded, pushing up his glasses and started on doing as he had for everyone else: heart rate, blood pressure, blood work, the things Zedd could do without hurting him more. The conversation died away but to a peaceful calm that felt much less stressful than this had started. A win Zedd supposed but a minor one in the grand scheme of whatever was going on.

Billy frowned as he stood over the table, looking down upon the blood samples that sat there. He had taken some from everyone, each Ranger, each ally, even the trio and Dustin had blood drawn. The yellow ranger was rather used to it, as it happened every few days at this point, and had simply smiled; Billy almost felt bad.

He only really needed a few of them, a select group, but afraid to have to say what he was concerned about, he allowed it to be hidden under layers of being general concern over them all. But He had taken note of various strange behaviors, and he remembered Briarwood; Jason's voice, frustrated, angered, pained, rang in his ears but he had already told himself that there was nothing to be taken from dwelling on the red's words because actions talked so much louder. But things had really started being weird around that time and he needed to know the truth, especially with the way things were going.

He sighed and muttered a prayer to the Grid, the only thing he knew outside of science and his friends that he could really believe in, and started the testing. Maybe he'd get his answers, maybe he wouldn't, but he had to try at least. He had to, he had to.