Hayley's POV

Calling the Dino Thunder Rangers was the hardest thing I had ever done, and I've done some pretty hard stuff. College was not a piece of cake for me at all.

I didn't want to do it, but it had to be done.

The phone calls were so difficult.

"Hi, is Conner there?"

"Yes, just a minute."

Pause. "Hey, Conner. Waddup?"

He sounded so normal, so happy, even with all that was going on. That was when I decided to schedule a meeting. I preferred face-to-face, anyway.

"Look, can you come by the lab in an hour or so?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"It. . .It's important. It's about Tommy."

"Dr. O? Is he okay?"

Damn them all. They had such a protective complex about him.

"Just come, okay? It's something you all need to hear."

"I'll be there. If necessary, I'll drag the other three kicking and screaming."

I had to smile. Slightly. "Thanks Conner."

The other calls were similar, though I had slightly more trouble getting to Trent. His father is such a dick.

Some time later, the moment had arrived.

Conner's POV

I'll tell you, when Hayley said she had something to tell us about Dr. O, I was terrified. Had he been captured again? I could only hope we'd be able to help.

When I got to Dr. O's place, it was all taped up. Y'know, that tape police guys use at the scene of a crime. That made my blood run cold, let me tell you.

Door was locked, so I went into the lab the back way. Kira, Trent and Ethan were already there. So was Hayley. She looked seriously upset.

"Spill," I commanded. "What's up with Dr. O?"

We all turned to look expectantly at Hayley. She couldn't quite meet our eyes.

"Well," she began slowly. "You all know that Tommy's been going through some pretty rough times." I was beyond terrified now, and I could see the others were too.

"Get to the point," Kira said, "where's Dr. O?"

"There's no easy way to tell you." She was scared of saying it.

"What happened?" Ethan demanded. "Just say it. Is he hurt?"

"No." That was quick, affirmative, as though she could say that well enough. Easily enough. We all breathed again. "Guys, Tommy. . .well. . .Tommy died last night."

"WHAT?!" The shout was simultaneous and instantaneous. Whatever we were expecting, it wasn't that.

Finally, I found my voice. "How?"

"He. . .Oh, God," she sobbed. "He killed himself, because. . .Oh, fuck." I'd never heard her swear before. Truth be told, I wanted to curse along with her. I couldn't. I had to be strong. Dr. O would want me to be, right? I was the Red Ranger.

I turned to look at the others. Kira was sobbing unashamedly into Trent's chest. Trent was hold her tight, looking totally stunned. Ethan looked about to faint. I wasn't in much better condition, but I had to hold on.

"Why?" I asked.

Hayley couldn't speak, only offered me the note. Dr. Oliver's suicide note. I had never imagined in my wildest, darkest dreams that I'd ever be reading something like this.

I read it. Couldn't believe it, couldn't understand. Read it again. A third reading shed no more light on it.

Dr. Oliver was gone. We'd never see him again. He'd never roll his eyes at Ethan's addiction to computer games. He'd never listen while pretend he wasn't listening and still be smiling at one of Kira's gigs. He wouldn't offer advice on fighting kicking that helped improve my game. He'd never smirk at us from the front of the classroom, or nag us about training or. . .

Never again. Dr. Oliver, possibly the most important person in all of our lives, was gone. For good.

Trent's POV

"So what happens now?" I was surprised to hear my own voice sound as calm and rational as it did. We'd all read the note by now, and Kira showed no signs of slowing down in her sobbing. Not that I blamed her. I felt like crying myself.

"What do you mean?" Hayley asked, as though bewildered by the question.

"Well, Dr. Oliver's gone. What do we do now? Do we go on as Rangers? Do we forget it ever happened? Do we try and get rid of the Power? What?"

Hayley looked at me, respect building in her eyes, where there wasn't sorrow and grief. "That's a good question," she told me, latching on to something else to think about.

"Hey, Mesogog's not gonna quit just because Dr. O. . .is gone," Conner stated firmly. "He's gonna keep going. If we aren't there to stop him, who will be?"

"I hate to agree with him, but he's right," Ethan said. "I say we go on as Rangers."

"He'd have wanted us to, right?" Kira asked, her voice muffled in my shirt. "He'd have wanted us to keep fighting, no matter what."

"Are we all in?" Conner asked. We all gave affirmatives. "Hayley, we all look to you now."

It was a solemn affair, there. Conner was pretty much transferring mentor- ship to Hayley. She took it with grace and dignity, I thought.

"Hey, what happened to Dr.O's Dino Gem?" Ethan asked. Only Ethan.

"It, well, I have it," Hayley said. "It's of no use to anyone anymore."

She showed us. She was right. The Dino Gem was badly fractured.

"Is that gonna happen to all the Dino Gems?" Kira whispered.

"I don't know," Hayley said, bewildered. "As far as Tommy's theory went, when you all die, the Power is supposed to be released. Back to the Gems. You know. This could mean one of two things; that we were wrong, or that suicide kills the Gem."

"So no more Black Ranger," Ethan stated, as though in a dream. I think many of the implications of Dr. Oliver's death had not yet been revealed. This was going a lot deeper than any of us could ever have imagined.

Ethan's POV

I think we were all gonna be in serious shock for a while. Dr. Oliver was gone. We'd never see him again. I could completely ignore all the monsters I wanted and he'd never get mad to me again.

Aw, man. I sank to the ground. This was just too much to take in.

And how he'd done it, too. . .Suicide? Our Dr. O? I couldn't believe it. Sure, I'd read the note he'd left, but that had yet to sink in too.

I still wasn't past the fact that he'd been our age once.

Just kidding.

I felt sick. Not only were we gonna have to deal with Mercer as our teacher, we'd have to do the whole Ranger thing alone. No more Dr. O right there to help and guide us. Hayley was great and all, but she didn't have the raw experience in the field Dr. O had had. What were we supposed to do without that?

Lots was said. I think I tuned most of it out. Probably wasn't important.

I couldn't help but pay attention when Kira started talking.

Kira's POV

I was still trying to recover from the news that Dr. O was dead. Then I had to deal with that he'd killed himself? And why the hell were they moving so fast? Oh, yeah. To keep from breaking down like poor, weak Yellow Ranger.

To hell with them all. I was just more open with my emotions. The only way I'd get this all out would be through music, writing songs and stuff. I knew I wouldn't touch my guitar for a very long time.

Just thinking about it brought back images of Dr. O in the crowd at my gigs, listening, with a half-smile on his face, letting me know that he, at least, was into it.

How could I even think of playing ever again?

Then I thought of what he'd say if he saw us like this, and I'd like to think he was watching over us still. Just not physically.

Anyway, he'd say something along the lines of, "What's with the grief? Why even think about not doing the things you love? Get out there and do what you do. Do the right thing. Make me proud."

Yeah, he would.

I think, of all the Rangers, except Hayley, I was closest to him. I mean, I spent endless hours trying to help him into organization when he was stuck in the Ranger suit. So, I think I'd know.

I decided it was up to me to be motivational speaker girl.

I pulled away from Trent, wiping my eyes. "Come on, guys," I said, with a stronger voice than I'd have thought. "Think about this. If Dr. O could see us now, if he came walking in here, right now, he'd personally strangle each and every one of us."

Stares. This was gonna be tougher than I'd thought.

"Yes, Dr. O's gone. I feel it, too. Jeez, now Mercer's not just a substitute any more." Halfhearted smiles. It was a start. "Dr. Oliver wouldn't want us to sit around moping and mourning. He'd want us to bounce back, get back on our feet and get on with our lives. Don't forget him, and yeah, feel sad. But, damn, people, don't let this destroy your spirit. Isn't that what he tried to instill in us? No matter what the disaster, we can get through it. Together. As a team. As a family."

Conner was the first to speak. "She's right, y'know. I mean, Dr. O would seriously have us all killed for acting like this."

"Still, I don't think I'm gonna be able to look at a computer for a while," Ethan stated.

"That's just it," I spoke up again. "Ethan get on a damn computer and blow the shit outta some stuff. Sorry Hayley," I added quickly. She smiled at me. I was getting to her, too. "Conner, go shoot some soccer balls. Trent, draw stuff. Hayley. . .Well, be a genius." They all laughed. "Whatever you do, make it the best you've ever done. For Dr. O. To show him, wherever he is now, that we miss him, but we'll carry on his Legacy of Power."

Hayley broke into sobs and I thought I killed her. When she looked up, she was grinning like an idiot. "Kira is right. We shouldn't be sitting around here, moping and feeling sorry for ourselves. While Tommy was with us, he was the best thing that could have happened to us. We shouldn't shame his memory, no matter the circumstances of his death, but giving up. Let's go, guys."

I was so glad I'd done something right.

When everyone else had left, I hung around a little longer. I went through drawers, looking at stuff I'd helped file away. I found pictures, letters. . . All sorts of things. I'd seen most of them. I rested my hand on the computer panel. I almost felt as though he'd walk right in, book in hand, glasses perched on his nose, demanding to know why the boys were late for practice again.

I couldn't help but smile at the picture.

I breathed in deeply.

"Goodbye, Dr. Oliver. I really hope we do make you proud."

With that, I turned and left, mind filled vaguely with some idea of writing a tribute song, that said everything, and yet said nothing at all.

"Are you sure?" he asked me.

I took a deep breath. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"What if they find out?"

"I'll deal with that when and if it happens. For now, I think it's better this way. It's way too much to rely on one person and I'm so tired."

"Understandably. If you're sure. . .Once we're past a certain point, it won't be easy to go back."

I took another deep breath. "I'm sure." I looked out the window at my home, for the last time. "I just hope to God my decision is the right one."

I stared as my home dwindled in the distance. I was leaving so much, but I needed to. It was all too much. This was right, and I knew it.

I sighed, missing it, missing them, anyway, and turned away from the window, which now showed only the black expanse of space.