SEQUEL TO: ORDINARY WORLD
SUMMARY: After the battle, the team is returned to normal, but with some problems. Can they overcome it?
DISCLAIMER: Power Rangers is not mine. I only own the power of creating a story—or in this case, a series—regarding our heroes in the shining colored suits. Thanks for stopping by. But if you haven't read "The Reason" or "Ordinary World" you'd better go back and check them out.
A/N: I just couldn't keep them that way forever. Yeah right. It would be too confusing as it was to even figure out how to write/type it. But that doesn't meant they won't be getting into anymore crazy setbacks. See you when I do. Leave behind what you can to help me out in the future and I'll see you soon.
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"I never want to go through that again. I do not think any of us do. So, as far as I could tell, we just got to be more cautious about what we do. We need to keep a sharp eye for anything and everything suspicious." -Eclyptyk Neo
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The team had raced back to the lab, Tommy had taken the lead. And no one could blame him when he was eager to see how/what kind of condition his wife was in.
After that last battle, and breaking the curse the team was now back to their normal selves, in their own bodies.
Adam, Tanya and Rocky had joined in the last battle, and as they raced to the lab, Adam had explained to the two what had been going on in the last few weeks since Mindshatter showed up. And they could not believe they had been missing out.
Tommy came to a halt for a moment, to see the two technical directors come down the stairs. He could only look at them with a worried and questioned look.
"She's upstairs, Tommy. She'll be fine, she's just really exhausted and tired," Hayley said in simple terms.
"Thanks, guys," he nodded slowly as he slowly headed up the stairs.
The two technical directors slowly made their way back to the main computer console, sighing deeply.
"Were you guys just saying that, or is she gonna be okay?" Kira raced over to them, a worried pitch in her voice.
"Well, Adam, I think you should take a look. You are, in fact, the medical doctor in this operation," Billy nodded toward his old teammate.
"Where would we be without you?" Rocky patted his friend on the back as the medical doctor turned and headed up the stairs.
"You'd all probably be in the hospital on your death bed," Adam called out as he jumped the stairs to the main level of the house.
Adam jumped out of the trap door located in the office of the Oliver homestead and out into the hall. For a moment, he had stopped at the threshold of the door leading into the living room and saw the couple engage in a warm and protective hug. It still made him uncomfortable to see other people display affection toward each other, even his own friends.
He could tell by the tears that was falling down Kim's eyes and could hear the soft crying from Tommy that they were just relieved to have another nightmare end. They shared a passionate kiss as the medical doctor slowly filed into the room.
"The team sent me up to see how you were doing," Adam said quietly as the couple broke the hug.
Tommy looked away, wiping away his tears. He knew he had to be strong, for the rest of the team, but it was just so hard to right now. He had so much to worry about, and no one could blame him. He slowly got to his feet, but Adam had stopped him as their eyes met.
"It's okay, T. The tears are normal. You're under a lot of stress. Why don't you make yourself and Kim some tea?" Adam suggested as he placed a small vial into the legendary ranger's hand. "Just a few drops. It'll soothe you both."
"Thanks, Adam," Tommy whispered as he retired toward the kitchen.
Adam took a set on the edge of the couch next to his old teammate dressed in pink. She too had been clearing her tears slightly embarrassed at letting her friend see her in tears like this. He shook his head, allowing her to let the tears fall.
"Don't worry, after this last battle we've all been feeling way too stressed about the situation," Adam began. "So, how are you feeling? Any changes physically? You should still be going through some morning sickness."
Kim took a breath as she had to recall the past few days. She did have to admit that being pregnant was a new thing for her, but she knew most of the symptoms that followed it. And she did go through the morning sickness time and time again. But today was one of those days it didn't. And she wasn't sure if Kira had felt it, but the memories of being in the teen's body were all a blur. She grabbed her head trying to think back, but Adam put a hand on her arm, stopping her.
He shook his head as their eyes met. "Don't push yourself to remember, Kim. Take a few deep breaths and just relax. I need to run a few tests to see how you're holding out physically."
Kim nodded as she slowly laid back down on the couch. Adam pulled out another vial from his pack around his waist and began to dab the woman on some of her pressure points. And using his ninja skills, ran a test over her body to see what he could find. He could feel her steady heartbeat, feel the blood flow through her, etc. Yet, it was clear that she had been stressing quite a lot and it was taking a toll on both her and the little life in her. He opened his eyes and looked away, catching his breath.
When Kim sat up to see his concern look, she was curious to find what he had to say. "Adam, what is it?"
Adam looked at her and held his tongue as Tommy had returned with two mugs. The aroma of the tea filled the room along with the herbal remedy Adam had given him.
Tommy met the eyes of his friend, a look of worry fell over him. "You found something, didn't you?"
Adam forced out a breath as he slowly got to his feet and Tommy found a place beside his wife, their hands intertwining. They were eager to hear the news and Adam knew he just had to come out and say it.
"You're both under a lot of stress, especially you, Tommy. It's rubbing off on Kim, and if it gets worse..." Adam caught his breath as he forced air back into his lungs. "We could see a miscarriage."
Kim put a hand to her mouth, trying to stop from crying, but the tears fell. Tommy looked down for a second as he forced out a breath, the news crushing him. Tears began to welt in his eyes as he felt Kim's arms wrap around him. They held each other closer trying to control their tears.
Tommy looked back up at his friend, as a river of tears fell down his face. "How close?"
Adam shrugged. "Miscarriages happen spontaneously. Anything can trigger it. Physical abuse. Stress. Lack of eating or even exercise, especially during these stages of your pregnancy, Kim. The best thing I have, especially after this last battle is get a lot of rest. Don't worry about all this ranger business, Tommy. What should matter now is taking care of you and your wife."
The couple nodded slowly, knowing that he was right. They had to respect those wishes, especially coming from a guy with a degree in medicine. They were still trying to get over the news of a possible miscarriage as the tears continued to fall.
"We'll leave you two alone," Adam said as he held out his hand. "Don't go anywhere near that lab, T. And just to make sure of that, give me your dino gem. Your first priority is taking care of each other."
Tommy didn't have to argue with that as he pulled off the bracelet and handed it over to his friend. "Are you sure this is fair? What if...?"
Adam silenced him with a wave of his hand, shaking his head. "No, 'what if's', Tommy. Mindshatter won't strike for another few days. He has to come up with another plan. I will take this and everyone else's dino gem and zeo crystals, and lock it up. All I'm asking from you and the others, especially the teens, is to go out and live a normal life for a few days. Don't worry about all of this ranger stuff. It shouldn't exist to you right now."
"Well, you're the doctor, Adam," Kim managed a smile.
Adam let a smile pass his lips. He knew they needed some time alone. "What would you do without me? Kim, please, keep Tommy in check. Make sure he doesn't go near that lab and that he's just paying attention to you. It's all you, Kim. No one else," Adam instructed. "I'll see you guys later. Be safe and rest."
The couple thanked their friend as they held each other close, each taking a sip of their tea. Adam stepped out into the hall, looking down at the bracelet honing the black dino gem. As painful as that decision was, he knew he was doing the right thing. Now, he just had to convince the others. And it wouldn't be too hard.
"Thank god for that degree in medicine," he told himself with a smile. Without it, it would take a lot of work to convince everyone else otherwise.
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Meanwhile, downstairs in the underground lab.
"So, looks like you guys are back in suit. How does it feel?" Conner asked, still breathing a sigh of relief for finally being back in his own body. Being a science teacher was one things, but he was just glad to be in the body made for a soccer star.
Tanya and Rocky looked at each other before shrugging slowly.
"I would have preferred not to go anywhere near the suit again, but if you guys need me, I'm there," Tanya replied. "Yet, I can't guarantee that I'll be one call away. Living a normal life and coming back to be a ranger isn't as easy as it sounds."
"Yeah, after all those suicide missions I went on months ago, I'm not so sure I really want to come back, especially now that we know that Mesogog is back," Rocky shut his mouth as he looked over at the teen in white. "But I'm there if you need me."
Trent hadn't said much on their trip back to the lab. And no one could blame him for that. For weeks now, the team had been searching for his father, and had come up empty handed. Now, with the recent discovery of a resurrected Mesogog, they all knew that Anton had paid a huge price for it. Now, they weren't quite sure if it was permanent, or if there was a way to save him at all, but they wouldn't give up. They couldn't give up.
Kira touched Trent's shoulder, shooting him back into reality as he looked at the eyes set on him. He looked away, but said nothing.
"Don't worry, Trent. We'll find a way to free him from this mess. Mesogog can't live forever," Conner said.
"Yeah, they don't know who they're messing with," Ethan said as he patted his friend in white on the shoulder.
"As long as my father is alive, Mesogog is alive," Trent said slowly, mostly to himself for his own reference. The sound in his voice was of pain and anger. His body shook with fear.
"Now, you don't know that, Trent," Hayley said as she shook her head.
"Have you guys looked into that? Into the fact that the invisi-portals are now operational?" Ethan began hoping to get some answers out of the technical directors.
"Well, it states the obvious. If the invisi-portals are opened and operational, then the island fortress must still exist," Hayley nodded as she began to develop a theory around it.
"And if those invisi-portals are up and running, then it means that Mindshatter must have re-harnessed the Geno-Randomizer or something to give life back to Mesogog," Kira added to the theory on hand.
"Oh man, this just gets more and more complicating," Ethan shook his head. "Man, it was never this hard with Mesogog. But Mindshatter is a whole other thing."
"No doubt, man. We almost had our powers handed to us on a platter today," Conner said sadly.
"You guys have had a lot of close calls with this guy," Billy nodded. "He is definitely a challenge. Looking into all the other evil beings in the past, I'd say this is the hardest."
"Ahh, gee thanks, Billy. You make that sound like we're on our death beds for this war," Kira mocked the technical director.
"Now, I never said he couldn't be defeated. All evil beings have a weak spot. We just need to find his," Billy stated. "Now, I've attempted to send a distress call to Aquitar and Mirinoi, but they've failed. So, going back to my first theory, we can't send any transmissions out of the atmosphere."
"How about in? Have you tried to contact the other rangers still here on Earth?" Rocky asked.
"Until we get the okay from Tommy, we won't move to put their lives into any danger," Hayley nodded.
"And what about us?" Tanya seemed slightly confused by her last statement.
"You guys walked in. And Dr. O had already called out Adam to join them in battle. So, he figured you guys should join them," Kira said simply.
"Now, before we get into anymore discuss about who should be pulled into this battle and who shouldn't, I must ask you four, the DT teens," Billy began as he looked at his young successors. "How are you guys feeling? Any strange side effects after the swap back to your own bodies?"
The teens looked at each other, almost forgetting that the transformation back to their own bodies was slightly different. It was more unexpected, but they didn't feel much of anything. They just couldn't think for a matter of minutes as the transformation went down. It was like they were in a trance, and when they opened their eyes, they were back in their own bodies. And it was evident in how they stood that they were just tired, mostly mentally.
"No capital punishment to your bodies?" Rocky seemed surprised as he looked over his successors. "I would have thought after taking some of those blows you guys would be having some broken bones or whatever."
"It's not more so broken bones, but I think a broken spirit," Ethan sighed as he rubbed a temple. "I think Mindshatter is trying to destroy us mentally. My brain feels like its been nearly burnt to a crisp."
"Besides, with our ranger powers, it makes the pain go away quicker," Conner shrugged.
"Well, they don't call him Mindshatter for nothing. It makes sense in his name," Tanya nodded as she looked at the teens. They were all too tired to stand as they all slowly found a place to sit or lean on. "Billy. Hayley. Have you guys been able to look into any background information on this guy?"
Billy and Hayley shook their heads. They quickly explained to the newcomers about the last few battles the team had faced, and how each of the battles had made them more and more tired. Weak. If their mental performance wasn't clear, than it rubbed in their physical performance. Tommy had told the two that the teens were struggling a little in school, and they were also falling asleep in class. No one could blame them. They had gone through a lot in the last two years of their high school career. It might as well top the predecessors' lives during theirranger years. And they all knew it must be taking a whole lot more out on Tommy. He was back in suit, with a new set of powers, and he had to mentor the new team, aside from keeping tabs on his wife. There was so much they were feeling, and it was rubbing off every time the team had come back from a battle, heads hung low.
None of their battles were a real clear victory, and they weren't sure how much more they could take of this punishment. They could only go so far before they crack, and who knows what would happen if it came down to that.
Billy and Hayley had been going through repairs on the teams new set of zords. They couldn't figure out how to combine them to make a megazord without it taking a lot out of the rangers. They didn't want to risk trying to energize the zords through the rangers' life force, but it maybe their only hope if it decides to go into scaling-high proportions again. They were still running tests on the Dragon zord and how Tommy could operate it without paying a huge price for it, and were still in the works of creating a brachio zord to hold the other zords in. They were also trying out new weapons that could be efficient in battle, but all were experimental. And they couldn't let the team test the new equipment if they were struggling with their normal lives.
Billy pulled out a device, scanning each of the teens slowly. It began to show the vital signs of each of them as they were transferred over to the main computer console where Hayley was analyzing their status.
"What are you doing, Billy?" Conner asked as his eyes grew slightly heavy.
"Just checking how you guys are doing. Make sure there is no broken bones or how stable your brain wave patterns are," the technical director said simply.
Hayley looked over their vitals. Everything was fine. Heart rate, brain wave patterns, blood pressure. No severe signs of injury. She turned to the teens. "You guys just need to get some rest. A lot of it. We'll let you guys know if we find anything, but for the weekend, just stay home and sleep. That's all we can really say."
"I wouldn't have to disagree to that," Ethan nodded as he slowly got to his feet. His body began to sway a little, and it was evident that the last battle had left them all dehydrated, too.
"And drink plenty of fluids," a voice from the stairs echoed through the room as the team saw the medical doctor return. Adam pulled out a set of small vials, handing each of the teens one. "Here, drop a few drops of these into something hot and it should soothe you. Mostly, it should relax your spirit and allow you to sleep better."
"How's Coach, Adam?" Kira asked cautiously.
"She'll be fine, but that last battle took a lot out of her. And even though you were in Kim's body, Kira, I'm growing a little worried about their baby. Kim's been under a lot of stress lately, especially since Mindshatter showed up. Another loss could put even more stress on her because of how Tommy is feeling," Adam said sincerely.
The team fell silent, the news hurting them more. They all knew if something like a miscarriage would occur, it would shatter the legendary ranger and his wife to the point of no possible repair. They didn't want to see that, or couldn't imagine the heartbreak, since they were all really one huge family. Whatever happened to them, it did effect the entire team. And eventually word would get out to their other ranger brothers and sisters, and it would crush them too.
"Oh man, I can't begin to imagine what would happen if Kim had a miscarriage," Rocky shook his head.
"Let's just try not to think about that too much. We all need to get out of here and give those two some space. And we're all needing to get some rest," Adam directed everyone out of the lab. "Doctor's orders. But I ask each of you to put aside any possible ranger business and try to enjoy the next few days as normal people."
"Meaning?" Ethan asked.
"Hand over the dino gems," Adam said simply as he moved to the briefcase on the distant desk. He pulled out the other that was set for the DT morphers. He placed his zeonizer back into the box as Rocky and Tanya followed, slightly unsure of his gesture.
"Is this a good idea?" Kira asked as she rubbed her wrist, freeing the bracelet that she never seemed to take off. She put it in its place in the metal case.
"Trust me, it's the best solution I have for this right now. Mindshatter won't strike for another few days. He has to cope with another failure just like any other evil being for a few days," Adam nodded. "So, I am requesting, as a doctor, to each of you, no ranger business for a few days."
Ethan and Trent exchanged a look before placing their morphers in the box. They had to trust him on this as they took a step back, reluctantly agreeing to his statement.
Everyone turned to look at Conner, who was the most hesitant to follow up on the request.
"Are you sure about this, Adam?" Conner asked quietly.
Adam nodded slowly. "I'm sure. Don't worry. I'll lock these up in the vault Tommy has hidden by the main computer console. They're not going anywhere. Just try to go about life as a normal teen, that's all I ask."
Conner nodded slowly as he finally coughed up his bracelet and placed it into the metal case. Adam sealed the cases shut, locking them shut and entered a code to seal them even more. The team slowly moved to watch him take the cases over to the vault hidden behind one of the main hard drives of the lab. He placed them in the vault, sealed it shut and entered in a code on the computer, securing the powers of the rangers.
"All set. No one is going anywhere near those unless they are a ranger themselves," Adam said firmly as he turned back to the team.
The team could say no more as they all packed up and headed out of the forest exit out of the lab and onto their normal lives. But in the back of each of their minds, they knew they would have to find a way to get rid of Mindshatter and all the stress he had left on the team. They could only hope they could do it sooner than later.
to be continued...
A/N: Whoo! A lot has happened. Give me a break when it comes to updating, but I will try to make it better. I love this tension and suspense I'm putting on you guys. I'll tell you this, be prepared to see the return of some old ranger friends. The war is only beginning, and it'll be unlike anything the rangers have faced in all their years as a ranger. See you when I do. Hit me with a review. Later dayz. Isang diwa. Isang mahal. May the Powers Always Protect You.