Chapter 17: Gaining a Friend

Kimberly was playing with Kylie when the computer went off. She got up and walked up behind Tommy. "Come in, Rangers. We've got a situation. I need you over at the City Center right away," Tommy informed. He looked over at Kimberly. "Go, I'll be there as soon as I can," he assured her.

"Right," she agreed.

She kneeled down in front of Kylie. "I have to go beat another monster. You listen to your dad, okay?" She asked.

"Okay," Kylie replied.

Kimberly placed a kiss on Kylie's forehead and stood up. "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!" She shouted. She morphed and ran to beat the monster.

When Kimberly got there, she was glad when the rest of the team came. "All right, creep, we're taking you down," Connor stated.

"Oh, yeah? Says who? Here's a pepper for you," the monster laughed.

Kira blocked a pepper that came flying at them. "I'm not supposed to have too many spicy foods, thanks anyway," she laughed.

"Then how about seafood? This is what I called 'shell shocked'," the monster laughed.

Kimberly put up her force field as shells came flying at her and Ethan used his saber to block the ones flying at him. "You'll pay for that," the monster snapped.

"TRICERA-SHIELD!" Ethan shouted.

"STEGO-SABERS!" Kimberly shouted.

"That's exactly what I was waiting for. Now here's my secret power. COPY...TRICERA-SHIELD! STEGO-SABERS!" The monster shouted.

"No way!" Ethan gasped.

"This can't be happening," Kimberly murmured.

"Oh, but it is," the monster laughed.

He then directed his blasts at them. "ETHAN! MISS HART!" Connor and Kira shouted.

"Now it's on," Kira snapped.

"TYRANNO-STAFF!"

"PTERA-GRIPS!"

"COPY!"

Ethan helped Kimberly stand up and watched as the monster copied their weapons too. "He copied our weapons!" Connor gasped.

"That's cheating," Kira insisted.

Then they noticed that the monster could copy their voices too. "THERE HE GOES!" Ethan shouted.

"How are we gonna beat this guy?" Connor asked.

"We start by finding him," Kira replied.

"Kira's right, standing here isn't going to defeat the monster," Kimberly agreed.

"Right," Connor and Ethan agreed.

Then they went to find the monster. They stopped their raptor cycles and got off. "His signal is coming from right around here," Connor observed.

"Then where is he?" Kira asked.

Kimberly shrugged, but then the monster appeared. "Looking for me?" The monster asked. They spun around to see the monster standing behind them. "I was picking peppers," the monster informed. Then he threw the peppers at them and they jumped out of the way before they got hit.

"Careful. remember, he can copy our weapons," Ethan reminded.

"Then how do we fight him?" Kira asked.

"I've got it. We close up the head on the Z-Rex Blaster. He makes a copy, then fires it, and it explodes," Connor replied.

"Sneaky, I like it," Ethan agreed.

"Great idea, Connor," Kimberly agreed.

"Let's do it," Connor stated.

"Z-REX BLASTER!" They shouted.

To their disappointment, the monster caught onto their plan. They were thrown over a hill and hit the water. Kimberly held her shoulder and stood up. "Get up, so I can blast you again," the monster insisted.

"I don't think so," Tommy objected.

Tommy then got ready to attack. "Another one?" The monster asked.

"BRACHIO-STAFF, WIND STRIKE!" Tommy shouted.

The monster was hit. Tommy then looked over at them. "Guys?" He asked. He ran over and helped Kimberly stand up. "Are you okay?" He asked. Tommy stood in front of her as the monster got up.

"I'm fine, but TOMMY LOOK OUT!" Kimberly shouted.

"BRACHIO-STAFF, WIND STRIKE!" The monster shouted.

Tommy helped Kimberly up from the water after they were hit. "What about Kylie?" She asked.

"Hayley's watching her," he assured her.

Kimberly gasped when the monster grabbed Tommy and threw him up against a tree. Connor went to fight the monster, only to get hit the same way. Kimberly ran over to Tommy and helped him up as Ethan helped Connor up. "How's the dirt taste?" The monster cackled. Just then, Trent arrived. Trent got off his four-wheeler and looked over at them.

"Looks like you could use a little help," he commented.

they watched as the White Ranger and the monster fought each other. "Who's side is he on now?" Connor asked.

"Is that all you got?" The monster asked.

"Actually, no. SUPER DINO MODE!" Trent shouted.

"He's got Super Dino Mode!" Connor gasped.

"And I like it," Trent answered.

Kimberly leaned against Tommy as the monster and Trent fought each other. They all were wondering the same thing, was Trent on their side. The monster was gone, but then it grew. "BRACHIO!" Tommy shouted. Tommy and Kimberly watched as their three friends got into their zords. "I know you can take this guy. Stay focus," Tommy instructed. Kimberly spun around to find Zeltrax coming up from behind them.

"Tommy!" Kimberly gasped.

Zeltrax pushed Kimberly out of the way and shoved Tommy to the ground. "You again," Tommy groaned.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," Zeltrax commented.

Kimberly tried to get up, but her back hurt from being thrown against a tree. "TOMMY!" Kimberly shouted. She gasped when Trent blocked Zeltrax's attack.

"Get back, Zeltrax," Trent snapped.

As Trent fought Zeltrax, Kimberly hurried over to Tommy. "Tommy, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine, but I'm just really confused," he replied.

Kimberly looked over at the fight and nodded. "I have to agree with you on that one," she stated. Kimberly got up and went to help Trent. Zeltrax kicked her in the stomach and then he fought Tommy and Trent. She got up again and helped Tommy fight Zeltrax. After awhile, Zeltrax was defeated.

"You will pay dearly for that, traitor," Zeltrax snarled.

Then he disappeared. Kimberly and Tommy looked over at Trent. "You two okay?" He asked.

"What do you want?" Tommy demanded.

"Power down," Trent ordered.

He de-morphed and walked over to them. "Whoa! Stop right there," Tommy ordered. He stood in front of Kimberly as he said it.

"Dr. Oliver, Miss Hart, you gotta listen to me," Trent insisted.

Kimberly looked at Trent confused and then she raised her arms. "Power down," she ordered. She de-morphed and stood in front of Tommy.

"Trent, what's going on?" She asked.

"I have complete control of the Dino Gem this time," he replied.

"That's what you told us last time," she reminded.

"Yes, but if I were still evil, I wouldn't have saved both of your lives," he pointed out.

Tommy placed a hand on her shoulder. "Dr. Oliver, Miss Hart, I'm truly sorry for I did to you," he apologized. Kimberly noticed that Trent was telling the truth.

"Come on," she stated.

Tommy and Kimberly were about to walk away when Trent called out them. "Where are we going?" He asked.

"We're going back to the lab," Tommy replied.

Trent got onto his four-wheeler. Kimberly got back onto her raptor cycle and they went back to the lab.

Kylie looked up when her parents came back with Trent. "Daddy, what's he doing here?" She asked. Kimberly kneeled in front of her daughter.

"Don't worry, sweetie, he's good now," she assured her.

She stood up and sent Kylie upstairs. She stood by Tommy to look over some stuff when the rest of the team came in. "Whoa. how'd you get in here?" Connor asked.

"We let him in," Tommy replied.

"What?" Connor asked.

They walked over and stood by their friends and mentors. "But he's..." Connor tailed off.

"On our side now," Tommy finished.

"Yeah right. Every time we hear that, he burns us. Why should we believe him now?" Ethan pointed out.

"Because he saved mine and Tommy's lives," Kimberly replied.

"Is that true?" Connor asked.

"Yeah. I'm in control of the Dino Gem now. I want to use it to fight with you," Trent replied.

"Kimberly and I wouldn't have brought him here if we didn't think he was tell the truth, but only you can decided whether or not you trust him," Tommy explained.

They looked at their former enemy before answering. "Well if Dr. O and Miss Hart's down with it, then I guess I'm onboard too," Ethan answered.

"Yeah, I guess we have no choice, considering I'm kind of tired of fighting you," Connor agreed.

They watched as the White Ranger walked over to their Yellow Ranger. "Look, I know I got a lot to make up for, but I promise, this time I won't let you down," he assured Kira.

"Well, I guess everyone deserves one lat chance. But isn't there a rule that says newbie Rangers have to wash all the Zords?" She asked.

"Hey, I forgot about that rule," Ethan replied.

"The Zords? But they're gigantic," Trent pointed out.

Kimberly and Tommy laughed as they handed Trent cleaning supplies to clean the zords. They watched him walk off and then Kimberly looked over at Tommy. Tommy wrapped an arm around Kimberly's waist and held her to him. A new Ranger on the team was something they defiantly needed.