POWER RANGERS: OMEGA
Episode Seven – "Anniversary"
A tall shadow descends across Ella Kyle's porch. Although blinded from an attack by Omega's forces after his reemergence, she continues to maintain an upbeat demeanor and sweet disposition towards anyone that took the time to grace her porch. Looking up, she smiles warmly at her guest as she makes room for him on the porch swing.
"Good morning Miss Ella, it's been a long time." Malik kisses her cheek before sitting down next to her. Dressed in a pair of dark slacks and boots, he completes the ensemble with a black t-shirt that hugs his muscular upper body.
"It sure has baby," the elder woman responds, her smile growing brighter as her hand finds a resting spot on his knee.
Tommy racks the five hundred pounds of weight and focuses his attention on Ashley as she mimics the motions of Trini's kung fu routine. The grace of both females captivates him, but Ashley more so as he had seen Trini perform similar routines countless times before. Serenity washes over him and he ignores the tightness in his chest as Ashley flawlessly showcases her ability. His eyes trace the subtle curves of her body that even the bulky sweat suit failed to conceal completely. Shaking his head, he attempts to regain his concentration on the fighting style, but submits to his eyes' desire and continues staring at her figure.
Keisha reads a passage from the reading text as her class listens on intently. For the past month since she had been living with Maurice and the others, Maurice volunteered to pick up every one of her students and bus them to his place for their education. Again, words alone could not express how much Maurice meant to her. Teaching these children, who seemed to not only adore her, but the subject matter being taught, always made her feel needed and filled so many of the holes created in her heart from the losses of the past two decades. Silently, Maurice watches from the doorway.
"How did he do that?" Saundra inquires of Trini as the two ladies go over figures from this month's sales.
"Do what?" Trini ponders, as she had no idea as to what Saundra was referring to. Dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, she uncurls her legs and looks up.
"Maurice snapped the other day during the fight and he began to glow. I've never seen anyone glow before and that includes Power Rangers."
"A couple of them have in the past," Trini replies, removing her glasses and shifting focus to the younger woman. "But it always had something to do with the morphing grid. Maurice, well, he and Tommy are a little different."
"Different how?"
"It seems that not only can they tap into the energy given out by the morphing gird, but they can actually draw pure energy from within their own body. As you know, all living things have some form of bioelectrical energy coursing through them. There have been many stories about tapping into this reserve to increase strength or speed in times of extreme anguish or need."
"An adrenaline rush?"
"In a way, but take it a few steps further. Now, you're faster, stronger, whatever for that brief moment. Imagine if you could manipulate that energy so as to sustain it for several minutes at a time. Instantly turn the tide of a battle. Or even this, the ability to project that energy in a wave of sphere capable of more destruction than that person's fist. I'd heard about legendary martial arts masters who could do this and even make visible auras like Tommy and Maurice, but not to the extent these two can."
"Can anyone learn it?"
"Hard to say. Indications would point to yes, seeing as the two of them are normal as far as human genetics go. They've just been pushing their bodies beyond normal physical limitations for the past three and a half years, more so in the last year since we lost Tommy Sr." Trini pauses for a moment as the sadness passes through her. Saundra pats her shoulder supportively.
Keisha dismisses her class and they bound happily to Kimberly, this afternoon's designated driver. Sighing contentedly, she folds her arms and smiles. Maurice enters the room and hugs her shoulders.
"How are you doing?"
"Better. I've only had two episodes since last week and no recurrence of the fur."
"Good." He hugs her tighter. "Listen, Tommy and I are gonna be gone for the weekend. Will you be okay alone?"
"Yes, I'll be fine. Remember, there are four other females in the house. Go do whatever you need to do. You spend all your free time with me. Go have a little fun." She smiles and kisses his cheek.
"Sure?"
"Positive." He releases the hug and exits the room.
Tommy zips his suitcase just as the door opens.
"Where are the two of you going?" Ashley inquires, arms folded as she leans against his doorframe.
"Old Angel Grove," he replies, lifting the heavy suitcase with minimal effort.
"We've barely been a team for a week and the two strongest members just decide to disappear on us." Tommy senses the building emotion within his beautiful teammate. He notes the twin ponytails draped over her shoulders as well as the strand of hair curled over her forehead. She has since discarded her workout garbs as he admires the red tank top that showcased her tennis ball sized breasts, as well as the short blue jeans several inches above her knee. His eyes linger on the well-toned muscles of her legs before he passes by her. Stopping, he kisses her on the cheek and continues through the hallway without a word, leaving the nineteen year old angrier than she had been.
Sweat drenched and breathing shallowly, Maurice hefts the seven hundred pounds of weight from his chest. Holding his arms up with a slight bend in his elbows, he holds the final rep of his fifteen, then racks it back on the bar. Inhaling deeply, he sits up, allowing the soreness in his shoulders and chest an opportunity to dissipate. His thoughts trail towards Keisha's conditions and the words of his rival just over a week ago. Standing from the bench, he removes the black muscle shirt he wears and heads towards the showers. His thoughts are occupied with the coming days.
"Have you talked to your brother?" Ella inquires, the two of them now inside the house. Her disability has never impaired her from her daily duties. Placing the steaming cup of cocoa before Malik, she awaits his response.
"A few days before I visited Jessica. He didn't seem too happy with me that day."
"Can't blame him." The sixty-five year old woman cups his chin and raises it up. "The two of you are all you have to remind you of the temporary peace the world had. Don't lose that as well. Nothing, especially in the world we live in, is more important than family. It would do the two of you well to not forget that."
"Yes ma'am. I always keep that in mind when I see him." He takes a long sip from the sweet liquid and savors the pure chocolate that Ella always melted into it. Looking up from his cup, he stares directly in her eyes. An immeasurably deep sadness within his eyes reflects from hers. "How do you do it? How can you not feel this overwhelming guilt that makes me wanna die?"
""I do feel the guilt," she assures him, her steady hand finding its way to his. "I've just come to terms with it. Jessica did what she felt was needed to protect us. No one made that decision but her. Remember, she is the one that snuck out that night after her mother forbade it. It took me a while, but I realized one thing. Feeling guilty only makes your life less tolerable, something Jessica would not accept for either of us. She did what she did in hopes that her family would be spared. It's human nature to feel guilty when someone dies for you. So I try to keep in perspective that by living my life to the fullest everyday, I honor her."
"How is it that you can be so bright and warm in all this darkness?"
"I've been through tough times before and survived when I didn't think I could. It's the way the world works. Hard times come and we either rise to face them, or cower in their wake." Malik nods his head, forgetting momentarily that she is without sight.
"But, I often find myself wondering, what if I hadn't took so long to get her message?"
"She called you after she left the house. You wouldn't have made it. Besides, I don't think Jessica's death is the only thing weighing heavily on your mind." He nods in agreement.
Tommy pulls his coat over his shoulders as Ashley watches from the stairway.
"I'd love to see you and the kid play love connection, but this is not the time. But I will tell you, I can tell by the way he looks at you, that he thinks you're special." As usual, Maurice seemingly pops up from nowhere to interject his two cents, as Ashley looks at him speechless. Maurice has since attired himself in a pair of black jeans, tennis shoes, and green short-sleeved button up shirt. Trini hugs Tommy as he walks outside.
"Where's Ashley?" he inquires, not looking back.
"Worried about her?"
"Maybe. Forget it. See you soon." He proceeds to the car in silence.
Maurice approaches Trini and Kimberly and shocks everyone with his uncharacteristic displays of public affection. He hugs Trini tightly and kisses Kimberly on the cheek before making his exit.
"Take care of each other while we're gone."
Kimberly stares at the retreating form of Maurice then directs her attention to Trini, who is equally stunned.
"Did they switch places or something?" the former Pink Ranger inquires.
"Who can ever tell with those two?"
Tigress grits her teeth as her nerves are bombarded by pure bioelectrical energy. She writhes in pain, but makes no verbal indication as to the pain her body is enduring. Her heart feels as if it will burst as the doctor attempts to compensate for the electrical pulses that regulate the organ.
"Soon, you will be three times stronger than your brother in his transformed state," he informs her, kissing her delicately on the forehead as this session, the first of four, expires. Tigress says nothing in response, as the mere thought of opening her mouth racks her with pain. Appropriately enough however, the thoughts of her vengeance ease the discomfort.
Raven glances down at her morpher as she walks through the uncommonly desolate streets of New York. For the past week, her body had been through an enormous amount of physical changes. Even unmorphed, she was stronger, faster, more agile, and more perceptive. And those attributes only increased when her metamorphosis into a Ranger transpires.
"Unbelievable," she comments aloud as she passes through a stretch of neighborhood affectionately dubbed "Lucifer Lane." Although no physical trace of human presence could be found, Raven detects a residual aura of those who had kept tonight's fires burning which earned the neighborhood its tag. Being trained to fight crime originally as a police officer and later as a vigilante, she had always possessed the uncanny ability to sense the presence of people. But now, she is able to sense where they have been in a given amount of time.
"Welcome," bellows the amiable proprietor of New Hope Inn. Mannie Powell, a jovial man who's adequate proportions invoked thoughts of a young Santa Clause, ushers Tommy and Maurice inside. "How are you two?"
"You know how it goes. Save a few lives, get a letter bomb in the mail." Tommy retorts, hugging the man tightly.
"Still experiencing the backwash, I see. So the usual?"
"Yep," Maurice chimes in, looking over the décor. "Nice ambience."
"Thanks. I was doing renovations last month, and thought that royal purple had a soothing feel to it."
"I don't know about Mr. 'I have to wear black in all my outfits,' but it's working for me." Tommy takes in an eye full of the carpets and drapes.
"Enough tranquility for the moment," Maurice interrupts. "So how do the brackets look?" Mannie thumbs through the ledger containing the names and positions of the fighters in this year's tournament. "Seems like you drew Mr. OG for the first round. Tommy, you have Kylie."
"Damn. I hate fighting her so early. I always have to use my better moves against her. So is our room ready?"
"Of course. Just sign the paperwork and I'll help you and Maurice upstairs." A few feet away from them, Maurice gazes at a man seated at the bar on the opposite side of the lobby. His curiosity overcomes him and he approaches the man and engages him in conversation.
Tommy slips the paperwork back across the desk. "Well, here's your key and a printout of the fighting brackets."
"Thanks. See you in a bit." Tommy accepts the keys and printout. Looking around, he watches as Maurice smirks at a man throwing back shots of alcohol and walk away. "Okay, what was that all about?" Without a word, Maurice grabs his things and heads towards the elevator. Tommy shrugs his shoulders and follows.
"So," Tommy begins, drying his damp hair, "who was that?"
"The last person I'd expect to see here," Maurice replies cryptically.
"Well, that's very informative. Are we playing 20 questions?"
"I don't know, are we? Let's go." He rises from his chair and exits the room. Tommy hurriedly pulls the red muscle shirt over his head and grabs his tennis shoes as he races behind him.
Saundra and Ashley take their seats on the couch. Trini inserts a videodisc in the player and sits between the two of them. Depressing the play button on the remote control, the information boots up and Maurice appears on the monitor, devoid of his shirt. Saundra's eyes widen a bit as she takes in the chiseled pectorals and abdominal muscles of the young man.
"Now watch carefully," Trini instructs. The two females nod as the camera pans back to reveals Tommy. He too is devoid of a shirt, causing Ashley to blush. The two fighters bow to one another then back away. Maurice bends forward slightly and crosses his arms so that the sides of his fist touch the opposite shoulder. Tommy bends his knees slightly and curls his arms to the side at ninety-degree angles. Suddenly, white auras endow the two of them. The tiles nearest their feet begin to crack.
Still imbued by their auras, the two dash forward at a speed almost too fast for even the quick action capture camera to keep up with. They collide forearms, temporarily blinding the lens. As the flash of light disperses, they immediately begin unleashing a barrage of punches, meeting only with each other's defense. Leaping into the air, the camera operator runs backwards then points up as the two Rangers land on the upper deck of the gym and continue throwing punches in rapid fire succession. Maurice gains the upper hand and knees Tommy in the gut. Tommy back flips away and Maurice lunges forward with a kick that he avoids. Countering with a kick of his own, Tommy connects and knocks Maurice back a step. Trini pauses the playback.
"And that was just them without their Ranger powers." The two other women look at Trini in disbelief.
"I can see why those two have yet to be killed. They're amazing." Saundra stares at the stilled image of Maurice, his aura flaring brightly. Ashley notes the smile on Tommy's face despite the thin trail of blood on his chin.
The two fighters bounce around as the tournament's opening round commences. T.D. Pallow, a middleweight boxer, avoids a punch aimed at his head. Utilizing his nimble speed and grace, he maneuvers close enough to land two quick jabs to Vincent LeBeough's face, staggering the shoot-fighter. A powerful hook from the boxer is ducked and countered with a kick to the side of the shin. T.D. hops back on his good leg, just avoiding another hook kick aimed at his midsection. Bouncing around, the two attempt to detect an opening. LeBeough throws a powerful front thrust kick that although blocked, knocks T.D. backwards. As the slightly smaller man stumbles back, LeBeough leaps into the air and executes a highlight reel perfect spin kick that strikes T.D. in the chin and sends the young man crashing to the floor. Landing on the toes of one foot, he watches as his opponent attempts to stand up before the ten count. He can't, and LeBeough is declared the winner. The referee holds his hand in victory and LeBeough blows kisses to the females in attendance.
"Well, that was entertaining," Maurice remarks. "You're next."
"Yep, yep. Time to show these nice folks a little of that Power Ranger magic." Tommy stands from his seat and enters the cage surrounding the arena.
"The following contest is a submissions rule match. In this corner, the lovely, and deadly Kylie Richards!" The announcer directs the spotlight to Kylie's corner, where the attractive raven-haired fighter sits in a full split stretching. Placing her hands palm down, she pushes herself into a handstand, then lowers her legs into a bridge, exhibiting her limberness. Straightening herself up, she smiles, appreciating the skill of her opponent.
"And in this corner, the defending champion. Tommy Oliver Jr.!" The spotlight casts its luminescence upon the young man as he rises from his deep knee bend and bends at the waist. Grasping his calf muscles, he touches his forehead to his knees, and stands back up. "Positions." They bow to one another and strike stances. "Fight!" The referee steps in and the fight begins.
Kylie initiates the offense with a crescent kick, which Tommy avoids by stepping back. Snapping his neck to the side, he barely avoids a quick jab to the face. He blocks another with his forearm and counters with a front kick that is blocked by her forearm. She leaps back, bringing her leg up and skims the top of his hair as he ducks. He follows up with an uppercut that she slaps away with the back of her hand. Tommy jumps back, a bright smile on his face. Kylie returns the smile, remembering last year when the two met in the semi-finals.
Dashing forward, Tommy slams his forearm into hers then slams his fist into her stomach, causing her to gasp. Backing away, she throws a sidekick to free some space between the two of them. Tommy sidesteps it and swings his leg at her head. Ducking, she tucks her body and rolls to the opposite side. Springing up, she swings one leg at him. As it is met with a forearm, she swings the other and catches him in the side of the head, stumbling him backwards. Maurice smiles as Kylie flips back on to her feet as Tommy rubs his head.
Kylie follows up and jump kicks him in the chest, knocking him on his back despite him having blocked it. Aiming her heel at his neck, he rolls over onto his stomach predictably, and Kylie hooks his arm and rolls onto his back, hooking the arm and pulling it backwards. Before she can look the other arm, Tommy rolls with her and uses his free hand to chop her across the shoulder. They roll away from one another, both rising to one knee and staring each other down. The crowd applauds wildly as the two combatants get to their feet and rush forward. Locking hands, Tommy easily overpowers her. Using the leverage to her advantage, she sticks her foot into his gut and flips him over her head. Still holding onto her hands, Tommy yanks her to her feet as he stands. Back to back, he holds her shorter arms painfully above his head. Hoisting her up, he flips her back in front of him, releases one arm and drives her down to the ground. On the way down, however, she punches him just below his throat, causing him to release his grip on her other arm. She rolls back to her feet and holds her injured arm.
Tommy flips back to his feet as Kylie dashes forward and feigns a sidekick. Tommy catches the foot, so Kylie swings the opposite leg at his head. He ducks that, but Kylie swings it again, connecting the second time. Tommy falls to his knees and Kylie quickly maneuvers behind him. Kneeing him in the lower back, she presses it into his spine and wraps the joint of her elbow around his neck, bending his head back in the process. Tommy strains as the pain courses through his body. Kylie applies more pressure to the hold.
Utilizing his exceptionally strong neck muscles, he leans forward, alleviating the pain in his back and intensifying the one in his neck. Concentrating, he rolls forward, landing on top of her. Raising his legs up, he distributes all his weight across her upper body, causing her to gasp in an attempt to obtain oxygen. She finally releases the hold and he rolls off of her. As she sits up, Tommy drops kicks her back down. Grabbing her ankle, he turns her on her stomach and twists the ankle. She writhes in pain as the painful ankle lock sends bolts of pain through her tendon. Gritting her teeth, she twists one way, then the other, building momentum. Twisting one last time, her leg connects with his wrist and she yanks free of the hold. Quickly, she hobbles over and aims a kick at his shin. Connecting, she watches as he falls forward and onto her.
Tommy lands chest first across her upturned elbows. They both get to their feet and Kylie attempts to sweep him down. Jumping the sweep, he springs back in the air, just as Kylie finishes her twisting motion. Lying out in mid-air, Tommy slams his foot into her head as she looks up and he descends back to the ground. Without hesitation, Tommy locks in the ankle lock again, twisting harder and staying lower to the ground. With no other option, she taps the arena floor, signaling her concession of defeat.
"The winner of this match, Tommy Oliver Jr.!" Tommy releases the hold and offers his hand. Kylie slaps it away and stands, favoring her ankle. Tommy has his hand raised.
As Tommy takes his seat, he watches the opposite end of the arena as the man he saw earlier enters. Maurice smirks just as he did earlier in the evening and enters through the other entrance.
"The following contest is set for two falls. Introducing first, in this corner Mr. X!" The man disrobes, tossing the silken garment to his attendant. She folds it and returns to her seat, placing the robe in his lap.
"And in this corner, last year's runner up and the previous year's champion, Maurice!" Maurice bows to the man and strikes a stance.
"What the hell is going on between those two?" Tommy wonders aloud.
THE END, FOR NOW
Next Time, on Power Rangers: Omega – The mystery man is revealed after the fight. Elsewhere, Saundra and Ashley help Raven fight a new robotic menace calling himself Ryker.