Tommy
I was hesitant to let Kim leave to find the Slayer, even with the promise of protection from Trini. Zack had been unable to go, Billy and William needing some help with working on the Grid. I watched her leaving, fear in my chest as she did. However, I knew that I wasn't able to go with her since I needed to work on training. I had a lot riding on my shoulder to be able to use Saba and the white Ranger powers and I couldn't risk that by following Kim into Angel Grove.
"I've done what Zordon and Saba instructed me to." Jason said, walking next to me as we headed down a ladder. I hadn't known this was here, my limited time here did not show me all aspects the new Command Center had to offer. At the bottom, we came to a stop in a large room. There wasn't anything in here and it felt like it stretched on for a mile. "Computer, activate training sequence 1."
"Activating." An automatic voice said. Around me, the room seemed to dissolve and suddenly, we found ourselves standing in what felt like the hot jungle of the plain where the Slayer and I had found the crystals.
"Woah," I said, looking around. There were even the sounds of the jungle, birds chirping, and an animal calling out in the distance.
"Woah, indeed." Saba's voice said, floating towards us. He stopped a few feet away. Even though I suspected he couldn't have facial expressions, I knew the one on his face told me he didn't have too much faith in me or this project. "This room has been designed to test a number of different abilities that they claim you possess. I will see for myself and determine what it is I have to work with. You have five minutes to get from one side of the room to the other, collecting the fake gems as you go. There are five of them and are important. Do not drop them or you instantly fail."
"Okay," I said, nodding. "I think I can handle that."
"We'll see about that," Saba muttered, floating so that he was next to Jason. "Your time starts now." I ran forward, heading towards what appeared to be the edge of the jungle. I saw something that resembled a crystal embedded in a tree here. As I approached, a root of one of the trees sprang out of the ground and sent me sprawling through the air and onto the ground. It slapped back into the Earth, causing the ground to tremble. I moved to stand up and another root sprang from under the dirt. This time, it collided with the die of my face and sent me backward.
"What the fuck." I muttered, struggling to get my footing.
"You need to learn to assess a situation before running into it," Saba called. "A real leader wouldn't run blindly into danger, especially with a team under his command." I nodded, looking at the ground. I saw that there seemed to be a pattern with the roots. The two on the lift would lift and then the other three would go. I ran, darting around them until I made it to the tree. I pulled the gem from it, shoving it into one of the pockets of my pants. Turning, I searched for the next gem.
Off in the distance, I could see something sparkle in the sunlight. Perched on top of a boulder was another one of the gems. I looked around, taking in the scene. It was just sitting on the rock, a small boulder surrounded by other ones. I had a feeling that the rocks would spring alive the moment I made it there. I ran passed the roots again, dodging them, and headed towards the rocks. I skidded to a stop next to them, thinking of how to reach the gem without being smacked with a rock if it flew towards me.
"You got this, man," Jason called out. I took a step forward, willing one of the rocks to move. It didn't though. I took another step and none of the rocks seemed to be forming any kind of attack. I headed to the rock with the gem on it. As I bent to pick it up, the rock it was on suddenly opened up and sucked the gem into it. There was a cracking noise and the rock hissed as the gem shot up into the air. It was a good ten or so feet above me. I moved to catch it but missed, it landed on another rock. This one also sucked it in, shooting it back up in the air. I tried to catch it again but tripped on another rock. I nearly collided headfirst into one of the rocks.
"The White Ranger needs to possess agility. You need to be light on your feet and powerful in your attacks." Saba called. I tripped again but managed to regain my footing. I jumped from one of the rocks, catching the crystal before it could be sucked up again. Clearing away from the rock, I put this gem with the other one in my pocket. Two down, three to go.
I scanned the horizon, trying to find the next gem. None were revealing themselves as easily as the others. To the right, I saw that there was what appeared to be a small pond. The water was peaceful as I approached it. Gazing into the pond, I saw that there were large coy fish swimming in the shallow water. It only seemed to be about three feet deep, the bright orange and white fish swimming lazily around. In the mouth of one of the fish, I saw that it held one of the gems. I moved to grab it but it swam away from me quickly. I tried again but it darted away, mixing with the other fish. It was hard to pick it out from the others, all of the fish looking the same. I tried grabbing it again, it just slipped out between my finger. I let out a loud growl, trying to grab it quickly with both hands.
"You must have patience. Attacks need time and calculations. You can't just attack and expect it to work each time." Saba said. He was getting to be on my nerves REAL quick here. I stared at the water, keeping my eye on the surface. I saw the fish that I was looking for, waiting on the left side of the pond. I moved quickly, reaching into the water. My fingers grazed the side of the fish before it darted away. Shaking my head, I stood up. I didn't have time for this. I had to try the other crystals first.
In front of me, I saw that there was a sleeping tiger laying on the ground in some tall grass. He was about fifteen feet away, in deep slumber. A few feet from him, I saw another tiger that was pacing back and forth. Each tiger had a collar around its neck and a gem attached to it. The pacing tiger looked agitated, it growling and hissing each time it looked over at me. The other tiger was asleep, not a care in the world to it as it slept. I moved towards this tiger, trying to go as quickly and quietly as possible. As I neared it, I reached a hand out for the collar. Just as I was about to grab the gem, the tiger awoke and sprang forward. It pinned me to the ground, it snarled in my face. I pushed it back as best I could, its snapping teeth just inches from my face.
"I've seen enough." Saba sighed.
"Computer, stop the simulation," Jason said. The jungle suddenly dissolved around us and the snapping tiger disappeared. I sat up, trying to catch my breath. Jason walked over, holding a hand out to me I took it, standing up. Saba came towards us, looking down at me.
"Tommy, you lack some of the main characteristics needed for being the White Ranger. You need to be a leader but you don't have any awareness, any patience, any agility. You took the easy way out when it came to facing the tiger brothers. You were barely able to get two of the crystals. You are nowhere near to being worthy enough for these powers I am sworn to protect."
"You act like this is something I'm just supposed to know," I said, the irritation reaching a new peak for me. "I would be able to do this if I didn't have a pocket knife making comments at me the entire time."
"I beg your pardon? I'll have you know that the blade of my sword is well over two and a half feet." Saba replied, sounding offended. "You need to do a better job at proving that you can protect yourself, let alone an entire team. You will put all their lives at risk if you don't."
"I didn't ask for this!" I exclaimed. "I just want to save my daughter. I didn't ask for this new power or to become the new leader. Hell, I even agree that Jason is the better choice here. Tell that to the floating head upstairs."
"This isn't going to fix anything," Jason said, stepping between Saba and me. "Tommy, the Grid chose you for a reason. Obviously, it knows something we don't. We are just going to need to make the best of this and find a way to help you achieve all the tasks here." He turned his attention to me. "Tommy, you have to remember what's at stake here."
"You don't think I do?" I shot back. "I have to do this to save the world."
"That isn't important right now," Jason replied. He put his hands on my shoulders. "You have to do this for yourself. If you want to prove to yourself that you aren't Drakkon and that you aren't meant to be like him, you have to dig down deep and find a way to get through all of these. I know you can do this. You have to stop letting all that self-doubt creep in and make you think twice." He turned to Saba. "And you could give him advice instead of harping at him so much. You are supposed to be the guide for the White Ranger powers, right? You both need to work as a team rather than trying to yell at each other."
"He isn't ready." Saba returned.
"Then help him get ready!" Jason exclaimed. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I am going to restart the simulation. You two need to work together to get this done." Jason walked over to the side as Saba slowly floated near me. "Computer, activate simulation."
"Activating." The automated voice said. Again, the room dissolved until the jungle appeared around us. The gems were in the same place as before, the first one sticking from the tree about thirty yards away from me. The roots were sticking out of the ground, just visible enough for me to see them.
"Let's see how this goes," I muttered, grabbing Saba by the space that I guess would have been considered his neck which was right under the hilt. I ran towards the roots, skidding to a stop. I saw that there were six roots in the ground, each other them moving in an erratic fashion. I watched for a moment, trying to see which direction would be the best to go.
"Any bright ideas?" Saba asked. I nodded, tossing him into the air where he floated above me.
"I'm going to run to the left and then the right. Watch my six and let me know when the best time to go on to the next is." I said.
"Whatever you say." He replied. Taking a deep breath, I ran forward and headed right for the left side between the trees. The first root shot out and I dodged it, it barely missing my feet. I jumped, landing on the ground. "To your right! Duck!" Saba called out. I did as he side, ducking my head and shoulders towards the right side. The next root went flying right over my head, through the space where my head had just been. I rolled onto the ground, crutching low to see how far away from the gem I was. I was about halfway now, the other roots growing more aggressive the closer I got.
"Now what?" I called out to Saba.
"The two on the left seem to have similar movement. Stick high with them and low on the right." He said. Nodding, I watched the roots move. He was correct. It seemed they came from the same tree and had very similar motions that kept them closer to the ground. The two on the right were higher though, closer to the area where my head and shoulders would be. Jumping, I landed on the thick part of the first root on the left. It bucked with my weight on it, it's mobility decreased. The other left root seemed to notice as it turned its attention to me. I jumped again, landing on the next one. It snapped from the weight of me, breaking off to the ground. I rolled from there, missing blows from the roots on the right. I stopped by the tree, standing up and grabbing the gem from it.
"There you go," Jason said, clapping. "On to the next." I nodded, running towards the circle of stones. Saba floated over, meeting me there. The crystal was perched in the middle, waiting to be picked up. I shoved the first crystal into the pocket of my pants, catching my breath.
"As soon as I get close to it, it's going to shoot the crystal up into the air," I said.
"You'll need to determine how to reach it," Saba said. "Agility can help you move without being detected."
"I know what agility is," I muttered, shooting him a glare. I looked back at the rocks, trying to figure out what to do. Walking towards it before had set the rock off. I didn't know if I'd be able to jump on them though without setting the middle one off.
"Time is running out," Saba said.
"Fine," I said, stepping forward. I leaped up onto the rock closest to us and didn't move. I observed the other rocks, looking to see if there were any movements. Nothing seemed to look any different though so I moved to the next one. I noticed that the rock in the middle started to crack now where the opening had been before.
"Move now!" Saba called out. Nodding, I jumped through the air and grabbed the crystal. The rock opened up as I gripped it firmly. I could feel the suction on my fingers as I flipped away, landing on the ground on the other side of the rocks. My feet skidded in the dirt but I kept my footing. Glancing down at the rock in my hand, I smiled. I shoved it into my pocket, turning towards Saba.
"Two down, three to go."
"So it seems. Too bad the next one was your most challenging task." He mused, floating towards the pond. He hovered over it as I jogged over. "You'll need to have patience in order to capture the correct fish."
"I don't have much time though," I said, seeing the fish with the crystal in its mouth. I shot my hand into the water to catch it but it darted away.
"It's about using patience to overcome a challenge," Saba said as I continued to try and grab it. "Use your brain, fool."
"I'll just use you." I shot back, grabbing him from the air. Putting both my hands around the hilt, I stabbed him in the water towards the fish I needed. I missed, repeatedly, the fish moving just out of the way each time.
"I am not an instrument used for fishing!" Saba exclaimed, pulling against me. I held firm though, trying again. Water was splashing everywhere and Saba sputtered each time I dunked him into the water.
"You could help me here," I said, growing frustrated.
"Well, if you were trying to drown me, I would think about it!" He exclaimed.
"Time's up," Jason called, a defeated sound in his voice as the simulation dissolved away again. I growled in a loud frustrated tone, tossing Saba away from me. He caught himself and zoomed through the air towards me.
"If you ever mishandle me in that manner again, I will ensure that the end of the world is the least of your problems." He hissed, glaring at me.
"Yeah? How so? You're nothing more than a glorified can opener." I retorted back.
"Guys, c'mon," Jason said. I shook my head.
"This is useless! There's no way I'm going to be able to do this in time for Drakkon's attack. I think you should take the powers, Jase. It's the best chance we have right now. You're the leader. It's what you're supposed to be. That's why Zordon chose you in the first place."
"Tommy, you know that's not the case," Jason said. "This is your journey to take."
"JASON! TOMMY!" Zack's voice yelled down the hatch where the ladder we had climbed down was. Jason and I exchanged a fleeting glance before running towards it. We both clambered up it as quickly as possible. At the top, we found Zack standing there with a look of worry on his face.
"What's the matter?" Jason asked.
"You gotta come to see. Drakkon is up to something." Zack replied. We followed behind him to the control room where William and Billy stood with Alpha, looking at the computer screen. I could see smoke and fire coming from buildings. Night had fallen and I could see the air crafts zipping across the sky on the screen.
"What's going on?" Jason asked as we entered the room. I noticed that Saba had followed behind us, him floating near the screen now.
"Drakkon has bombed parts of Angel Grove," Billy said, pressing a button on the control panel. "He's taken out the portals and the towers in the area."
"Why would he do that?" Zack questioned.
"He rerouting the power of the Grid, preserving it," William answered, gazing at the screen. "And he's cutting off access to his world from our end."
"Kimberly and Trini are there," I said, looking over at Jason. "We need to find them." He nodded.
"Hold on. The computer is detecting that there are returning telepads coming our way." Alpha said, bending to look at one of the smaller screens on the console. As he spoke, one of the telepads appeared on the ground to the right side of the room. With it came both Trini's, the older Zack and both Kim's. I was surprised to see that the older Trini was supporting the Ranger Slayer who seemed to be in pain. Our Trini had her midsection wrapped up and Kimberly was supporting her.
"Trini!" Jason said, running towards her. He helped Kim walk her over to one of the chairs in the room. Both older Zack and older Trini helped the Ranger Slayer walk to the other one. I took three steps and engulfed Kim in a tight hug.
"I was just getting ready to come find you," I said, holding her at arm's length. "What happened?" I saw she had a couple of small cuts on her face and a bruise forming on her chin. The Ranger Slayer looked the worst though. There was blood-soaked gauze on her back, a dark red and purple mark around her throat and she looked like she had been choked within an inch of her life.
"Goldar's brother attacked," Kim said.
"Goldar has a brother?" Younger Zack asked, looking confused. The Ranger Slayer nodded, wincing at the motion.
"Yeah. His name is Silverback." She said, her voice sounding rough from her injuries. "Seems like Drakkon has a hit out on Kimberly and me."
"Oh, dear," Alpha said, shaking his head. "Silverback is a ruthless killer. I am surprised he agreed to work with Drakkon."
"I don't think he had a choice." The Slayer said. She stood, stepping towards the screens. "Drakkon killed Zedd who was Silverback's boss. He probably forced him to work with him or he'd kill him. Drakkon wants Kim and me out of the picture and he's cutting off ties between the worlds. I don't think we can afford to wait much longer before we attempt to rescue Abby."
"I'm afraid you're correct," Zordon said, looking down at us. "If Drakkon cuts off all the portals and the towers, we will have limited access to his universe."
"Tommy isn't ready yet," Saba said. "He's unable to utilize the powers until he is."
"Well then, he needs to get ready." Ranger Slayer said, turning to look at me. "You're Tommy Oliver, right?" I nodded. "It's time for you to show the world what you're made of. If you don't want to be Drakkon so bad, you gotta step up and prove you aren't. Or else, your daughter isn't going to make it."