Disclaimer: Don't own the Power Rangers. Anybody you never heard of before
is probably mine, but it doesn't matter because there's no money involved
anyway.
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. The originals are all in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed. After all the angst last chapter I decided to have some fun with our pal Billy before getting back to the story.
Legacy, part 5
Billy was amazed at the level of utter exhaustion he'd reached; he couldn't even seem to see straight, bumping freely into walls and his friend, who tried to guide him as he shambled down the maze of corridors. And things seemed distorted; as though he were regarding them from a different perspective, from higher up. He felt like he was looking down on the top of Jason's head, and generally the former Red Ranger had an inch or so on him. Or maybe Jason was as tired as he was, and was slumping.
"You want a shower? Or just bed?" Jason's deep voice interrupted Billy's fractured train of thought.
"Shower, if you don't mind; and I assume there's a couch in your room like there was in mine. I'll take it for the night. You're too tall for it."
Jason seemed to find the offer funny. "Nah, it's okay, bro. You can have the bed. You'll be more comfortable there."
"I really don't mind."
Jason laughed again. "You will. Do you want me to turn on the shower for you?"
Billy nodded, yawning. "Yeah, thanks. I've got to get these contacts out before I go blind."
Jason undressed to his briefs and slipped under a sheet on the couch, waiting for Billy to catch a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror with gleeful anticipation. The sound of the rushing water abated; he could hear the glass door slide open, allow some time for a towel, and rubbing the steam off the mirror...three...two...one...
"JASE!"
Chuckling, he jogged lightly to the bathroom door and opened it. "Yeah?"
Billy was staring at himself in the mirror, disbelief all over his handsome features as he looked at his body. "What the hell happened to me?"
Jason was still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "I guess your dad's constraint device dampened more than just the Sentinel power, and when he removed it…poof!"
"But I'm—I'm—"
"You're built, man. Tommy's gonna have a stroke when he sees you; they all will. Tell 'em you had a growth spurt or something."
"Oh, sure, they'll believe that," Billy rolled his eyes. "None of my clothes are going to fit, either." He turned slightly to examine his newly muscular back and arms. "You know, I was rather proud of how fit I'd become, but I never thought I'd be this brawny. And – is it my imagination or am I taller?"
"Yep, you're taller than me now."
Billy absently rubbed his palm over the golden-brown hair that now covered his hard chest, then straightened and met Jason's eye in the mirror again. "Jase? I can see you clearly."
"Great," replied his friend, mystified. "Wait, you mean you don't have your contacts in?"
"Nope. I don't seem to need them anymore," Billy said gleefully, leaning his hips against the sink to study his eyes more carefully. "Is the color different? Brighter?"
"Yeah, I noticed that too…what's the matter?"
A strange look passed over Billy's face as he carefully stood up straight. "I…thought I felt…excuse me a second." The blond youth turned away from Jason and opened the front of the towel, looking down at himself. "Oh. My. God."
Jason frowned. "What? What's the matter? Should I get your dad?"
Billy made no reply, just cast a glance over his shoulder at Jason, stark incredulity in his bright blue eyes.
"Bill, man, what is it? Are you okay?"
"Jase," Billy's voice was hoarse, "you've, uh, seen me, right? Like in the showers at the gym?"
Jason shrugged. "Yeah, I have. Why?"
Billy silently dropped the towel and turned around to face his friend.
"Holy crap," said Jason. "You – you're – talk about a growth spurt. Good Lord." He picked up the towel and handed it to Billy, beginning to laugh. "Put that away, will you? I'm gonna have nightmares as it is." He slipped into his makeshift bed, chuckling at his fiercely blushing friend.
"But you don't look any different. Why?" Billy looked at his friend appraisingly.
Jason paused, his thoughts suddenly serious. "Your dad thought it might take some time. I don't care about the growth spurt; I'm just hoping I'll be whole again." And that I might live a little longer, he thought to himself, then resolutely pushed the thought to the back of his mind – too late for Billy's new abilities.
Billy sobered instantly, narrowing his azure eyes. "What the—? What do you mean, live a little longer?"
Jason shrugged. "Forget it, bro."
"Forget it, hell. You explain yourself, right now, or I'll just dive into your head and find out what I want to know," Billy threatened, crossing his arms over his powerful chest.
Jason pursed his lips, exhaling noisily. "Don't get pissed, bro. I haven't told anybody. I didn't want—"
"Jason," Billy's voice held a warning note.
"All right, then; but you have to swear you won't say anything to Tom or the others."
"No deals, Scott! TELL ME!"
"Okay…okay." Jason couldn't look at his friend, staring instead at the ceiling. "I'm dying."
Billy stared at him. "No."
"Yes. Ask Zordon, or Alpha."
The former Blue Ranger swallowed hard. "How long?"
Jason rubbed a tired hand over his face. "I won't see Christmas, probably."
Billy expected the grief that washed over him, but he was surprised at the intensity of the fury that followed. "And how long have you known?" he asked carefully, trying to keep a lid on his anger.
"Since I lost the Gold powers."
Seconds ticked by in time with the muscle clenching in Billy's jaw; then he exploded. "For God's sake, Jason, THAT WAS MONTHS AGO!" he roared. "Why didn't you tell me? How could you go through this alone?"
Jason still refused to look at Billy. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't want you to worry, to treat me differently. I thought if you knew, it might change things between us…and I needed, more than anything, for our friendship to stay the same."
Silence descended on the room. Jason finally turned to look at his friend, and flinched at the hurt and fury reflected on his face. Billy spoke quietly. "This is how you define friendship, is it?" He shook his head. "Were you planning on mentioning anything beforehand? Ever? Or were you just going to—arrrrgh!" A frustrated growl escaped his tightly clenched teeth. "I can't talk about this now." Billy slipped on his wrist communicator and spared Jason a rage-filled glance. "I'll be at home. Tell Dad for me, will you?"
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. The originals are all in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed. After all the angst last chapter I decided to have some fun with our pal Billy before getting back to the story.
Legacy, part 5
Billy was amazed at the level of utter exhaustion he'd reached; he couldn't even seem to see straight, bumping freely into walls and his friend, who tried to guide him as he shambled down the maze of corridors. And things seemed distorted; as though he were regarding them from a different perspective, from higher up. He felt like he was looking down on the top of Jason's head, and generally the former Red Ranger had an inch or so on him. Or maybe Jason was as tired as he was, and was slumping.
"You want a shower? Or just bed?" Jason's deep voice interrupted Billy's fractured train of thought.
"Shower, if you don't mind; and I assume there's a couch in your room like there was in mine. I'll take it for the night. You're too tall for it."
Jason seemed to find the offer funny. "Nah, it's okay, bro. You can have the bed. You'll be more comfortable there."
"I really don't mind."
Jason laughed again. "You will. Do you want me to turn on the shower for you?"
Billy nodded, yawning. "Yeah, thanks. I've got to get these contacts out before I go blind."
Jason undressed to his briefs and slipped under a sheet on the couch, waiting for Billy to catch a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror with gleeful anticipation. The sound of the rushing water abated; he could hear the glass door slide open, allow some time for a towel, and rubbing the steam off the mirror...three...two...one...
"JASE!"
Chuckling, he jogged lightly to the bathroom door and opened it. "Yeah?"
Billy was staring at himself in the mirror, disbelief all over his handsome features as he looked at his body. "What the hell happened to me?"
Jason was still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "I guess your dad's constraint device dampened more than just the Sentinel power, and when he removed it…poof!"
"But I'm—I'm—"
"You're built, man. Tommy's gonna have a stroke when he sees you; they all will. Tell 'em you had a growth spurt or something."
"Oh, sure, they'll believe that," Billy rolled his eyes. "None of my clothes are going to fit, either." He turned slightly to examine his newly muscular back and arms. "You know, I was rather proud of how fit I'd become, but I never thought I'd be this brawny. And – is it my imagination or am I taller?"
"Yep, you're taller than me now."
Billy absently rubbed his palm over the golden-brown hair that now covered his hard chest, then straightened and met Jason's eye in the mirror again. "Jase? I can see you clearly."
"Great," replied his friend, mystified. "Wait, you mean you don't have your contacts in?"
"Nope. I don't seem to need them anymore," Billy said gleefully, leaning his hips against the sink to study his eyes more carefully. "Is the color different? Brighter?"
"Yeah, I noticed that too…what's the matter?"
A strange look passed over Billy's face as he carefully stood up straight. "I…thought I felt…excuse me a second." The blond youth turned away from Jason and opened the front of the towel, looking down at himself. "Oh. My. God."
Jason frowned. "What? What's the matter? Should I get your dad?"
Billy made no reply, just cast a glance over his shoulder at Jason, stark incredulity in his bright blue eyes.
"Bill, man, what is it? Are you okay?"
"Jase," Billy's voice was hoarse, "you've, uh, seen me, right? Like in the showers at the gym?"
Jason shrugged. "Yeah, I have. Why?"
Billy silently dropped the towel and turned around to face his friend.
"Holy crap," said Jason. "You – you're – talk about a growth spurt. Good Lord." He picked up the towel and handed it to Billy, beginning to laugh. "Put that away, will you? I'm gonna have nightmares as it is." He slipped into his makeshift bed, chuckling at his fiercely blushing friend.
"But you don't look any different. Why?" Billy looked at his friend appraisingly.
Jason paused, his thoughts suddenly serious. "Your dad thought it might take some time. I don't care about the growth spurt; I'm just hoping I'll be whole again." And that I might live a little longer, he thought to himself, then resolutely pushed the thought to the back of his mind – too late for Billy's new abilities.
Billy sobered instantly, narrowing his azure eyes. "What the—? What do you mean, live a little longer?"
Jason shrugged. "Forget it, bro."
"Forget it, hell. You explain yourself, right now, or I'll just dive into your head and find out what I want to know," Billy threatened, crossing his arms over his powerful chest.
Jason pursed his lips, exhaling noisily. "Don't get pissed, bro. I haven't told anybody. I didn't want—"
"Jason," Billy's voice held a warning note.
"All right, then; but you have to swear you won't say anything to Tom or the others."
"No deals, Scott! TELL ME!"
"Okay…okay." Jason couldn't look at his friend, staring instead at the ceiling. "I'm dying."
Billy stared at him. "No."
"Yes. Ask Zordon, or Alpha."
The former Blue Ranger swallowed hard. "How long?"
Jason rubbed a tired hand over his face. "I won't see Christmas, probably."
Billy expected the grief that washed over him, but he was surprised at the intensity of the fury that followed. "And how long have you known?" he asked carefully, trying to keep a lid on his anger.
"Since I lost the Gold powers."
Seconds ticked by in time with the muscle clenching in Billy's jaw; then he exploded. "For God's sake, Jason, THAT WAS MONTHS AGO!" he roared. "Why didn't you tell me? How could you go through this alone?"
Jason still refused to look at Billy. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't want you to worry, to treat me differently. I thought if you knew, it might change things between us…and I needed, more than anything, for our friendship to stay the same."
Silence descended on the room. Jason finally turned to look at his friend, and flinched at the hurt and fury reflected on his face. Billy spoke quietly. "This is how you define friendship, is it?" He shook his head. "Were you planning on mentioning anything beforehand? Ever? Or were you just going to—arrrrgh!" A frustrated growl escaped his tightly clenched teeth. "I can't talk about this now." Billy slipped on his wrist communicator and spared Jason a rage-filled glance. "I'll be at home. Tell Dad for me, will you?"
