Pawns

Chapter Ten: The Truth

Jason sat heavily on a tree stump, cradling his face in his hands.

I… I can't believe this. I failed her!

Kimberly was gone.

Immediately after she'd disappeared, Jason had ushered the Liarians out of the cave. While his conscience ate at him throughout retreat, he bowed to simple logic.

I couldn't stop her; the Flame of Destruction makes her nearly as strong as a Ranger. If I kept pushing her, she would've killed me.

That was how he convinced himself to leave. When they'd reached the bottom of the volcano, they'd found Bulk and Skull, still wandering in a detached daze, muttering about the "pretty go boom."

That vague comment brought a world of terror to the former Ranger. That's a volcano! The entire temple could erupt!

And moments later, it did. The mountain erupted, lava and ash swallowing all the Piranhatrons, Divatox, the natives… and Kimberly.

Had Jason eaten anything recently, it surely would've seen daylight again. "I should've followed her," he murmured. "She didn't kill me; maybe she couldn't bring herself to? Maybe she remembered how close we are?"

He jumped when he felt warmth enclose his knee. Perplexed, he gazed into the large, friendly eyes of Yara, who gently rubbed his knee with her furry hand.

She gurgled something Jason couldn't understand. "I'm sorry, I don't speak… whatever it is you speak."

She turned to her husband. Lerigot approached, gurgled something to her, and then beckoned Jason.

Jason obeyed, sliding onto his knees so he was approximately eye to eye with the Liarians. Lerigot reached out, touching his stout fingertips to Jason's forehead. Suddenly, he was once again staring into flaming eyes, so engulfed with outrage, fire actually leaked from the corner of her eye, almost like teardrops.

"You're right," Jason sighed, his shoulders drooping, "She was too angry with me to listen to anything I had to say. If I'd followed her back into the temple, she'd have either killed me, or knocked me out… and then I would've been caught in the explosion. Either way, we'd both be dead."

Lerigot nodded, and pointed one finger toward the sky. Jason followed his direction, squinting against the brilliant afternoon sun.

"Divatox's ship!" he realized, a sudden weight lifted off his heart, "If Divatox made it, maybe Kim did too?"

Galvanized, Jason leapt to his feet. "Lerigot, can you watch Bulk and Skull for me? I'll check the…"

His words died when the Turbo Megazord flew overhead, slowly approaching the ground. And suddenly, Jason's throat closed anew.

oooOOOooo

"Tommy," Justin reported, a frown pinching his young face, "I'm picking up a vessel just reaching Earth's outer atmosphere."

"It's Divatox's ship," Tanya noted. "Should we pursue?"

Tommy didn't even pause to consider. "No. She's moving away from Earth, so she's no longer a threat to us. Now we have to find Kim, Jason, and the Liarians."

Tommy's eyes slid toward the towering mountain at the center of the island, where a plume of thick smoke polluted the sky. He swallowed his breath. "Any reading yet?"

Katherine fought against a sigh. "Nothing yet."

"The scanners can't detect body heat with all that lava flowing around," Adam contributed.

Just then, a flash of light streaked across the view screen, directly into the sky. The Rangers watched as the streak then exploded into bright fireworks.

"Lerigot!" Kat realized, "He sent up a flare!"

"Tracing the origin now," Justin stated, "Yup, I found 'em!"

The main screen focused on a small clearing over a mile away from the volcano. The Rangers released a collective sigh as they saw Jason on his feet, waving frantically to get their attention. The three Liarians were huddled together nearby.

Tommy frowned at the image. "Kat, how many life signs are down there?"

"Six."

Justin grimaced. "Six? How's that possible?"

"Maybe there's a native in the bushes," Tommy supposed, unlatching his seatbelt, "I'll get them."

oooOOOooo

Jason watched the Megazord gently lower to the ground. No sooner did the titanic Zord touch down did a form in red emerge from the cockpit.

The Red Ranger dove for the ground, landing easily on his feet as if he had just taken a step.

"You okay, Jason?" Tommy asked.

Jason keenly felt the distance his best friend maintained between them, so he did nothing to close the gap. "The Liarians and I got out long before the volcano exploded."

Tommy's breath caught at the connotation. Turning sharply, he quickly scanned the immediate area.

He blinked at the two familiar teens lingering in a tree branch nearby. "Is that Bulk and Skull?"

"Yeah, they, uh… were kidnapped by Divatox first. When she realized they weren't… 'pure' enough… she nabbed Kim and me instead." He cleared his throat. "Bro…"

"Don't call me that," Tommy murmured. "Where's Kim?"

Jason swallowed the lump that clogged his throat when he heard Tommy's answer. The words were spoken without anger, only a deep hurt. Jason instantly knew he would've preferred anger.

"She fought me, Tommy. She woke up, demanded I let her go, and ran back to the temple."

For a long moment, Tommy didn't even breathe. He stood perfectly still, his helmet angled towards Jason, yet his eyes were indiscernible.

Then, he slowly inclined his head toward the remains of the mountain, smoldering under rivers of lava and columns of dense smoke.

"Tom, listen to me," Jason said sternly, "Divatox got away. I saw her ship! So if she survived, Kim probably did."

After another eternal moment, Tommy slowly lifted his wrist to his mouth. "Do you read?"

"Justin here."

"Send down the Megazord hand, and pick up Jason and the others. Once they're inside and secure, I want you to follow me with the Megazord."

"Follow you…?"

"…with the Megazord. And I want you to keep searching for life signs. Run every search we're capable of; heartbeat monitor, body heat, the works. When you run out of ideas, contact Zordon for more. And while you're doing that, the rest of the Rangers will join me at the volcano. We'll dig by hand."

There was silence on the other end of the communicator, as the new Blue Ranger digested the hidden message behind Tommy's order.

It was Katherine who spoke. "What… are we looking for?"

He didn't respond. Instead, he looked again at the volcano and broke into a supersonic run, vanishing in a blur of red motion.

oooOOOooo

The Rangers spent hours searching the rubble of the temple. Adam, Katherine, and Tanya combed the forest immediately surrounding the volcano, and searched along the perimeter of the temple. Only Tommy went inside, refusing company despite Kat's repeated offer. He cut through the smoke-filled tunnels, often coming to a dead end as rivers of lava, debris from collapsed ceilings, or both blocked his way. Yet he managed to meander to the main room, now completely flooded with the lava that spewed from the pit.

His heart in his throat, he scoured every nook and cranny in the labyrinth, until the smoke was so heavy even his headlights couldn't illuminate his way.

Frustrated and anxious, he emerged from the volcano, blackened but unhurt.

The search went on well past sunset, all the Rangers beyond the point of exhaustion. Yet despite the disappointment and despair, none had the heart to voice even the smallest complaint to their leader.

Jason remained in the Megazord, the search area being far too hazardous for a normal human to sustain. He sat with Justin, suggesting further scans, and consulting with Zordon.

In the end, it was the sage himself who put into words what no one else dared. "JUSTIN, PATCH ME IN TO TOMMY."

The Blue Ranger gulped, trading anxious glances with Jason. Then, his fingers nervously toying with the helmet on his lap, he did as his mentor requested.

"Tommy here."

"TOMMY, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE SEARCH?"

Silence. Then: "We're trying to put the fire out so we can take a better look in the tunnels, but that's it."

"JUSTIN AND JASON HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL THE SCANS AVAILABLE. I'M AFRAID NOTHING HAS TURNED UP."

"Yet."

Zordon sighed; a strange sound coming from a being locked in a time-warp. "I WISH YOU ALL TO RETURN TO THE POWER CHAMBER IMMEDIATELY."

"But we're not…!"

"TOMMY." There was infinite patience and compassion in that soothing-yet-stern voice. "PLEASE RETURN TO BASE. WE CAN BETTER ASSESS OUR OPTIONS WITH YOU ALL HERE."

"Zordon," Tommy's voice was pleading, "just getting back will take all night! What if Kim's trapped somewhere?"

"NOW THAT YOU HAVE LERIGOT, YOU WILL NOT NEED TO TAKE THE GHOST GALLION. HE CAN OPEN THE BARRIER WHILE ABOARD THE MEGAZORD. SO IF YOU TRAVEL AT THE FASTEST SPEED, YOU WILL REACH THE POWER CHAMBER IN APPROXIMATELY HALF AN HOUR. CONSIDERING HOW MANY HOURS YOU'VE SPENT SEARCHING, THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOU FINDING ANYTHING WITHIN THE THAT TIMEFRAME IS SLIM AT BEST."

Harsh reality; but spoken so gently, so patiently… it was nearly painless.

Nearly.

"I'll stay here-"

"THE POWER RANGERS NEED THEIR LEADER, NOW MORE THAN EVER."

And with those ten words, Zordon induced reason in the stricken young man. For all of Tommy's distractions and concerns, he couldn't deny that, as Red Ranger, he had an obligation to his team. He had to maintain good sense, if for no other reason than to assure them that their newest challenge could be met.

Finally, an answer. "Okay. Justin?"

The boy blinked, suddenly guilty for eavesdropping on the conversation. "Yes, Tommy?"

"Bring the Megazord around and pick us up. We're going home."

oooOOOooo

Jason took a deep breath, steeling himself for the confrontation. He couldn't deny his best friend's response to the term "Bro," the nickname they'd called each other for most of their acquaintance, had really stung.

I need to apologize, make him understand that it was all the spell talking. We need to come to terms before we get back to the Power Chamber... before the situation gets any worse. He took a deep breath. Unless a miracle happened, when the truth hits him, he's going to need me if he's going to cope. And… I'll need him.

It was hard enough facing the possibility of Kim's death; to do so while at odds with his best friend was unthinkable.

Finally resolved, Jason returned to the bridge. "Tommy, we need to talk."

The Red Ranger, the only one still in full uniform, didn't turn around. "Later."

Jason stood his ground. "This can't wait," the former Red Ranger pressed. He kept his gaze on Tommy, but he could feel the stares of the other Rangers.

Then, Tommy stiffly rose to his feet. "Fine."

Wordlessly, Tommy strode passed Jason. Jason followed, and soon the two were in the onboard barracks.

Tommy stepped inside first, and spread his arms apart. A red surge of energy flooded his body, then receded into his morpher. He pulled the key from the unit, and slid it into his pocket.

Then, he sat heavily upon the closest cot. "Talk."

Jason found himself speechless, as he stared at Tommy's face for the first time since the fight with Maligore. He'd hidden behind his crimson helmet throughout the search, working beyond physical limits to find her… while all the time, hiding his tears behind the wall of leadership.

Tommy didn't seem to care about his appearance now. In front of his predecessor, the façade of the indomitable leader was pointless. His tears were allowed. "I thought you had something to say."

That comment, muttered with a touch of animosity, pulled Jason out of his stupor. "Tommy, I didn't mean what I said back there. None of it was true."

Tommy's face hovered parallel to the floor, and he laced his fingers together. "You're talking to the expert in evil spells," he said. His voice lacked even a hint of humor. "You don't have to explain how they work. What you experienced wasn't like the spells I'd been under."

Jason frowned his confusion. "How do you figure?"

"This was personal."

Jason looked thunderstruck. "What?"

"When I was Rita's pawn, I wanted to kill you because Rita wanted me to kill you. I didn't have anything against you, so the feelings weren't mine. After the spell was broken, it felt like a bad dream; vague impressions of what happened, but no clear memories, and certainly no residual anger towards any of you. When Gasket brainwashed me, he convinced me I was the Machine King. I wanted to kill you because you were a threat to my kingdom. But today, you wanted to kill me because you were angry with me. You even told me why; because I 'stole your role.'"

Jason grimaced as his own words were thrown back at him. Dark eyes turned away, as if suddenly intrigued by the drab gray paneling of the room. "You… you're right," he conceded, releasing a long breath, "There was a kernel of truth in that. But I wasn't angry at you… I was angry at the situation. I never understood why Zordon made you the leader in my place. It… hurt. And I guess a small part of me turned that frustration into resentment. A small part."

He rubbed his temples. "The spell… Divatox said Maligore would steal my purity. And when we fell into the fire, it felt like the Flame of Destruction got under my skin, into my heart. It muted my conscience, and made me see the world through a red lens. I looked at you, and was enraged that you'd ruined my career as a Ranger." He shook his head slowly. "I didn't even consider the fact I left two weeks later for the Peace Conference, and would've given up the leadership anyway. It was completely irrational; selective memory with the sole purpose of making me hurt people, and feed the Flame."

Jason waited for some response from Tommy, some kind of acknowledgement of his explanation. Words of forgiveness or understanding. When none was given, he continued. "I'm sorry for everything I said. Please believe me; what I said was intended to hurt you. It didn't reflect what I really think of you."

Bracing himself, he lifted his gaze. Now, Tommy's eyes were staring right at him. Jason managed to meet the intense gaze. "There's something else," he realized.

Tommy got right to the point. "How exactly would you describe your relationship with Kim?"

The complete lack of inflection in his voice was nearly frightening. But all one had to do was look into Tommy's eyes, at the strain that caused his face to twitch, to see how difficult it was for him to voice this question.

Jason would have laughed at the absurdity of Tommy's fears had the situation been different. But he'd already been prepared for that question.

"She's like my sister," Jason answered, without any hesitation that could be misconstrued as dishonesty. "We've been friends since grade school, and throughout all that time, I've never thought of her as anything other than friend, sister, and teammate."

"Never." Tommy repeated. His disbelief was almost palpable.

Jason sighed. "Tommy, I swear Kim and I aren't seeing each other. Man, you know I'm starting to get serious with Emily!"

Actually, in typical Tommy fashion, he'd forgotten all about the pretty blonde Jason had been seeing both during and after his stint as the Gold Ranger. That piece of evidence did tilt the scales in Jason's favor; why would he invest so much time and attention in Emily if he had a clandestine romance with Kim?

Finally, Tommy relented. He heaved a deep breath, and fell backwards onto the cot he was sitting on. Jason stared at his best friend, watching him take deep, contemplative breaths, rubbing his face with his hands.

"So… am I forgiven?" Jason ventured.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Bro."

And then, Jason realized the truth. He didn't even care about the spell! The only reason he couldn't even look at me was Kim?

It was incredible. Tommy could wave away all the hurtful words Jason had uttered. Even though there was a deep-seated resentment beneath them all, Tommy found no reason to hold any of it against him. All his frustration, the distance Tommy kept between them after the spell had been broken, had all been because he misunderstood Jason's relationship with Kim?

Then why the hell did he dump her??

"I'm sorry, Jase," Tommy sighed, staring up at the ceiling, "I… just needed to hear it from you to really believe it."

"What would give you the idea Kim and I were dating?" Jason wondered, truly dumbstruck.

"I saw you hugging her at the Games." The slightly petulant tone proved even Tommy realized that was pretty flimsy evidence.

"You're kidding."

Tommy sat up, chewing his lip as he struggled to express himself. "I know it was dumb, but I just didn't get it. I watched the Games to figure out which guy was her new boyfriend, and you were the only person she got close to during the entire broadcast."

For a fleeting moment, Jason actually considered smacking some sense into his best friend. "What makes you think she's got a new boyfriend? She's been a train wreck ever since you guys broke up."

Tommy stared at his best friend, brow furrowed in confusion. He could see the accusation lingering in Jason's eyes. "She told me she had a new boyfriend. Why'd you think she broke up with me?"

Both young men stared at each other, puzzling through the tidbits of information that didn't seem to fit together.

"She… broke up with you?" Jason repeated.

Tommy nodded slowly.

"Seriously?"

That brought a frown to Tommy's face. "Why would I lie about it?"

"When did she break up with you? Over Christmas?"

Tommy took a steadying breath. It still hurt to talk about it, which is why he never did discuss it with his best friend… or anyone else, for that matter. "No. She sent me a letter." He watched Jason's face to measure his reaction. "She wrote that she'd met someone new… someone she'd rather be with."

Jason wouldn't have been more shocked if Tommy had suddenly announced he'd descended from aliens. He slowly sat on the cot opposite his best friend. "Let me get this straight: Kim sent you a Dear John letter?"

Tommy nodded mutely.

"When?"

"I got it right before her birthday."

Jason slowly picked through his memory of his volatile conversation with Kim before the Pan Global Games.

"I didn't give him a reason not to call me. If that bastard cared one iota about me, he would've called me! But guess what? His number never popped up on my Caller ID. Never an apology for missing my birthday, a message just to see how I'm doing… nothing! If he doesn't think I'm worth the effort of picking up the phone and dialing eleven digits, then to hell with him!"

She was in such pain that night. It was overwhelmingly clear how much she suffered, due to Tommy's neglect.

But she never actually talked to him. He just stopped calling her.

"Why didn't you call her?"

Tommy's stare was incredulous. "Jase, she broke up with me in a letter! What would I say to her… 'Please Kim, take me back'?"

"You could have asked for an explanation."

Tommy chuckled humorlessly. "She gave me an explanation, and believe me; I didn't want too much information of how perfect this new guy is."

The Red Ranger took a deep breath, calming his frazzled nerves. "If she wanted to talk to me about it, she would've called me."

The same logic, Jason realized, squeezing the bridge of his nose. For an absurd moment, he considered pinching himself. This just can't be happening…

"Jason?"

No doubt Tommy saw the terrible despair that crossed his face. Jason closed his eyes tightly, trying to collect his thoughts and let the bomb drop as gently as possible.

His best friend had the right to hear the other side of the matter.

"Kim told me what happened."

Tommy didn't move. He kept his wide, red-rimmed eyes focused on Jason, eager to get some insight into the painful moment.

"We talked about it right before the Games," he continued, "It was the first time I'd seen her for months. I noticed she was… different. Frankly, she was miserable; though she was trying to hide it."

"Did that new guy dump her?" Tommy groused. His tone was heavy… but with what, Jason couldn't tell. Was Tommy angry at Kimberly, or at the 'new guy' for daring to hurt her?

Jason stopped trying to read too deeply into Tommy's reaction, and continued. "She told me that you two had split on bad terms. It was never official, but when you stopped calling her, you made it clear that you didn't care for her anymore."

Tommy's face folded in anger. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't stop calling her!"

"You didn't? You just said you got a letter in February, and never spoke to her again."

Tommy's jaw hung in outrage. "Didn't you hear me? She fell in love with someone else!! Why would I make a follow-up call?"

"You didn't call her on schedule-"

"Of course not! She-!"

Once again, Jason's glare shut the Red Ranger up.

"She was hurt you didn't call, but figured it was because her birthday was the following day. You never called her then, so she called you."

"Well, she didn't call me-"

Tommy stopped short when a thought struck him. "I wasn't home that weekend. I was-"

"Skiing with Kat."

The Red Ranger stared at Jason in surprise. "Who told you that?"

"Kim. She'd called you, and that's what your family told her."

Tommy hesitated. "No one told me she called."

"She didn't ask them to. She said she'd call back. And she did, on Sunday, but you weren't home."

For a long moment, Tommy was silent as he replayed those heartsick days. "I… I had a date with a girl I met skiing. The Machine Empire sent a monster, forcing me to leave her alone. When the fight was over, my date had left… so it was just Kat and me."

"Well, Kim heard the tail end of that. On Friday, she called and found out you were skiing with Kat. On Sunday, she was told you were having dinner with Kat."

"B…but that's not what happened!" Tommy stammered desperately, "I was skiing with Kat and Billy, and on Sunday, I was supposed to have dinner with Heather!"

"Dinner with another woman," Jason clarified, "It doesn't sound like Kim was that far off."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Hey… I didn't go against Kim's trust. She dumped me! So what if I went on a date?"

"Less than a week later?" Jason challenged.

His frustration mounting, Tommy pounded his fist into the mattress. "Okay, okay! I was on the rebound! Is that what you wanted to hear? I was hurting… and Heather… she reminded me of Kim, and-"

He swallowed the rest of his defense.

An enduring silence settled, as both young men gathered their thoughts. Then, with a deep sigh, Jason sat down beside his best friend. "Look, Bro… I didn't mean to come down on you like that. I'm not trying to take sides here, either. You and Kim are more than my friends; you're family. And it really shocked me to find out that everything ended so badly between you."

Tommy opened his mouth to once again affirm his innocence, but Jason shook his head. "There's no point in arguing 'who did what to who'. Until we find Kimberly, there's no way to figure out the truth anyway."

Tommy's eyes met Jason's in a grim stare. "Yes there is."

oooOOOooo

Tommy didn't emerge from the barracks until Adam announced their approach over the intercom. The instant the Megazord returned to its underground docking base, the Red Ranger leapt from the vessel. The other Turbo Rangers watched in shock, trying their best to keep up with their distracted leader.

Only Jason lingered behind, his face uncharacteristically drawn.

Without a word of greeting, Tommy marched straight to the teleportation console. Before Alpha could even greet the exhausted heroes, the Red Ranger was gone.

Tanya quirked an eyebrow, and then turned to Jason. "What did you two talk about?" she demanded.

Adam reached for his girlfriend's hand. "Tanya-"

"Don't even go there," she cut him off, "Tommy's our friend and teammate. We have every right to know what's going on around here."

Jason's voice drew everyone's attention. "You're right, Tanya. You all need stay in the loop-"

He was interrupted by a violent flash of crimson energy. The Red Ranger materialized, clasping a crumpled piece of paper in his white glove.

"Alpha, run a scan on this," he ordered.

"Aye yi yi," the robot whispered, his optic sensors scanning the page, "is this…?"

"Compare the handwriting with this," he continued, holding out a postcard with the Eiffel Tower on front. "If the handwriting does match, see if you can find traces of anything suspicious."

Alpha nodded wordlessly, and followed the orders.

Zordon's gaze was curious as he studied his Red Ranger. "WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO FIND, TOMMY?"

"The truth," he murmured.

Katherine watched as Tommy drew away from the rest of the team. It was striking that his helmet remained firmly fixed on his head, masking his expression from his friends.

Justin gazed up at his compatriots. "I don't get it. Shouldn't we be figuring out a new plan to find that girl?"

"The computer shows the handwriting matches," Alpha reported, stout fingers tapping at the controls. "I'm also not picking up any traces of magic, to make us think the handwriting looks like Kimberly's."

"Magic?" Adam and Tanya repeated in unison.

Jason watched Tommy for a moment before stepping forward. "Alpha, can you derive the type of ink and paper used? What it's made of?"

"It'll take a moment," Alpha answered, typing in a new command.

Grim silence befell the Rangers, causing the gentle beeping of the computer to ring in their ears like a knell.

Finally, a particularly long beep acknowledged the scan was complete.

"That's weird," Alpha mused, tearing the readout from the printer, "The ink matches the properties of the yeklin plant."

"Does that mean something?" Tanya wondered.

Zordon lifted his head. "THE YEKLIN PLANT HAS BEEN USED FOR MILLENNIA AS A BASE FOR PERMANENT INK BY SEVERAL DOZEN SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT GROW ON EARTH."

Tanya, Adam, and Katherine gaped in astonishment. Jason shook his head, again pressing the bridge of his nose. Alpha fell into a soft litany of "Aye yi yi yi yi." Justin stared at the computer in wonderment. "A letter from an alien?" he gushed, eyes lighting up with keen interest, "Cool!"

It was then that Tommy's stiff posture gave way. He fell heavily into the nearest chair, back bowed and hands cradling his hidden face.

A letter from an alien…

Not from Kimberly.

oooOOOooo

"Whiney, snot-nosed brats," Divatox muttered under her breath. She stomped through the dark passage linking the bridge to her private quarters, her frustrated stomping announcing her approach to every Piranhatron in her path.

The mute sentinels moved to either side, lining the hall for the Pirate Queen.

"Oh, you'll see," she hissed to no one in particular, throwing open the bronze double doors, "The Rangers are doomed!"

She tore her ragged cape from her shoulders, tossing it to her large, circular bed.

"And just how do you plan on doing that?"

Divatox couldn't contain a startled "Eep!" as she whirled around.

The visitor reclined before the vanity, absently patting her swollen cheek with a moistened towel.

Divatox blinked. "Where did you come from? And where did you get that?"

Kimberly offered an innocent smile, holding up the medicated cloth. "Oh, this?" she bated, "Well, I fished around your medical supplies while you were throwing your little hissy fit."

The Pirate Queen's nostrils flared, hands flying to her hips. She approached her vanity, glaring down at the human girl who dared invade her personal quarters.

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" she screeched.

Kim didn't even wince at the shrill voice. Instead, she turned the swivel chair and rose to her feet.

Despite the solid half-a-foot height advantage, when she looked into the smoldering red eyes, Divatox felt impossibly small.

"Don't delude yourself, Diva," Kimberly murmured, her voice soft, yet unspeakably dangerous. "It's obvious that your strength is limited. That's why you were so desperate to ally yourself with a powerful husband; a weakling like yourself can only cling to power so long before someone sees through your charade."

Impressively, Divatox maintained some semblance of composure. "Is that a threat?"

A smirk slowly spread over Kim's face. "No. I'm joining your crew."

A perfectly-sculpted eyebrow rose. "Excuse me?"

"You need me. Without Maligore, you have no muscle. You're just a pirate; have you ever even faced a team of Power Rangers before today?"

The Pirate Queen scowled. "I'll have you know I have an entire army of mutants on my home world! Once I collect my resources, I'll lay waste to the Rangers!"

"Please, Diva... don't insult my intelligence. If you had such powerful friends, you never would've come after Maligore." She folded her arms smugly. "Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Maligore's charming wit or dashing good looks that attracted you."

Divatox sputtered furiously.

Kim waved her hand. "Look… my point is, you don't have to leave Earth empty handed. You didn't get a husband out of this, but Maligore's Child has survived. And I'm willing to make sure you're successful against the Rangers."

Divatox managed to rein in her anger, and watched the young woman with a suspicious eye. "And what do you get out of it?"

"I get the Pink and Red Rangers… to do with what I will."

The pirate chewed her crimson lip thoughtfully. Why wasn't this making any sense? True, Maligore had stolen the girl's purity… but why was she so determined to harm her friends?

"Why?"

Kimberly knew exactly what Divatox meant. "It's personal."

And then, she saw it. The hate, the frustration… and just under the surface, the gnawing feeling of inadequacy.

She'd felt the sting of betrayal more than once. From suitor after suitor, that left her standing at the altar alone, suffering embarrassment worse than torture, and humiliation harsher than death.

And suddenly, Divatox looked at the human girl with new eyes.

A satisfied smile easily lit up Divatox's face. "Welcome to the crew, Kimberly."

Kim blinked in surprise; she hadn't been expecting a warm welcome. Before the former Pink Ranger could open her mouth, Divatox slid her arm around her shoulders, guiding her new protégé to her enormous armoire.

She threw open the large doors, revealing literally hundreds of outfits, neatly hanging from the ceiling organized by color. "The first thing we need to do is get you out of that wetsuit." She tapped her chin, then strode to the section of pink garments.

Kim shook her head. "Like I told that wannabe, pink is out." She cast her flaming gaze along the incredible collection, her face lighting up as she found an appealing section.

"What do you have in black?"

To Be Continued…