The Second Chances Saga: Ragnarok: A new ending.
Fandom: Power Rangers/ Alternate Universes (duh!)
Notes: This story takes place before they lose the Dinozords. Zack has
moved to Iowa, and Adam took his place. There was no Peace Conference. It
is loosely based on Karen Davis' BLUE YONDER, (I guess it's one of the five
universes Jason never made it to.) and that concept is used with her
permission.
Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
I'm sorry that this is late.
Special Note: Thanks to Dagmar Buse and ScarletDeva for all the extra help. There's a special homage to one of my favorite Dagmar stories in her. Also thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. I hope you all enjoyed reading these as much as I'm enjoying writing them. (Irinia your's is a little better hidden. Grammar indeed!)
Tommy smiled, "I think I can handle it." Adam saw something else in his eye too, and in a brief flash of insight, he realized that Tommy would be willing to kick in the gates of hell for his friends. He told Adam without reservation, "Besides, as Jason would say, it's the right thing to do."
*************************************************************
"I don't know what was said to who, but things are finally calming down for us," Jason told Kimberly. They were all on the back patio at Jason's house getting ready for a cook-out and discussing the recent changes in both Ed Cranston and Frank Scott. The two fathers had suddenly stopped hovering over the boys like a couple of hens watching their chicks, and were giving them room to discover what they really meant to each other.
"Whom," Billy said quietly."
"Huh?" Jason asked.
"What was said to WHOM," he stressed the last word.
"Oh," Jason replied. "Sorry, I wasn't worrying too much about grammar."
"We can tell," the Blue Ranger teased him, as he lay out the eating accoutrements. "But nonetheless, Jason is of course correct. Our parents have ceased any attempts to prevent us from being together unsupervised."
"Huh" Kyle asked, as he mentally defined all the words. Finally, the realization of what Billy meant slowly took form, and he said, "Oh".
"So, everybody ready for school to start back Monday?" Adam asked. He found himself just a little concerned about the prospects of the situation he and Tommy had discussed. He knew that Jason would be able to deal with almost anything, but he worried about Billy and his only recently gained self-esteem. Looking over at the Blue Ranger, he wondered just how he would deal with some of the nastier aspects of high school. Slowly he came to realize that maybe he'd be okay. After all, Billy had been dealing with bullies since elementary school.
Kyle on the other hand was a different story. Adam wasn't sure how his newest friend would handle dealing with The Power, a new school, and the general animosity he was going to face for being as open about his sexuality as he obviously was. Plus Kimberly's gymnastic coach was beginning to get that look in his eye whenever he saw Kim and Kyle together. Adam had seen that look before in the eyes of his own karate coach. It meant one word- Gold.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Kyle grinned, "Watch out Angel Grove High, here I come!" He said from the low wall at the side of the ornamental pond in the back yard. The others had told him on numerous occasions that that wall had been installed not long after the other four had entered sixth grade. Evidently, Kim had gotten a bee in her bonnet about something and had backed Jason across the back yard and almost into the pond while lecturing him at the top of her lungs. He'd been told it was very mature lecture, complete with the requisite, "did not, did too," and at least one person, who of course shall remain nameless, sticking her tongue out. The Scott's had installed the low wall to prevent any further mishaps.
"Why does that thought worry me a great deal?" Mrs. Scott asked Kyle smilingly as she came out the back door carrying a big bowl of fresh fruit.
Kyle grinned at his hostess as he came down from the wall, and took the bowl from her. "Because of my charming personality and stunning good looks?" he joked. Adam was glad to see that his new friend was beginning to come out of the dark shell he'd tended to wrap himself in. He realized that Kyle was beginning to move on, and allow himself to heal. Somehow that made Adam feel both better, and just a little afraid.
"Young man, you are incorrigible!" Mrs. Scott smiled.
"That's what my dad tells me too, Mrs. Scott," Kyle grinned and put the food onto the table. "By the way, thank you for hosting this little back to school blowout for us."
"You're of course welcome." She smiled at the rest of them as she returned to the house, "All of you." She stopped at the back door, "Oh Jason, would you go ahead and get the grill ready, so that all we have to do is light in when your father gets here." She paused for a second and smiled before correcting herself, "On second thought, maybe you should go ahead and light it so all we have to do is put the food on. We would like to eat before dark."
Everybody laughed; it was a running joke that while Mr. Scott was a great cook, he couldn't get a grill started in under three hours to save his life. Adam jumped down from his perch on the picnic table and followed Jase to the back shed, "I'll give hand, man."
"Jase, you thought much about school since you and Billy started dating?" Adam asked trying to sound casual, as he grabbed an armload of charcoal briquettes.
Jason looked over at him, "What'cha mean?"
"Well, I was just thinking about how things are going to be different around school when word gets out that you two are more than just friends," Adam said. "I mean, people can be pretty mean, and I'm not just talking Bulk and Skull. I don't want to see you or Billy get hurt."
Jason stopped and looked at him, "I hadn't thought much about it, Bro. I've sort of been busy sorting out my own feelings." He shook his head, "But, we'll deal with it."
"Well, if you need anybody to talk to.," Adam let the words hang.
"Thanks man. I appreciate it," He told Adam as they carried the cook-out supplies back to the yard.
"No problem." Adam replied.
"I've never really attended such functions in the past beyond that of support staff," Billy was saying, "so I don't think it will be a problem."
"Well Jason has, so one of you are going to have to make some kind of adjustment to your habits," Tommy was kidding the Blue Ranger.
"What?" Jason asked.
"We were discussing what you two were going to do about the Fall Mixer," Kimberly smiled and replied.
"If I understand the purpose of that dance, it is to primarily introduce the freshman and new students to AGHS, so our presence really isn't necessary. We both are after all, seniors." Billy told her.
"You know I hadn't considered that," Jason said thinking. He looked over at Billy, "You want to go to the dance?"
Before Billy could reply Kimberly protested, "Jason, if you're going to ask him to the dance, ask him to the dance. Don't make it sound like an afterthought." She turned to Tommy with a warning tone said, "You taking notes?"
"Yes, Beautiful," Tommy answered dutifully.
"I don't know." Billy replied with a mock tone of apathy, "I might get a better offer."
That stopped Adam in his tracks. He'd never heard Billy be this casual about social interactions in his life. Jason's reply was almost as uncharacteristic. "You do, and I'll beat him up."
Everybody laughed, and the seriousness of their tones degenerated into their normal light banter. Adam simply sat and watched as everyone slipped into only slightly modified versions of their old roles. Billy and Jason did keep stealing small touches and glances at each other, but for the most part everything was back to normal. For the first time, he realized that the normal didn't include Trini, and that small amount of guilt he felt at that was lost in his understanding that she'd made her own peace with the universe.
*************************
An hour later, Jason sat down at the table next to Adam with his plate piled high with food. Billy and Tommy quietly had their heads together whispering something, and every now and again one or the other would giggle. He smiled over at them and asked Kimberly, "What's with those two?"
Kimberly shrugged, "Beats me."
Both boys looked up, chuckled, and pointed toward Kyle. Tommy laughed maniacally and rubbed his hands together, "We're plotting the defeat of B- Ball Team 2."
"In your dreams falcon-breath," Jason told him and winked at Kimberly.
"What's B-ball Team 2?" Kyle asked.
"You're team," Jason said. "The one that loses regularly."
"You mean basketball?" Kyle smiled big. Jason felt just a twinge of worry when he said, "Ahh basketball." He gave a Jason a low look, "You do realize that where I come from basketball is the state sport. Whole schools are built around it. You cut me, I bleed UK blue."
Kim glance worried over at him and Adam, "Uh oh."
"We'll see just how good you are after dinner," Jase said as everyone's eyes turned to the back gate.
Jason turned to look in that direction and felt his jaw drop. Ms. Stone came walking through the gate carrying a bowl of something. She was dressed in pair of khaki walking shorts and a lavendar peasant blouse. Next to her was Mr. Cranston, and they had the look about them that they'd just arrived together. "I'm sorry we're late," Ms. Stone said, "I'm not quite unpacked in my place yet, and was having problems finding everything." She held up the bowl, "But I did bring a peace offering, homemade southern banana pudding."
Kimberly leaned over next to Billy and Jason heard her whisper, "Do you get the impression that they arrived together?"
Billy just nodded, and Jason saw just a small amount of pain his lover's eyes. He understood that Billy had never really gotten over his own mother's death, and only on rare occasions had discussed it, even with him. Seeing his father with another woman, no matter how casual had surprised the blond. Quietly getting up, he went around the table and gently inserted himself between Kim and Billy. "Hey man.,"
Before he could finish the sentence, their communicators went off. Every eye at the party turned to the table where they were sitting. Looking around trying to find an excuse to leave for a moment, Jason's draw dropped when his dad simply said, "Go. We'll keep things warm for you."
"Huh?" Tommy asked.
"What you think we're stupid or something?" Mr. Oliver replied. "Just go."
The communicators went off again and Jason looked over at Ms. Stone who nodded, "What? You six are still here? Go."
"Jason hit the stud on the device, "We're here, Zor. uh Ms. Hayes."
"It looks like you're old friends on the moon have finally realized how much trouble their in." Ms. Hayes's voice came over the device. "They've sent down more than just one monster this time."
Jason nodded, "We're on our way." Turning back to his friends, he declared, "It's Morphin' Time!"
He felt the rush as The Power flowed to him, and he called out his 'zord, and was encased in his new costume. Behind him he heard,
"Pterodactyl!"
"Mastodon!"
There were two beats of silence.
"Dragonzord!", finally, Tommy's voice came in somewhat shaken. When they looked, Billy and Kyle were standing there quietly in costume.
"Can we go now?" Billy asked blushing.
Jason just nodded to him confused. The last thing he heard before the grid took him was Ms. Stone's voice, "Go and be careful. And remember, don't leave anything behind you." She said something else but it was lost in the transport beam.
Landing in the park they suddenly found themselves surrounded by Goldar, and five large figures from ancient Mythology. "Well, isn't it the Power Geeks!" Goldar laughed, "With Zed's new Nors.," The tall golden ape never got to finish the sentence as the Blue Ranger's staff caught him solidly in the teeth. With a smooth motion, Billy twisted, his body, swinging the staff low a second time and easily swept the Goldar off his feet. As the spin came to stop, the butt of the Blue Ranger's staff came slamming down into the giant ape's solar plexus. There was a whoosh of air escaping and a groan.
"Don't call me a geek!" Jason just barely heard Billy's low growl before the staff caught Goldar as second blow across the side of his head.
"What's gotten into Billy?" Tommy asked.
"Don't know." Jason replied, "But good technique."
Any reply from Tommy was lost in the joining of battle, as a hammer from a tall man with horns on his helmet caught him squarely in the chest, hurling him back into a nearby tree. Jason felt bones crack under the force of the blow and was vaguely aware that there wasn't the usual explosion that came with any contact by monstrous weapons with their costumes. "Fight! Don't talk!" The tall muscular man charged him, and Jason found himself in the fight of his life.
*********************************************************
"Oh, that had to hurt," Murphy said to nobody in particular, as she watched the battle on the holographic projector from her wrist. The parents of her charges gathered around behind her.
"Do you mind if we watch?" Mr. Scott asked.
"Actually we want to watch whether you mind or not," Mrs. Oliver volunteered. "They are our kids after all."
Murphy smiled over at them. She understood their concern and their reactions. She hadn't been surprised when Linda Scott had told her that they knew about their kids' extra-curricular activities. It really wasn't that hard to deduce for anyone with half a brain in their head. Most kids think that their parent's are stupid, and it takes several years of adulthood to figure out that those self-same parental units are a whole lot smarter than previously suspected. "You sure you want to watch this?" she asked. "This isn't the nice clean version you're going to get from the newscasts.
"We're sure Ms. Stone. We've long suspected that the news footage had been sanitized for public consumption," Ed Cranston told her. She saw a concerned look come over his face, "Although, I've never seen Billy this aggressive in the past."
Murphy smiled softly over to the smaller man and said, "That's the result of two things."
"And they are?" Mr. Cranston asked.
"Number one is that he has someone to fight for now," Nodding over to the Scotts she said, "Jason. Number two is that I've been trying to break all of them of this very bad habit they have of wasting motion and energy with what comes down to looking like poses and still scenes from a comic book. So far, only Billy and Kyle seem to be listening. It makes Billy come across as being more aggressive than he really is."
"And Kyle?" Frank Scott asked.
"Kyle didn't have than many bad habits to break. He's a farm boy, he's used to a more rough and tumble style of fighting. He's the kind that's likely to knock somebody like Goldar in the back of the head with a tire iron, if means protecting his friends. Plus Kyle's been beat up enough to know to get his licks in while he can."
Realizing that everybody standing behind her was making them all uncomfortable, she removed the bracer from her wrist, sat it on the table and hit the command to project the scene above it. At least they could all be comfortable while watching what she felt was going to be Rita's and Zedd's last stand. "Jason, don't turn your back on him." She winced as the hammer caught in the back of the thigh. "Ooh that's going to leave a bruise."
"These monsters seem more brutal," Mrs. Scott said worriedly. "Most of the one's from the past fights were almost comical."
"They are," Murphy told her. "Rita and Zedd have been losing pretty badly. Now they've gone one-step further in their monsters and have used a forbidden text to summon the spirits of some of the most violent deities in human history.
"My daughter is fighting a god?" Mrs. Hart asked worriedly.
"Yeah, but that's just Freyja- Kimberly can take her. As a matter of fact, Freyja shouldn't even be in this fight. She's a fertility goddess for heaven's sake." She looked over at the Scotts, "There wouldn't happen to be a Norse exhibit at the local museum would there?"
"Icelandic Mysteries and the Heimskringla," Ed Cranston told her. "Billy and I went the other day. It's actually very good."
"No doubt," Murphy muttered under her breath. Reaching out she touched the communicator stud, "Jason, you're fighting someone that wrestled Death. Tommy, that sword will really cut you. If you don't stay out of it's way, you're going to get sliced and diced. Tyr was a war god, and he knows how to use it. Kyle, good work with Loki, now give Adam a hand with Vidar. If that shoe comes down on him, you'll never get it off."
"Yes, ma'am," Kyle's southern drawl came back over the communicator.
Suddenly some kind of staff appeared out of nowhere, and the whole town shook as six forms grew to monstrous proportions. Over the intercom Jason's voice commanded as he leaped high into the air, "We need 'zord power now! Red Ranger Neozord Battlemode Three!" The command was repeated three other times.
Murphy smiled as the whirlwinds of energy engulfed each of the Rangers and their 'zords appeared around them. "These zords look different. They're more streamlined." Mr. Cranston said.
"Exactly," Murphy told him. "They're made from a material called syntenol and are capable of reprogramming their molecular structure, at the Rangers' command." She leaned back against the desk, "If they are forced to go to Battlemode four, then I'm afraid Rita's going to be in for an unpleasant surprise."
Ed Cranston asked, "Aren't those new 'zords for Billy and Kyle?" ************************************************* Meanwhile, Jason was feeling embarrassed at the rebuke from Ms. Stone. Couldn't he do anything right for that woman? He closed quickly with the guy he'd taken to calling Thor.
The man seemed to be disoriented, by his sudden change in his stature. He looked around, "What sorcery is this that would make us into giants?!"
"The bad kind!" Billy called out. "You guys really don't want to fight us, we're not your enemies."
"Odin's lost eye!" the man with one hand yelled. "It's Fenris!" He turned from Tommy and charged Billy's zord, sword held high. With some surprise, Jason noted that Billy's Triceratops was gone and in its place was a huge blue wolf-shaped 'zord. Looking around he realized that Kyle's was not the saber tooth tiger he expected but was instead a giant yellow raccoon.
Before he could go to Billy's aid, his own tyrannosaur was slung backwards by a blow from the red-head's hammer. Getting his feet back under him barely in time to meet the guy's charge, he spun his zord around and slammed the tail into his charging foe. With some satisfaction, he noted the surprised look on Thor's face.
His readout showed that Tommy's opponent as well as the female who had been trading arrow shots with Kimberly had disengaged and were attacking Billy. "Oh no you don't!" Jason had thoughts of Billy being gang attacked. He gritted his teeth as the big man started to get up, and leaped at him, deploying the 'zord's rear claws."
With a satisfying tearing from the claws he pinned Thor to the ground and brought the 'zord's jaws into play on the massive forearm holding the hammer. Jason ground his own teeth again as the tyrannosaur's jaws came together, severing the hand holding the hammer. "Get out of my way you has- been! Three on one isn't fair!"
As the great giant's hand fell away he felt him begin to dissolve into what ever force brought him into existence. Turning he saw Goldar with his head now bloodied, close with the others against Billy. He wasn't sure what it was about Billy's 'zord had set these guys off, but they'd abandoned all their own opponents to attack him. Goldar was screaming, "Yes! Destroy the Blue Ranger first and then turn on his friends."
Jason watched as the giant yellow raccoon that was Kyle's 'zord picked up the fallen hammer, which for some reason had yet to dissolve. Standing behind Goldar, Kyle tapped the giant ape on the shoulder saying. "I'm not exactly pure of heart, but damn it I'll take what I can get." When Goldar turned to face him, Kyle swung the hammer with everything the 'zord had. There was a satisfying crunch as the giant ape's head was snapped back by the force of the blow and he was hurled across the bay. The hammer in Kyle's hand dissolved at that point.
Billy's voice came over the radio, "someone has been reading too many Marvel Comics."
The huge man wearing an iron shoe had raised is foot high above the back of Billy's 'zord. For some reason, Jase knew that he couldn't let that shoe come down on Billy. Without thinking, he leapt, feeling his own 'zord transform under him. Great claws extended from the massive forepaws and he suddenly felt the control cockpit shift under him. As he crashed into the man, he saw the dinosaur shaped readout shift into something resembling a grizzly.
Rolling across the empty soccer and baseball fields of the park, he and his opponent came to a halt, half in and half out of the water of the lake. Bringing a massive forepaw around, he raked the man into the bear's grasp and brought the arms together into a bone crushing bear hug. Twisting his body right and left, he once again bit with the 'zord's jaws tearing huge chunks from the giant's shoulder. Again, he felt the warrior return to whatever force had brought him into being.
Looking back he saw that only the man with one hand was left, and acting outraged. "Ragnarok was not supposed to turn out this way!" he screamed and charged Tommy incoherently. "It was Thor who was to fight the Midgard Serpent!"
With a practiced ease, the Green Ranger ducked his Dragonzord and brought a knee up into Tyr's stomach. Pulling down with an empi-uchi elbow strike to the back of the head, he slammed the one handed man to ground and watched as he too dissolved into nothingness.
"Not bad Rangers. Good job Jason," Ms. Stone's voice came over the intercom. "Report back to your parent's house. Jason I want to check out those ribs."
**********************************************************
Meanwhile on the moon, Baboo entered the throne room. "Sire, long range sensors have picked up a large craft approaching the system very fast."
"Show me, you imbecile!" Zedd screamed.
Baboo walked to the window-shaped view screen, and pointed. "There!"
A long sleek craft, weapon ports all over it began a slow deceleration toward Earth. Zedd recognized the markings of the scout craft, and had he possessed a skin, he would felt the goose bumps of fear. "Pack my things. I'm leaving. Teenage kids I'll fight. The Kregar are a different story."
Disclaimers: I don't own the Power Rangers, Zordon, Zords, Angel Grove, Ernie's or any of Saban's other properties. If I did, I can guarantee you it wouldn't be a kiddie show. I also don't own Storm Quest, Temblor or the Time Shard. They belong to my buddies over at Sky Comics. (Joe- Just be glad I left Seeker alone-) The rest is all from my own twisted mind, and that of my best friend Kim Nichols-Hornbuckle. This is slash fiction. If you don't like guys in love with each other- run as far and as fast as you can. I'm always open to constructive criticism. I can be reached at cobalt- blue@rocketmail.com
I'm sorry that this is late.
Special Note: Thanks to Dagmar Buse and ScarletDeva for all the extra help. There's a special homage to one of my favorite Dagmar stories in her. Also thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. I hope you all enjoyed reading these as much as I'm enjoying writing them. (Irinia your's is a little better hidden. Grammar indeed!)
Tommy smiled, "I think I can handle it." Adam saw something else in his eye too, and in a brief flash of insight, he realized that Tommy would be willing to kick in the gates of hell for his friends. He told Adam without reservation, "Besides, as Jason would say, it's the right thing to do."
*************************************************************
"I don't know what was said to who, but things are finally calming down for us," Jason told Kimberly. They were all on the back patio at Jason's house getting ready for a cook-out and discussing the recent changes in both Ed Cranston and Frank Scott. The two fathers had suddenly stopped hovering over the boys like a couple of hens watching their chicks, and were giving them room to discover what they really meant to each other.
"Whom," Billy said quietly."
"Huh?" Jason asked.
"What was said to WHOM," he stressed the last word.
"Oh," Jason replied. "Sorry, I wasn't worrying too much about grammar."
"We can tell," the Blue Ranger teased him, as he lay out the eating accoutrements. "But nonetheless, Jason is of course correct. Our parents have ceased any attempts to prevent us from being together unsupervised."
"Huh" Kyle asked, as he mentally defined all the words. Finally, the realization of what Billy meant slowly took form, and he said, "Oh".
"So, everybody ready for school to start back Monday?" Adam asked. He found himself just a little concerned about the prospects of the situation he and Tommy had discussed. He knew that Jason would be able to deal with almost anything, but he worried about Billy and his only recently gained self-esteem. Looking over at the Blue Ranger, he wondered just how he would deal with some of the nastier aspects of high school. Slowly he came to realize that maybe he'd be okay. After all, Billy had been dealing with bullies since elementary school.
Kyle on the other hand was a different story. Adam wasn't sure how his newest friend would handle dealing with The Power, a new school, and the general animosity he was going to face for being as open about his sexuality as he obviously was. Plus Kimberly's gymnastic coach was beginning to get that look in his eye whenever he saw Kim and Kyle together. Adam had seen that look before in the eyes of his own karate coach. It meant one word- Gold.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Kyle grinned, "Watch out Angel Grove High, here I come!" He said from the low wall at the side of the ornamental pond in the back yard. The others had told him on numerous occasions that that wall had been installed not long after the other four had entered sixth grade. Evidently, Kim had gotten a bee in her bonnet about something and had backed Jason across the back yard and almost into the pond while lecturing him at the top of her lungs. He'd been told it was very mature lecture, complete with the requisite, "did not, did too," and at least one person, who of course shall remain nameless, sticking her tongue out. The Scott's had installed the low wall to prevent any further mishaps.
"Why does that thought worry me a great deal?" Mrs. Scott asked Kyle smilingly as she came out the back door carrying a big bowl of fresh fruit.
Kyle grinned at his hostess as he came down from the wall, and took the bowl from her. "Because of my charming personality and stunning good looks?" he joked. Adam was glad to see that his new friend was beginning to come out of the dark shell he'd tended to wrap himself in. He realized that Kyle was beginning to move on, and allow himself to heal. Somehow that made Adam feel both better, and just a little afraid.
"Young man, you are incorrigible!" Mrs. Scott smiled.
"That's what my dad tells me too, Mrs. Scott," Kyle grinned and put the food onto the table. "By the way, thank you for hosting this little back to school blowout for us."
"You're of course welcome." She smiled at the rest of them as she returned to the house, "All of you." She stopped at the back door, "Oh Jason, would you go ahead and get the grill ready, so that all we have to do is light in when your father gets here." She paused for a second and smiled before correcting herself, "On second thought, maybe you should go ahead and light it so all we have to do is put the food on. We would like to eat before dark."
Everybody laughed; it was a running joke that while Mr. Scott was a great cook, he couldn't get a grill started in under three hours to save his life. Adam jumped down from his perch on the picnic table and followed Jase to the back shed, "I'll give hand, man."
"Jase, you thought much about school since you and Billy started dating?" Adam asked trying to sound casual, as he grabbed an armload of charcoal briquettes.
Jason looked over at him, "What'cha mean?"
"Well, I was just thinking about how things are going to be different around school when word gets out that you two are more than just friends," Adam said. "I mean, people can be pretty mean, and I'm not just talking Bulk and Skull. I don't want to see you or Billy get hurt."
Jason stopped and looked at him, "I hadn't thought much about it, Bro. I've sort of been busy sorting out my own feelings." He shook his head, "But, we'll deal with it."
"Well, if you need anybody to talk to.," Adam let the words hang.
"Thanks man. I appreciate it," He told Adam as they carried the cook-out supplies back to the yard.
"No problem." Adam replied.
"I've never really attended such functions in the past beyond that of support staff," Billy was saying, "so I don't think it will be a problem."
"Well Jason has, so one of you are going to have to make some kind of adjustment to your habits," Tommy was kidding the Blue Ranger.
"What?" Jason asked.
"We were discussing what you two were going to do about the Fall Mixer," Kimberly smiled and replied.
"If I understand the purpose of that dance, it is to primarily introduce the freshman and new students to AGHS, so our presence really isn't necessary. We both are after all, seniors." Billy told her.
"You know I hadn't considered that," Jason said thinking. He looked over at Billy, "You want to go to the dance?"
Before Billy could reply Kimberly protested, "Jason, if you're going to ask him to the dance, ask him to the dance. Don't make it sound like an afterthought." She turned to Tommy with a warning tone said, "You taking notes?"
"Yes, Beautiful," Tommy answered dutifully.
"I don't know." Billy replied with a mock tone of apathy, "I might get a better offer."
That stopped Adam in his tracks. He'd never heard Billy be this casual about social interactions in his life. Jason's reply was almost as uncharacteristic. "You do, and I'll beat him up."
Everybody laughed, and the seriousness of their tones degenerated into their normal light banter. Adam simply sat and watched as everyone slipped into only slightly modified versions of their old roles. Billy and Jason did keep stealing small touches and glances at each other, but for the most part everything was back to normal. For the first time, he realized that the normal didn't include Trini, and that small amount of guilt he felt at that was lost in his understanding that she'd made her own peace with the universe.
*************************
An hour later, Jason sat down at the table next to Adam with his plate piled high with food. Billy and Tommy quietly had their heads together whispering something, and every now and again one or the other would giggle. He smiled over at them and asked Kimberly, "What's with those two?"
Kimberly shrugged, "Beats me."
Both boys looked up, chuckled, and pointed toward Kyle. Tommy laughed maniacally and rubbed his hands together, "We're plotting the defeat of B- Ball Team 2."
"In your dreams falcon-breath," Jason told him and winked at Kimberly.
"What's B-ball Team 2?" Kyle asked.
"You're team," Jason said. "The one that loses regularly."
"You mean basketball?" Kyle smiled big. Jason felt just a twinge of worry when he said, "Ahh basketball." He gave a Jason a low look, "You do realize that where I come from basketball is the state sport. Whole schools are built around it. You cut me, I bleed UK blue."
Kim glance worried over at him and Adam, "Uh oh."
"We'll see just how good you are after dinner," Jase said as everyone's eyes turned to the back gate.
Jason turned to look in that direction and felt his jaw drop. Ms. Stone came walking through the gate carrying a bowl of something. She was dressed in pair of khaki walking shorts and a lavendar peasant blouse. Next to her was Mr. Cranston, and they had the look about them that they'd just arrived together. "I'm sorry we're late," Ms. Stone said, "I'm not quite unpacked in my place yet, and was having problems finding everything." She held up the bowl, "But I did bring a peace offering, homemade southern banana pudding."
Kimberly leaned over next to Billy and Jason heard her whisper, "Do you get the impression that they arrived together?"
Billy just nodded, and Jason saw just a small amount of pain his lover's eyes. He understood that Billy had never really gotten over his own mother's death, and only on rare occasions had discussed it, even with him. Seeing his father with another woman, no matter how casual had surprised the blond. Quietly getting up, he went around the table and gently inserted himself between Kim and Billy. "Hey man.,"
Before he could finish the sentence, their communicators went off. Every eye at the party turned to the table where they were sitting. Looking around trying to find an excuse to leave for a moment, Jason's draw dropped when his dad simply said, "Go. We'll keep things warm for you."
"Huh?" Tommy asked.
"What you think we're stupid or something?" Mr. Oliver replied. "Just go."
The communicators went off again and Jason looked over at Ms. Stone who nodded, "What? You six are still here? Go."
"Jason hit the stud on the device, "We're here, Zor. uh Ms. Hayes."
"It looks like you're old friends on the moon have finally realized how much trouble their in." Ms. Hayes's voice came over the device. "They've sent down more than just one monster this time."
Jason nodded, "We're on our way." Turning back to his friends, he declared, "It's Morphin' Time!"
He felt the rush as The Power flowed to him, and he called out his 'zord, and was encased in his new costume. Behind him he heard,
"Pterodactyl!"
"Mastodon!"
There were two beats of silence.
"Dragonzord!", finally, Tommy's voice came in somewhat shaken. When they looked, Billy and Kyle were standing there quietly in costume.
"Can we go now?" Billy asked blushing.
Jason just nodded to him confused. The last thing he heard before the grid took him was Ms. Stone's voice, "Go and be careful. And remember, don't leave anything behind you." She said something else but it was lost in the transport beam.
Landing in the park they suddenly found themselves surrounded by Goldar, and five large figures from ancient Mythology. "Well, isn't it the Power Geeks!" Goldar laughed, "With Zed's new Nors.," The tall golden ape never got to finish the sentence as the Blue Ranger's staff caught him solidly in the teeth. With a smooth motion, Billy twisted, his body, swinging the staff low a second time and easily swept the Goldar off his feet. As the spin came to stop, the butt of the Blue Ranger's staff came slamming down into the giant ape's solar plexus. There was a whoosh of air escaping and a groan.
"Don't call me a geek!" Jason just barely heard Billy's low growl before the staff caught Goldar as second blow across the side of his head.
"What's gotten into Billy?" Tommy asked.
"Don't know." Jason replied, "But good technique."
Any reply from Tommy was lost in the joining of battle, as a hammer from a tall man with horns on his helmet caught him squarely in the chest, hurling him back into a nearby tree. Jason felt bones crack under the force of the blow and was vaguely aware that there wasn't the usual explosion that came with any contact by monstrous weapons with their costumes. "Fight! Don't talk!" The tall muscular man charged him, and Jason found himself in the fight of his life.
*********************************************************
"Oh, that had to hurt," Murphy said to nobody in particular, as she watched the battle on the holographic projector from her wrist. The parents of her charges gathered around behind her.
"Do you mind if we watch?" Mr. Scott asked.
"Actually we want to watch whether you mind or not," Mrs. Oliver volunteered. "They are our kids after all."
Murphy smiled over at them. She understood their concern and their reactions. She hadn't been surprised when Linda Scott had told her that they knew about their kids' extra-curricular activities. It really wasn't that hard to deduce for anyone with half a brain in their head. Most kids think that their parent's are stupid, and it takes several years of adulthood to figure out that those self-same parental units are a whole lot smarter than previously suspected. "You sure you want to watch this?" she asked. "This isn't the nice clean version you're going to get from the newscasts.
"We're sure Ms. Stone. We've long suspected that the news footage had been sanitized for public consumption," Ed Cranston told her. She saw a concerned look come over his face, "Although, I've never seen Billy this aggressive in the past."
Murphy smiled softly over to the smaller man and said, "That's the result of two things."
"And they are?" Mr. Cranston asked.
"Number one is that he has someone to fight for now," Nodding over to the Scotts she said, "Jason. Number two is that I've been trying to break all of them of this very bad habit they have of wasting motion and energy with what comes down to looking like poses and still scenes from a comic book. So far, only Billy and Kyle seem to be listening. It makes Billy come across as being more aggressive than he really is."
"And Kyle?" Frank Scott asked.
"Kyle didn't have than many bad habits to break. He's a farm boy, he's used to a more rough and tumble style of fighting. He's the kind that's likely to knock somebody like Goldar in the back of the head with a tire iron, if means protecting his friends. Plus Kyle's been beat up enough to know to get his licks in while he can."
Realizing that everybody standing behind her was making them all uncomfortable, she removed the bracer from her wrist, sat it on the table and hit the command to project the scene above it. At least they could all be comfortable while watching what she felt was going to be Rita's and Zedd's last stand. "Jason, don't turn your back on him." She winced as the hammer caught in the back of the thigh. "Ooh that's going to leave a bruise."
"These monsters seem more brutal," Mrs. Scott said worriedly. "Most of the one's from the past fights were almost comical."
"They are," Murphy told her. "Rita and Zedd have been losing pretty badly. Now they've gone one-step further in their monsters and have used a forbidden text to summon the spirits of some of the most violent deities in human history.
"My daughter is fighting a god?" Mrs. Hart asked worriedly.
"Yeah, but that's just Freyja- Kimberly can take her. As a matter of fact, Freyja shouldn't even be in this fight. She's a fertility goddess for heaven's sake." She looked over at the Scotts, "There wouldn't happen to be a Norse exhibit at the local museum would there?"
"Icelandic Mysteries and the Heimskringla," Ed Cranston told her. "Billy and I went the other day. It's actually very good."
"No doubt," Murphy muttered under her breath. Reaching out she touched the communicator stud, "Jason, you're fighting someone that wrestled Death. Tommy, that sword will really cut you. If you don't stay out of it's way, you're going to get sliced and diced. Tyr was a war god, and he knows how to use it. Kyle, good work with Loki, now give Adam a hand with Vidar. If that shoe comes down on him, you'll never get it off."
"Yes, ma'am," Kyle's southern drawl came back over the communicator.
Suddenly some kind of staff appeared out of nowhere, and the whole town shook as six forms grew to monstrous proportions. Over the intercom Jason's voice commanded as he leaped high into the air, "We need 'zord power now! Red Ranger Neozord Battlemode Three!" The command was repeated three other times.
Murphy smiled as the whirlwinds of energy engulfed each of the Rangers and their 'zords appeared around them. "These zords look different. They're more streamlined." Mr. Cranston said.
"Exactly," Murphy told him. "They're made from a material called syntenol and are capable of reprogramming their molecular structure, at the Rangers' command." She leaned back against the desk, "If they are forced to go to Battlemode four, then I'm afraid Rita's going to be in for an unpleasant surprise."
Ed Cranston asked, "Aren't those new 'zords for Billy and Kyle?" ************************************************* Meanwhile, Jason was feeling embarrassed at the rebuke from Ms. Stone. Couldn't he do anything right for that woman? He closed quickly with the guy he'd taken to calling Thor.
The man seemed to be disoriented, by his sudden change in his stature. He looked around, "What sorcery is this that would make us into giants?!"
"The bad kind!" Billy called out. "You guys really don't want to fight us, we're not your enemies."
"Odin's lost eye!" the man with one hand yelled. "It's Fenris!" He turned from Tommy and charged Billy's zord, sword held high. With some surprise, Jason noted that Billy's Triceratops was gone and in its place was a huge blue wolf-shaped 'zord. Looking around he realized that Kyle's was not the saber tooth tiger he expected but was instead a giant yellow raccoon.
Before he could go to Billy's aid, his own tyrannosaur was slung backwards by a blow from the red-head's hammer. Getting his feet back under him barely in time to meet the guy's charge, he spun his zord around and slammed the tail into his charging foe. With some satisfaction, he noted the surprised look on Thor's face.
His readout showed that Tommy's opponent as well as the female who had been trading arrow shots with Kimberly had disengaged and were attacking Billy. "Oh no you don't!" Jason had thoughts of Billy being gang attacked. He gritted his teeth as the big man started to get up, and leaped at him, deploying the 'zord's rear claws."
With a satisfying tearing from the claws he pinned Thor to the ground and brought the 'zord's jaws into play on the massive forearm holding the hammer. Jason ground his own teeth again as the tyrannosaur's jaws came together, severing the hand holding the hammer. "Get out of my way you has- been! Three on one isn't fair!"
As the great giant's hand fell away he felt him begin to dissolve into what ever force brought him into existence. Turning he saw Goldar with his head now bloodied, close with the others against Billy. He wasn't sure what it was about Billy's 'zord had set these guys off, but they'd abandoned all their own opponents to attack him. Goldar was screaming, "Yes! Destroy the Blue Ranger first and then turn on his friends."
Jason watched as the giant yellow raccoon that was Kyle's 'zord picked up the fallen hammer, which for some reason had yet to dissolve. Standing behind Goldar, Kyle tapped the giant ape on the shoulder saying. "I'm not exactly pure of heart, but damn it I'll take what I can get." When Goldar turned to face him, Kyle swung the hammer with everything the 'zord had. There was a satisfying crunch as the giant ape's head was snapped back by the force of the blow and he was hurled across the bay. The hammer in Kyle's hand dissolved at that point.
Billy's voice came over the radio, "someone has been reading too many Marvel Comics."
The huge man wearing an iron shoe had raised is foot high above the back of Billy's 'zord. For some reason, Jase knew that he couldn't let that shoe come down on Billy. Without thinking, he leapt, feeling his own 'zord transform under him. Great claws extended from the massive forepaws and he suddenly felt the control cockpit shift under him. As he crashed into the man, he saw the dinosaur shaped readout shift into something resembling a grizzly.
Rolling across the empty soccer and baseball fields of the park, he and his opponent came to a halt, half in and half out of the water of the lake. Bringing a massive forepaw around, he raked the man into the bear's grasp and brought the arms together into a bone crushing bear hug. Twisting his body right and left, he once again bit with the 'zord's jaws tearing huge chunks from the giant's shoulder. Again, he felt the warrior return to whatever force had brought him into being.
Looking back he saw that only the man with one hand was left, and acting outraged. "Ragnarok was not supposed to turn out this way!" he screamed and charged Tommy incoherently. "It was Thor who was to fight the Midgard Serpent!"
With a practiced ease, the Green Ranger ducked his Dragonzord and brought a knee up into Tyr's stomach. Pulling down with an empi-uchi elbow strike to the back of the head, he slammed the one handed man to ground and watched as he too dissolved into nothingness.
"Not bad Rangers. Good job Jason," Ms. Stone's voice came over the intercom. "Report back to your parent's house. Jason I want to check out those ribs."
**********************************************************
Meanwhile on the moon, Baboo entered the throne room. "Sire, long range sensors have picked up a large craft approaching the system very fast."
"Show me, you imbecile!" Zedd screamed.
Baboo walked to the window-shaped view screen, and pointed. "There!"
A long sleek craft, weapon ports all over it began a slow deceleration toward Earth. Zedd recognized the markings of the scout craft, and had he possessed a skin, he would felt the goose bumps of fear. "Pack my things. I'm leaving. Teenage kids I'll fight. The Kregar are a different story."