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. Everybody's in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
This is just some girl talk. Thanks to SD for the idea, and to Rach for being my sounding board…
Hey, when you're done reading this and after you review (please!), go check out anything by Dagmar Buse, ScarletDeva or Rach. Seriously great writers.
Legacy, part 18
Trini followed the sound of muffled cursing to the repair bay, where she found a pair of trim, sneakered feet sticking out from under the skeleton of a new interstellar pod.
"Hey, Alpha," she nodded to the small robot, who looked as though he'd be wringing his hands if he had any. Trini chuckled and hunkered down to peer under the pod. "You're driving poor Alpha distracted, Kim."
"Yeah, well, get under here and help me align these flux capacitor thingies, and then we can run another test and I'll get out of his circuits while the bay servos take over for the big stuff."
Trini got on her back and scooted under the pod with a laugh. "You almost sound like Billy, except I don't think he's ever said the word 'thingies'. What do you want me to do?"
Kim spit a piece of hair out of her mouth and consulted an oil-spattered sheaf of papers. "Okay. I think we're supposed to get these four doohickies to match up. See this?" She pointed to a diagram on the much-abused computer printout, then up at the exposed workings of the pod. "If you can get those two over there and hold 'em steady…" The two girls worked in silence for a while, then Kim gave a nod. "'Kay Alf, hit it!" she shouted.
"Ai-yi-yi, Kimberly, I wish you'd wait for Adam," the robot fussed. "You nearly fused the last set of capacitors."
Kim blew out an irritated breath. "I am not a complete idiot, Alpha. These instructions from Mr. C. are very clear. I can do this just as well as the genius boys. Now run the test, or I'll dismantle you and give you to my niece for Tinkertoys!"
"All right, all right, I'm beginning the test now," Alpha grumbled. There was a brief pause, and then the capacitors began to glow softly, humming gently. "Capacitors aligned, Kimberly. Shall I begin the servo program again?"
Kim shimmied out from her position and sat up, wiping her forehead with her arm as Trini slid free of the pod. "Go ahead, Alf. Tri and I will grab some dinner." She turned to her friend, who was looking her up and down with a grin. "What?"
"What have you got on?"
Kim looked down at the enormous blue coveralls, stained with grease. "Oh, I found these in the docking bay. I think they must have been Billy's; they smell like him. Old Spice." She gave one of the cuffs another turn. "They're a little long, huh?"
Trini chuckled. "Fashion maven. Come on. I brought pizza."
A short while later, damply clean and dressed in her own clothes, Kim bit hungrily into a gooey slice of pizza. "So what did you think of the candidates I dug up?"
"Mmmph," Trini waved a hand, indicating that her mouth was similarly occupied. She swallowed with effort. "They look like good choices; gosh, they seem so young, don't they?"
Kim shrugged. "We were young too. I think they'll be all right. How do you want to handle this?"
"How about we just teleport them here and ask them? That's what Zordon did to us."
Kim grimaced. "I know, and remember? We turned him down at first. He scared the pants off us."
Trini nodded, looking at the five photos spread on the table in front of her. "Point taken. How's about the Rangers approach them and you meet up with them after if they agree?" At Kim's nod, she went on, outlining the plan they'd concocted. "Then we transfer Turbo to them and take back Zeo. They protect Earth; we head out to back up Jason and Billy. You're sure you don't want a crystal?"
Kim gave her a look. "I'm sure. Tom went without powers, I can too." Then she shrugged. "Which would I take, anyhow?"
There was a pause. "You could have Red."
At that Kim actually shoved back from the table. "No way." She composed herself. "He chose you, Tri. You're the Red Ranger now."
Another pause; Trini looked at her friend uncertainly. "You don't mind?"
Kim shook her head, then gave Trini a sheepish grin. "Yeah, in a way I do, but it's you, so it's okay. You're a good leader. Tommy made a good choice."
Trini looked at Kim for the longest time. "You're still hung up on him."
Kim sighed. "Yep. It's not like I didn't try to get past him, you know? I dated. A lot. Other people get over their first love. Other people move on. Not me. Nope, in true Kimberly Ann bass-ackward fashion the longer we were apart the more I craved him." She sniffed. "And now… oh, shit. Talk about something else, okay? Tell me about your love life."
Trini snorted. "What love life?"
"You know, I always wondered whether you and Bill would get together. Guess that's a moot point now, from what I hear about this Taia." Kim leaned back on two legs of her chair, her feet braced against the table's edge.
Trini grinned. "Oh, I would so not mess with her." She chuckled lightly. "It's funny, you know, I used to wonder the same thing, though. Billy and I used to have this on-again, off-again attraction for one another, but never at the same time, or so it seemed. We just never jelled. Nor with Jason, though I tried harder there."
Kim's chair thumped forward to the floor. "Shut up. You dated Jason? When was this, and why should I not kill you for not saying anything about it?"
Trini giggled. "It didn't last very long, just after we first got to Switzerland, and it really wasn't anything to write home about." She paused, then dropped her bomb with a mischievous look. "Except for when we slept together, of course."
Kim shrieked. "Shut UP! You slept with Jason? Ohmigod! I cannot believe you never said a word, you wench!" The petite brunette meditated on this for some moments, punctuated by an occasional 'ohmigod'. "Well," she went on after a while, "this just completely skews my world view." A pause. "So how was he?"
Trini feigned shock. "Kimberly Ann Hart! I pour out the depths of my soul and this is all you can say?" She grinned. "Really good, actually. But it was a long time ago."
Kim pondered this for a while, then shook her head. "I can't believe you never said anything, you rat. Hmph." She made a clucking noise with her tongue. "So tell me about his sister. What's she like?"
Trini thought about it. "Pretty much like you'd expect, actually. She looks a great deal like Jase, smaller, of course. Gorgeous, really. I hardly got to talk to her at all, but she's very nice, head over heels for Billy, and a warrior, right down to the ground. Not a surprise when you consider her background. But she carries it the same way Jason does, you know? Controlled. Although," the lovely Asian chuckled again, "I hear she's not so controlled when she and Bill are in private."
Kim laughed aloud. "Where'd you get that? Not from Billy, I bet."
"No. You know she and Jase share this mental link, right? Well, apparently she accidentally broadcast during a grapple with our young and studly scientist. Tommy said Jason was mortified."
"Oh, whoops." Kim laughed again, then made a face. "Now that's a door marked 'there' I don't want to go through. Billy as stud. Yick."
"What are you talking about? He's a hottie."
Kim threw her friend a look. "Whatever. He's been my best friend since what, third grade? It's like thinking about my brother or cousin or something. Bleah. Change the subject, quick."
Trini grinned. "Okay. So this is our final roster for Turbo, second generation: TJ, Ashley, Cassie, Justin, Carlos. If they all agree. We're decided?"
Kim gave her a thumbs up. "Lock and load, sister. Set it up; I'll be there."
Note: this is completely AU. Zordon never died. Everybody's in their early to mid-twenties. You'll recognize the other stuff I changed.
This is just some girl talk. Thanks to SD for the idea, and to Rach for being my sounding board…
Hey, when you're done reading this and after you review (please!), go check out anything by Dagmar Buse, ScarletDeva or Rach. Seriously great writers.
Legacy, part 18
Trini followed the sound of muffled cursing to the repair bay, where she found a pair of trim, sneakered feet sticking out from under the skeleton of a new interstellar pod.
"Hey, Alpha," she nodded to the small robot, who looked as though he'd be wringing his hands if he had any. Trini chuckled and hunkered down to peer under the pod. "You're driving poor Alpha distracted, Kim."
"Yeah, well, get under here and help me align these flux capacitor thingies, and then we can run another test and I'll get out of his circuits while the bay servos take over for the big stuff."
Trini got on her back and scooted under the pod with a laugh. "You almost sound like Billy, except I don't think he's ever said the word 'thingies'. What do you want me to do?"
Kim spit a piece of hair out of her mouth and consulted an oil-spattered sheaf of papers. "Okay. I think we're supposed to get these four doohickies to match up. See this?" She pointed to a diagram on the much-abused computer printout, then up at the exposed workings of the pod. "If you can get those two over there and hold 'em steady…" The two girls worked in silence for a while, then Kim gave a nod. "'Kay Alf, hit it!" she shouted.
"Ai-yi-yi, Kimberly, I wish you'd wait for Adam," the robot fussed. "You nearly fused the last set of capacitors."
Kim blew out an irritated breath. "I am not a complete idiot, Alpha. These instructions from Mr. C. are very clear. I can do this just as well as the genius boys. Now run the test, or I'll dismantle you and give you to my niece for Tinkertoys!"
"All right, all right, I'm beginning the test now," Alpha grumbled. There was a brief pause, and then the capacitors began to glow softly, humming gently. "Capacitors aligned, Kimberly. Shall I begin the servo program again?"
Kim shimmied out from her position and sat up, wiping her forehead with her arm as Trini slid free of the pod. "Go ahead, Alf. Tri and I will grab some dinner." She turned to her friend, who was looking her up and down with a grin. "What?"
"What have you got on?"
Kim looked down at the enormous blue coveralls, stained with grease. "Oh, I found these in the docking bay. I think they must have been Billy's; they smell like him. Old Spice." She gave one of the cuffs another turn. "They're a little long, huh?"
Trini chuckled. "Fashion maven. Come on. I brought pizza."
A short while later, damply clean and dressed in her own clothes, Kim bit hungrily into a gooey slice of pizza. "So what did you think of the candidates I dug up?"
"Mmmph," Trini waved a hand, indicating that her mouth was similarly occupied. She swallowed with effort. "They look like good choices; gosh, they seem so young, don't they?"
Kim shrugged. "We were young too. I think they'll be all right. How do you want to handle this?"
"How about we just teleport them here and ask them? That's what Zordon did to us."
Kim grimaced. "I know, and remember? We turned him down at first. He scared the pants off us."
Trini nodded, looking at the five photos spread on the table in front of her. "Point taken. How's about the Rangers approach them and you meet up with them after if they agree?" At Kim's nod, she went on, outlining the plan they'd concocted. "Then we transfer Turbo to them and take back Zeo. They protect Earth; we head out to back up Jason and Billy. You're sure you don't want a crystal?"
Kim gave her a look. "I'm sure. Tom went without powers, I can too." Then she shrugged. "Which would I take, anyhow?"
There was a pause. "You could have Red."
At that Kim actually shoved back from the table. "No way." She composed herself. "He chose you, Tri. You're the Red Ranger now."
Another pause; Trini looked at her friend uncertainly. "You don't mind?"
Kim shook her head, then gave Trini a sheepish grin. "Yeah, in a way I do, but it's you, so it's okay. You're a good leader. Tommy made a good choice."
Trini looked at Kim for the longest time. "You're still hung up on him."
Kim sighed. "Yep. It's not like I didn't try to get past him, you know? I dated. A lot. Other people get over their first love. Other people move on. Not me. Nope, in true Kimberly Ann bass-ackward fashion the longer we were apart the more I craved him." She sniffed. "And now… oh, shit. Talk about something else, okay? Tell me about your love life."
Trini snorted. "What love life?"
"You know, I always wondered whether you and Bill would get together. Guess that's a moot point now, from what I hear about this Taia." Kim leaned back on two legs of her chair, her feet braced against the table's edge.
Trini grinned. "Oh, I would so not mess with her." She chuckled lightly. "It's funny, you know, I used to wonder the same thing, though. Billy and I used to have this on-again, off-again attraction for one another, but never at the same time, or so it seemed. We just never jelled. Nor with Jason, though I tried harder there."
Kim's chair thumped forward to the floor. "Shut up. You dated Jason? When was this, and why should I not kill you for not saying anything about it?"
Trini giggled. "It didn't last very long, just after we first got to Switzerland, and it really wasn't anything to write home about." She paused, then dropped her bomb with a mischievous look. "Except for when we slept together, of course."
Kim shrieked. "Shut UP! You slept with Jason? Ohmigod! I cannot believe you never said a word, you wench!" The petite brunette meditated on this for some moments, punctuated by an occasional 'ohmigod'. "Well," she went on after a while, "this just completely skews my world view." A pause. "So how was he?"
Trini feigned shock. "Kimberly Ann Hart! I pour out the depths of my soul and this is all you can say?" She grinned. "Really good, actually. But it was a long time ago."
Kim pondered this for a while, then shook her head. "I can't believe you never said anything, you rat. Hmph." She made a clucking noise with her tongue. "So tell me about his sister. What's she like?"
Trini thought about it. "Pretty much like you'd expect, actually. She looks a great deal like Jase, smaller, of course. Gorgeous, really. I hardly got to talk to her at all, but she's very nice, head over heels for Billy, and a warrior, right down to the ground. Not a surprise when you consider her background. But she carries it the same way Jason does, you know? Controlled. Although," the lovely Asian chuckled again, "I hear she's not so controlled when she and Bill are in private."
Kim laughed aloud. "Where'd you get that? Not from Billy, I bet."
"No. You know she and Jase share this mental link, right? Well, apparently she accidentally broadcast during a grapple with our young and studly scientist. Tommy said Jason was mortified."
"Oh, whoops." Kim laughed again, then made a face. "Now that's a door marked 'there' I don't want to go through. Billy as stud. Yick."
"What are you talking about? He's a hottie."
Kim threw her friend a look. "Whatever. He's been my best friend since what, third grade? It's like thinking about my brother or cousin or something. Bleah. Change the subject, quick."
Trini grinned. "Okay. So this is our final roster for Turbo, second generation: TJ, Ashley, Cassie, Justin, Carlos. If they all agree. We're decided?"
Kim gave her a thumbs up. "Lock and load, sister. Set it up; I'll be there."
