Disclaimer: 'Power Rangers' is property of BVE or someone along those lines. No infringement is intended.

MAD SEASON

By Etcetera Kit

Chapter Six: Sworn to Fight

They were the only ones left. Conner looked dismally around the room. Cam had almost promised to get them out alive, but there were complications. He knew all too well what the complications could be—he had only written about them for the past four years. God, how could they have forgotten themselves to the extent that they started talking about their sexual orientation, after they had heard what the terrorists wanted? He felt stupid and really naïve. How could he have gotten it in his head that none of the terrorists were listening to them?

There were so many things he wanted to ask Tommy, but he didn't dare utter any of them. Not after what Cam had told them. He glanced to Tommy, knowing that he was thinking the same thing. Could a relationship between them work or were they just projecting their fears and passions onto one another? He decided that the flippant approach would be best. The terrorists were still down the hall—he was fairly certain of that.

"Tommy?"

"What?" he grunted in reply.

"Can I have a hug?"

Tommy's head whirled to face him. He sighed. "After what Cam told us? You don't know where those guys are."

"They're taking a vote down the hall and apparently they need everyone there." He paused and gave Tommy his patented 'puppy dog eyes' expression. "Please?" he begged, not so much because he wanted what the advance that meant, but because he just wanted the closeness, the feel of another person near him.

"Can't argue with that logic," Tommy muttered.

"Well?" Conner asked, cocking his head towards Tommy.

"Fine," Tommy growled.

Conner wasn't sure who started it, but some one must have opened his arms and leaned in first. He didn't contemplate that. He just concentrated on the strong arms that held him close and the all-too masculine chest pressed against his. It was strange… and yet somehow more exciting. It was definitely strange to be hugging a man who was closer to his height than any of the girls he had dated… and just strange be in such an embrace with a man. He decided that he could definitely get used to it though. Perhaps, he mused to himself, all relationships should start out with base gestures before moving up and on.

He inhaled Tommy's unique scent. He wanted this… but he was so confused. Tommy was right—they really didn't know each other. Was it just a base attraction, both of them having found a kindred spirit or was it more? Could either of them deal with the consequences of a relationship, deal with the isolation from family and friends who were bound to react badly? Life was not a fairy tale—he learned that more and more as the years marched on, but couldn't just one part of life be a fairy tale? Couldn't just one thing have a happy ending and a magic to it that was only seen in the movies?

No… nothing would be a fairy tale for them.

"Conner?" Tommy mumbled.

"Yeah," he asked.

"Are either of us willing to do this?" he said softly, pulling away from the embrace, his dark eyes meeting Conner's. Despite the disappointment that he had pulled away so soon, Conner was pleased to note that his hands were still on his waist.

He expelled a long breath. "I don't know." He paused. "My rational mind says that it's too risky, but my emotional mind doesn't care."

Tommy gave him a small smile. "You definitely have picked up a grasp of language since high school."

"It happens to the best of us." He paused. "Maybe we can work something out. I don't know about coming out just yet… Well, Cam knows…"

"Cam's a discreet person," Tommy replied. "He probably won't tell much of anyone until we decide to tell them ourselves."

"So do we have a relationship?" Conner asked, trying not to sound too incredibly eager. He wouldn't mind being with a gorgeous older man who he was fairly certain he could have intelligent conversations with.

Tommy sighed, a sad expression coming over his features. "Let's do this one thing at time. If we get out of here unscathed, we'll talk."

Conner didn't know if he should feel relieved or disappointed. He settled for nodding in agreement, masking his conflicting emotions. Tommy did have a rational way of settling things. Both of them seemed to have been caught up in the heat of the moment—a life-threatening situation already made them edgy, but confessing they were attracted to each other had put those emotions in overdrive. He was right. They needed to get away from the situation and decompress before they decided anything.

And who would they tell if the relationship became serious? His brother definitely, but the rest of his family… he could see their reaction now and it wasn't pretty. Hayley, sure and Cam already knew. But their fellow Dino Thunder Rangers? The fellow distress signal reds? Those both seemed like an impossibility. Oh sure, none of them had anything against gay or bi people, but when it knocked on their front door in the form of two of their closest friends with a pretty big age gap… their reaction might not be the best he could possibly hope for.

He shook his head, settling back against the wall. Tommy released and leaned back, their thighs touching. He was all too aware of the contact. He was building things on a 'what if' here. There were no guarantees. Hell, they didn't even know if they were going to get out of here alive. He really wished he had brought his bracelet.

"Wish we could morph," Conner whispered.

Tommy gave him a bored look. "Technically we still can morph. The only concern would be that the computers and Dino Thunder Morphing Grid are shut down. I can't be sure that we would be able to power up without that link."

And the science teacher mode kicked in. Conner shook his head. He still wished he had his bracelet, even if it was negotiable whether or not it worked. "Can Cam morph?" he asked softly.

The former Black Ranger shook his head. "No. The Ninja Rangers got their morphers out of the Abyss of Evil, but there was no power left in them." He paused. "I think Hayley said he wears it out of habit."

"Can anyone still morph?"

"Some," Tommy replied. "Most of the former reds. However, all of them are pretty far from here."

How could he have forgotten? Almost all of the former red rangers who were part of the distress signal could morph. Notably was Wes and Eric, who used their morphing powers in their job as Silver Guardians. Andros and TJ could along with Ashley. He was pretty sure that Jason had some strange way of tapping into his powers and Leo and Kendrix both had their Quasar Sabers. Carter still had his Lightspeed morpher. Cole was the one exception.

However, it looked like they were screwed.

He glanced at the table. There was no sign of the terrorists in the hallway—they were probably still having their vote. He could easily get up and get his cell phone calling… someone. He didn't know who, but someone was bound to come to mind. Resolutely, he pushed himself to his feet, his cramped muscles screaming at the movement. He was not entirely sure how long they had been sitting against that wall. His backside was numb and he wobbled a little as he crossed the room to the table in two steps.

"Conner!" Tommy hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Getting my cell phone," he hissed back. He shuffled through the pile and found his cell phone easily enough—it was the only one with a red case. He flipped it open—he still had some battery and was getting reception in here.

"Who are you going to call?" Tommy asked. "Who can really help us in this situation?"

Conner shook his head, scrolling through his phonebook. Why the hell did he have the numbers for the Ninja Storm Rangers in here? Then he remembered that Tommy had given them that contact information just in case they needed a hand. He racked his memory about which one of them would be the most able to help. Suddenly, something Eric had told him clicked. He pressed a speed dial number.

"Who are you calling?" Tommy pseudo-repeated.

He just shook his head again. The phone rang several times before someone picked it up and offered a proper greeting.

"It's Conner McKnight," he said.

"Put that damn phone down!"

Freezing, he turned to see some of the terrorists standing in the door of the conference room. He slowly put the phone down on the table, but didn't hang it up. One of the machine guns was aimed straight at him.

"Damn, chink!" someone screamed to Cam. Conner wondered why he put up with the racial slur all the time. "Leave them alone and they'll be fine? Piece of shit!"

"I told you a mall food court was the wrong place to do this," Cam replied calmly. "I also told you we needed a bigger venue than Reefside."

Conner inwardly smiled. Cam had obviously noticed that he hadn't hung up the phone and was trying to provide whoever was on the other end with the information to get here. He didn't let the relief wash over him. His eyes focused on the gun still aimed at him. His hands were raised to his shoulders and he had no idea why.

"Shut-up, Chang!" one of them growled.

"I've had enough from the uppity fag," another added. "Let's just teach him a lesson and then get rid of them."

Conner tried not to show his panic. He had a feeling that 'get rid of them' did not mean release them to the police like the other hostages. He thought of the dead man and felt ill. Someone grabbed his shirt and threw him on the ground. He couldn't help but remember when Tommy had grabbed his shirt, but it had been in a good way. He closed his eyes, hoping that the person on the other end of his phone could do something.

Something cold and hard pressed into the center of his back.

What happened next came in a blur. One of the terrorists threw Conner down on the ground and another aimed a gun at him. Tommy heard the sickening thud and the labored breathing that came from Conner. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the screaming protest from his muscles. His heart was beating an irregular rhythm.

"Leave him alone!" he yelled.

"Sit down," someone screamed.

Something hard and solid hit the side of his face. He staggered back from the blow, black spots dancing before his eyes as a dull pain spread over the side of his face. Using the wall as a support, he braced himself from falling over. It had been a long time since he had been in hand-to-hand combat, but he hadn't forgotten what to do.

"There's already been enough damage," he heard Cam crying out distantly. "One person is dead and if more are harmed, how do you think things are going to go over?"

"Who the hell's side are you on?"

"I don't believe in hurting innocents."

"None of us do, but these two aren't innocent."

"You don't know that!"

Tommy blinked, focusing his eyes on Cam. The man looked desperate and scared, like he hoped that he could stop the situation, but wasn't sure he could. For the first time, he noticed that Cam had a strong and proper grip on his gun. Oh God, this was going to deteriorate into a full-fledged fire fight.

"I told you to sit down!"

Something came down hard on his shoulders. He lost his balance and fell heavily to his knees. The blow rattled his very bones. His knees felt loose and rubbery and not just from sitting against the wall for all that time. He tried to focus on the table and saw the cell phone that still held a connection to someone in the outside world. His eyes fell lower and he saw Conner, being held face-down by someone's foot and the barrel of that gun.

"Conner…" he whispered.

"Stop this!" Cam yelled.

"They undermine the cause!"

Things seemed to happen in slow motion as Cam's finger moved to the trigger of the gun. Cam's black eyes were glittering strangely as his gaze came to Tommy. He glanced to Conner and back. Tommy nodded. Cam swung the gun in a graceful arch and aimed at the man nearest to him.

"Now!" Cam said loudly.

Tommy pushed himself off his aching knees and kicked the gun away from Conner's back. The man holding the gun was so startled that he didn't fire any bullets. Using his full weight, he shoved the man away from Conner and into the table. Executing a perfect back flip over Conner, he grabbed him under the arms and dragged him around to the other side of the table away from the terrorists. Unfortunately, it also put the terrorists between them and the door.

While he got Conner away from them, Cam fired a bullet into the ceiling, plaster falling down around him. He rolled over the table and landed on the ground next to them, his gun aimed at the terrorists.

In the frenzy that was the next few seconds, he heard someone yell, "traitor!" and someone else say he "knew from the start that he was a cop."

"Put the guns down!" Cam called, now using the table as a barrier between them and the terrorists.

"Chang," someone said in a deceptively quiet voice. "You can't win this. There are more of us than you and you only have one gun. I doubt you're a good enough marksman to take all of us down before one of you is dead."

Tommy glanced at Cam. He was pale and beads of sweat were forming on his forehead. However, his grip on his gun was steady. One of the terrorists was stepping forward. "Put the gun down, Chang," he said. "We'll let you live."

"No fucking way!" Cam snapped back.

"Fine then."

The man moved forward, rolling over the table. Tommy had to admit, he was fast, but Cam was faster. Cam rolled forward and snapped up, his back against Tommy and fired the gun. Bullets went every which way, but one lodged itself in the man's knee. He let out a scream of agony before collapsing behind their side of the table. Cam aimed the gun at him, before swinging around to face the others. They were silent and unmoving and Tommy was pretty sure that was a bad thing.

"Shit," someone muttered.

"The cops are coming!"

"They heard the gunshots."

Cam sagged with visible relief, but didn't put down his gun. Tommy didn't know what to do. They were sitting behind a table with no means of escaping and these terrorists could kill all of them before the cops came to rescue them.

"This is not good," Cam muttered.

Conner pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked pale and scared beyond belief. Tommy sighed. How much good would that cell phone do, if all of them were killed before the person on the other line got help? In fact, he didn't even know who Conner had called to begin with and there was no way to tell now.

"Kill them," someone said.

"Fuck," Cam said under breath. Tommy was inclined to agree with him. The Green Samurai Ranger had expressed things colloquially, but it was true.

Gunshots ricocheted all over the room it seemed. The shots were magnified and painful to hear. Cam shoved him and Conner back to the floor, before popping up briefly to return fire. Tommy watched in horror as a bullet hit Cam straight in the chest. Cam ducked, clutching at the spot on his chest.

"Cam…" Tommy started, then he realized there was no blood around the wound.

"Bullet proof vest," Cam said hoarsely.

One of the terrorists jumped up on the table and aimed the gun at them. Cam quickly took his feet out from under him with his elbow, but not before the man got in one shot. In the commotion, Tommy couldn't see where it went, although he figured it out quickly enough when a crushing pain came in his shoulder and blood blossomed over the tan shirt he had on over his black t-shirt.

"Tommy!" Conner's cry seemed to be far off.

His vision seemed to slow down as he watched Cam use the end of his gun to punch the man in the stomach, stunning him and knocking the gun away. There was a roaring in his ears. What was happening to him? Someone was screaming in the distance.

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"Hang on," he thought he heard Conner say. He felt strong arms wrap around him and a tingly sense of pleasure settled on the back burner of his mind. Conner was holding him. God, if only they could have that relationship when all this was over…

"Conner," he whispered, unable to form anymore coherent sentences.

"It's going to be fine," Conner cried. "Someone's going to come. That bullet didn't hit anything vital. It'll be okay."

"Love… you," he rasped. His body was quickly becoming as numb as his mind. He wanted to sink into the unconsciousness that beckoned to him. He was tired. It would be so much better if he could just sleep.

"Stay awake!" Conner ordered.

"Police!" a voice yelled.

But the police thing seemed unnecessary. Suddenly, a yellow streak seemed to come straight out of the floor and blasts of yellow light hit all of the terrorists, knocking them out and causing them to drop their guns. Men in uniform surged forward, as the yellow streak materialized into a man, shaking dust out of his brown hair. The man turned toward the three of them behind the table.

"Dustin?" Cam asked.

"Dude, don't tell me you, like, don't recognize me?" the reply came.

"How?"

"Conner called me, dude. Although I didn't know you were a cop. That is, like, so awesome!"

"He needs an ambulance," Conner yelled.

People converged on him at once. Tommy wanted to tell all of them to leave him alone, but he couldn't find his voice. He was leaning against Conner, that much he knew. Cam and Dustin seemed to float overhead.

"What are you doing?" was Conner's anguished cry.

"He needs to sleep. He'll be more comfortable."

He felt someone touch a pressure point in his neck and the drowsiness he had felt earlier came back tenfold. "Sleep," someone said.

People were moving him, jostling him. His shoulder ached and the pain was almost unbearable, but he was too sleepy and comfortable in his mind to say anything. He felt himself being put on a stretcher and wheeled down the hallway. He wanted to ask about Hayley and Conner and how Dustin got into the room, but his mind was heavy.

He finally succumbed to what his body wanted.

He closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews guys! I haven't much to say except for thanks for the continued to support and I apologize for my sporadic updates and reviewing of others' stories. Dial-up is no fun at all. :) You guys rock! I also hope that this chapter clarified anything that seemed unlikely from the previous chapters. --EK