Chapter Four

Pacing the length of his room, Sky bit his lip, fuming over the fact that Shadow was now a part of the team. What was Cruger thinking asking her to be a Ranger? It was bad enough that he had asked Jack and Z.

He kicked his bed angrily, cursing as he stubbed his toe.

"You're really not happy about this, are you?" Bridge asked, coming into the room.

"What gave you that idea?" Sky asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He sat on his bed and rubbed his throbbing toe.

"You know, she's really cool." Bridge leaned against the wall, "I mean it seems like she's gonna fit in. Z and Syd really like her,"

"Yeah, I bet Jack does too." Sky muttered.

"Syd's already planned a girls' day out for her, Z, and Shadow." Bridge continued, oblivious to the fact that Sky had said anything.

"You don't get it do you?" Sky stood and faced his friend, "Shadow is a criminal, we all know that."

"Jack and Z were criminals too, but they're Rangers." Bridge defended.

"But there's something more…dangerous about Shadow." Sky said, "I don't know what it is, but I'm gonna find out."


Shadow sat between Syd and Z on one of the couches in the lounge. She'd been a Power Ranger only an hour, but already the team, minus one very to'd blue Ranger, had accepted her as one of their own. Bridge, who had gone off to see if he could talk to Sky, returned. He sat down beside Jack on the couch that faced the one the girls were sitting on.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask," Jack said. Shadow looked up at him, her eyes caught by his. "Your folks called you Kim, how come you told me your name was Shadow?" She shrugged.

" 'Cause I decided to change my name, but my parents didn't like it and continue to call me Kim." She replied.

"I like the name Kim." Syd said, "Why would you change it?"

"It was my grandmother's name and my dad wanted me to be just like her and I was sick of it." Everybody seemed to be staring at her with blank and curious expressions, but Shadow didn't want to get into the whole story of why she was named for her grandmother. She didn't like to divulge personal information upon first meeting people. She was a private person and still wasn't sure if these people were just being nice to her because she was now a Power Ranger like them, or because they wanted to be her friends.

When Shadow had first gone to see Commander Cruger, she had gone with the intention of telling him that she wasn't interested in being a Power Ranger. But her father's words continued to ring in her head You could be one of the greatest Rangers to ever walk this earth. She didn't believe him, not really, but something in the back of her mind told her that his words just might be true. Then there was that expectant and hopeful look in Cruger's eyes. It had all been too much, and, before she knew it, words of acceptance were flowing from her lips.. Shadow didn't like the fact that she could be manipulated so easily. It was something that she would have to work on.

Bringing herself from her thoughts, Shadow looked around at the four Rangers who surrounded her. Jack's eyes caught hers and she quickly looked away. Whenever he was around her, he always seemed to be watching her. What was up with that? And what was up with Shadow liking his attention? A shiver ran down her spine when she glanced back up and caught him still watching her. What was wrong with her? Shadow never got shivers down her spine, she never crushed on a guy, not that she was crushing on Jack or anything. She mentally slapped herself and tried to focus on the conversation going on around her.


Her things had been moved from her house into her new room at SPD headquarters by some of the lower ranking cadets. When Shadow finally retired that night, claiming exhaustion, everything was waiting for her, still packed away in her expensive luggage cases, to put them away. She bypassed the luggage and, instead, went straight for her guitar. She opened the case and pulled out the gleaming, mahogany colored instrument. Sitting down on the bed, she pulled the guitar onto her lap and strummed the strings gently, going over the chords in her mind. She reached back into the case and pulled out a few pages of sheet music that she had been working on writing another original song.

She surveyed the notes, the words, the tempo. Biting her lip she took a pencil out from the case and set about erasing a string of notes that didn't seem right. Sitting back, she studied the changes she had made. Her fingers moved over the strings, forming the chords of the song.

I've got a right to be wrong

My mistakes will make me strong

I'm stepping out into the great unknown

I'm feeling wings though I've never flown

I've got a mind of my own

I'm flesh and blood to the bone

I'm not made of stone

Got a right to be wrong

So just leave me alone

I've got a right to be wrong

I've been held down too long

I've got to break free

So I can finally breathe

I've got a right to be wrong

Got to sing my own song

I might be singing out of key

But it sure feels good to me

Got a right to be wrong

So just leave me alone

You're entitled to your opinion

But it's really my decision

I can't turn back, I'm on a mission

If you care don't you dare blur my vision

Let me be all that I can be

Don't smother me with negativity

I'm going to face it willingly

I've got a right to be wrong

My mistakes will make me strong

I'm stepping out into the great unknown

I'm feeling wings though I've never flown

I've got a mind of my own

I'm flesh and blood to the bone

I'm not made of stone

Got a right to be wrong

So just leave me alone

I've got a right to be wrong

I've been held down too long

I've got to break free

So I can finally breathe

I've got a right to be wrong

Got to sing my own song

I might be singing out of key

But it sure feels good to me

Got a right to be wrong

So just leave me alone

She struck the ending chord and bit her lip. The music just wasn't right for the words. She picked the music sheet back up and went to work adjusting the notes.


Making his way from his room to the lounge, Sky paused in the hallway when he heard music coming from one of the rooms. Curiously, he moved closer, straining to hear. A deep and soulful voice floated out from behind the closed door, accompanied by the strumming of an acoustic guitar. Whose room was this he wondered. The music ended and the hall grew silent. Sky stepped away from the door and continued to the lounge, trying to figure out who it was that had been singing.


She brushed her hair back into a ponytail and pulled on a white T-shirt over her black sports bra. It was Shadow's first morning as an official SPD cadet, and she was not at all anxious to begin her training. It wasn't exactly Shadow's idea of a good time to run obstacle courses all day and spare with her fellow cadets until her muscles screamed in agony.

"You chose this." she reminded her reflection as she adjusted her shirt.

"Don't I know it," her reflection answered with a roll of its eyes. Forcing a smile, Shadow headed out of her room. Z stood in the hall just a few feet from her door. She headed over to Shadow as the new Ranger shut her door.

"You ready for your first day of training?" The yellow Ranger asked.

"No." Shadow replied simply, eliciting a laugh from Z.

"Don't worry," Z placed a hand on her shoulder, "Jack will go easy on ya today. And if he doesn't, I'll kick his butt." It was Shadow's turn to laugh.

"Thanks," she said, "but I think I can handle myself." Z shrugged and the two continued down the hall in companionable silence.


The sun shone brightly on the grass of the training grounds. Everywhere he looked, Jack could see various cadets sparring, a few ran the obstacle courses, and some were busy running laps around the grounds. Sky, Syd, and Bridge stood before him, awaiting the arrival of Z and Shadow, who were just making their way towards the group, so that they could begin their training.

Jack smiled at them both, a smile that Z returned with ease. Shadow allowed the corners of her lips to lift just slightly to give the illusion of a smile. She wouldn't meet his eye, and Jack couldn't help but wonder what he had done to make it so that she no longer looked at him straight on.

"Alrighty guys," he said as the girls fell into place, "today is sparring." a collective groan rose from Syd, Bridge, and Z. Jack smirked.

"Come on folks," he said, "we gotta keep in tip-top shape if we're gonna keep fighting Grumm's monsters. Okay, Bridge and Z, Sky and Syd, Shadow, you're with me."


Why, why, why did Jack have to make her pair up with him? Shadow didn't know what it was about the guy, but Jack unnerved her. All the night before he had watched her, something that didn't sit well with Shadow, especially not when she didn't mind his attentions.

Quickly, she brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear and got into a fighting stance. Around her, the other two pairs were already busy fighting. Jack stood across from her, his eyes watching her intently. Yet another shiver ran down her spine, just like all the others she had felt the night before. She shook her head, mentally slapping herself and berating herself into focusing on the sparring.

Jack kicked out, aiming for Shadow's head. She easily ducked it, catching his ankle in her hand and twisting it, causing him to fall to the ground. He landed on his stomach, his hands bracing his fall. Quickly, he rolled onto his back and jumped back to his feet. Whilst he was busy regaining his balance and focus, Shadow knelt and kicked his legs out from beneath him. Jack landed on his back, looking up at her through wide eyes. Shadow smirked down at him and offered him a hand up. He gripped her hand in his, heat traveling from his hand through Shadow's body.

"You're good," he said, once he was back on his feet, "but that's 'cause I was going easy on you."

"Uh-huh." She replied sarcastically.

"Don't believe me huh? Well just you wait."


"Ow." Jack landed on his back, hard. Shadow looked down at him, a smirk on her face.

"Had enough yet?" she asked.

"Okay, okay, you win." he said, struggling to his feet. "Remind me never to spar with you again."

"Don't worry," Shadow said, a laugh in her words, "I'll go easy on you next time. You know, so that I don't damage that delicate male ego of yours."

"No, that would be Sky with the delicate ego." Jack joked. Shadow chuckled, and Jack watched as her lips turned up, revealing cute dimples in her cheeks. She looked beautiful when she smiled. She caught his eye and immediately stopped laughing. Her lips returned to their natural setting, and she dropped her gaze from his. Jack wondered why she never met his gaze.

Perhaps it's 'cause you're always starring you idiot, the voice in his head said. Jack shook his head and dusted bits of grass and dirt off his pants.

"OK guys," he said, addressing his whole team, "I think that's good enough for today."


Alrighty, so another chapter finished. I hope you all liked it and will review. The song that Shadow "wrote" is called Right to be Wrong, and is by Joss Stone. Also, don't forget to cast your vote for who you want Shadow to end up with. The count stands at:

Sky:7

Jack: 14

Sky/Syd: 14

I would like to remind you all that a Sky/Syd pairing might not fit into my story, seeing as how I'm not going to reveal who Shadow actually ends up with until the final chapter of this story. So, there will be interactions between Sky and Syd, but I do not guarantee there being anything romantic happening between them. Anyway, please review.