POWER RANGERS DINO THUNDER
THE WILL TO LIVE
Chapter Two
Written by DTM666
Disclaimer: The author would like to clarify that Power Rangers and its characters is owned by Saban Brands and not the author.
-o-
The stinging pain in the back of Tommy's head did more than enough to break him from the unconsciousness that enveloped him thanks to the stinging sidekick of the Red Turbo Ranger - a past identity that he had passed on to TJ Johnson, who had since retired the powers. As he slowly gained his bearings enough to get to his feet, Tommy thought about the Turbo Ranger. He knew it wasn't TJ, because the Ranger spoke with Tommy's own voice. He had thought it to be his Green Ranger clone, but he quickly ruled that out. While the clone had proven to be a formidable opponent with an extremely long lifespan, their last encounter had been a brutal one that the doppelganger did not survive. Tommy thought if this was possibly another test of his will, but if that was the case, then his head wouldn't have hurt as much and he wouldn't have been knocked out as easily.
When his blurred vision got much clearer, he found himself in an endless grass field. Even with his spotty memory, Tommy found this place similar to another grass field he had been several years ago when he had lost his Green Ranger powers for good. The grass field had been the place of nightmares for Tommy, as most of his darkest dreams - the ones he would never admit to having - were set in this very place. This was more like those nightmares, as the sky was dark and cloudless as opposed to a bright sunny day when he was really there. Pushing aside the small slither of fear in his soul, Tommy began walking around the field, hoping to find anyone who could provide him an answer. But after some time, he realized that no one would answer his calls. So he sat down on the grass and began to meditate, think over what has happened, and hopefully, find a way to get out of this situation. For a moment, things seemed peaceful.
Tommy's eyes soon snapped open when he had heard the howl of strong winds. Getting to his feet, he looked around to find the winds blowing the grass, but was perplexed when he didn't feel anything but a gentle gale and the grass blades brushing against his legs and feet. Tommy raised his wrist to check his bracelet and Dino Gem, only to find there was nothing there. Just like in the previous trial, Tommy was missing his Dino Gem... but his bracelet, which he had with him in that trial, was also missing now.
This is weird, he thought, even by my standards.
By sheer chance, Tommy's eyes caught the Red Turbo Ranger at a distance, who was running towards him. Tommy stood there as he watched the Ranger continue to run and pick up speed. In a few scant seconds, the Turbo Ranger ran so fast that he became nothing more than a red blur and Tommy was caught off-guard when the red force threw him off his feet and six yards across the field. When Tommy landed, he didn't feel as much pain as he should have, nor did he feel tired. Standing up, he saw the red blaze that was the Turbo Ranger approach him again. This time, Tommy waited until the Ranger was close enough, at which point he threw a closed fist forward. Somehow, the fist had taken the Turbo Ranger out of his speed burst and caused him to crash on the ground.
Tommy smiled and fell into a horse-like stance. "Gotcha."
The Turbo Ranger slowly got to his feet and stared at the veteran Power Ranger. He circled the man and slowly nodded his head. "So you do know my tricks. I was afraid you'd forgotten."
Tommy ignored the comment, his gaze following the circling Ranger. "Who are you?"
"I'm you," the Turbo Ranger said simply, "Isn't that obvious?"
"But I passed you away to TJ."
"So I became the bastard child nobody wanted. That's just great," he said sarcastically, "I just bet you couldn't wait to leave the Power Rangers. You couldn't wait to drop me like a bad habit."
"It wasn't my decision to leave!" Tommy argued, "I didn't want to leave the team!"
"But it sure made you happy, didn't it?" The Ranger slowly pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Tommy's head. "Consider this a returning of the favor."
Tommy let out a discouraged sigh and raised both hands in front of him. "Now, wait a minute. You can't use a blaster."
"Oh, but the White Ranger and Green Ranger could use their toy swords? Shut up." The Turbo Ranger pressed a knob on the blaster, causing it to whirl very rapidly. "I've just set this to maximum kill. One hit and you're gone."
"Going for the cheap way out, huh?" Tommy said, "Just your style, I guess."
With that, Tommy leaped up and kicked the blaster from the Rangers hand. Both eyed the flying blaster which eventually exploded in mid-air. The explosion was enough distraction for Tommy to tackle the Ranger to the ground. The Turbo Ranger manage to throw off Tommy and get to his feet. Tommy also recovered quickly to block the flurry of attacks that the Ranger had launched. The Rangers' attacks came out fast and continued to gain speed, but somehow Tommy's quick blocks were also gaining speed to the point where his various moving limbs became black blurs that countered the red blurs that were the Turbo Ranger's attacks.
Somewhere within that blur, a mistake on the Ranger's part was made and Tommy capitalized by thrusting both palms to his opponent's chest, knocking the Ranger away and dizzying him for a moment. It was more than enough for Tommy to land a kick on the Ranger's chest. Upon impact, the Ranger shattered like glass similar to how the robed Zedd was taken out.
Tommy let out a sigh and stood in the middle of the grass field, waiting to be taken to the next trial.
-o-
Running on coffee and only three hours of sleep, Hayley spent the night at the Dino Base, looking through many of Tommy's notes and his extensive video archive in search of an answer or possibly even a cure to his ailment. But even after many tiring hours, she was no closer to a solution than she was when she started. The only non-variable in the equation was that Thomas Oliver was dying... the cause unknown. Although Doctor Payne said he would do everything he could to help Tommy, Hayley knew it wasn't enough. She needed help - someone who was an expert in the field. Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed a number and waited until the other line picked up.
"Hello, it's me. How fast can you come to Reefside? It's urgent."
-o-
A great force somehow brought Tommy to another strange place that he instantly recognizes as Rita's old Dark Dimension. The thick fogs covering the floor, the golden cage bars, and ominous starfield in the background are all as they appeared back in that dreadful place. However, Tommy noted a couple minor differences. The first difference was that there was a cage ceiling, whereas the actual dimension never had one; it was always an open box. The other difference was that the fog, once a ghostly white, was now crimson colored. Tommy pushed aside any thoughts as to what it was; he had to be prepared for whatever test he would be presented with.
Tommy approached one of the cage bars and held on to one of them. To his surprise (or not), he felt nothing. Whether it was because the architect of these affairs forgot about the electrical charge contained within or whether he or she wanted Tommy in one piece... he couldn't be sure. Again, Tommy pushed those stray thoughts aside and focused on waiting for his next opponent. He didn't wait long, for when he turned around, he stood face to face with the Green Ranger. But not quite the Green Ranger.
What's going on here? Tommy thought.
Unlike the Green Ranger in Tommy's previous trial, this Green Ranger had no holsters and as a result, no dragon dagger or blade blaster. There was no silver streak adorning the helmet, but the ruby gemstone that was etched into the headpiece glowed - something Tommy had never witnessed the Green Ranger do before. The dragon shield he wore on his chest shined a pristine gold color, brighter than any Ranger armor he had seen before or since. But what caught Tommy's eyes were the color of the suit and gloves. The white diamond pattern was still visible - something the previous Green Ranger lacked - but the suit itself and the patterns the gloves and boots was a pale green with a slight magenta tint.
Tommy didn't know what to make of this, but before he could react, a sharp pain had struck his left shoulder and Tommy instinctively clutched onto it while writhing. When his eyes met his shoulder, he was shocked to see a pink arrow sticking out of his shoulder and a trail of blood flowing from the wound. He turned back to the Green Ranger and saw that he held a white bow in one hand and a second arrow in another hand. Tommy tried in vain to pull the first arrow from his shoulder, but the pain was too much and he stumbled the ground on his rear. Tommy watched as the Green Ranger prepared his weapon for a final shot...
-o-
In the soccer field close by the high school, Conner McKnight aimlessly kicked soccer balls into the goal net. Although they were fairly good shots, they were below the spectacular maneuvers that Conner was known for. At this point, Conner really didn't care. His mind was on other things; namely the well-being of Doctor Oliver and his own readiness in case Mesogog decides to strike. He would have been meeting with the others at the Cyberspace cafe, but Kira was with Trent and Ethan was helping his dad with computer problems, which left him alone on the field kicking a soccer ball.
"Shouldn't you be at school, son?"
A startled Conner turned to see Anton Mercer, dressed in his usual leisure suits. Anton Mercer was an old friend of Tommy as well as Trent's adoptive father, but was also the head of a major corporation that was on the verge of making a comeback in the world of business after a long time in hiatus. Conner found it strange that Mercer would take the time to talk to him - considering they don't have any special relationship other than that Mercer briefly served as a substitute for Doctor Oliver.
"School's out," Conner said, "Something about teachers' strikes or something."
Anton nodded and slowly approached the boy, who seemed almost intimidated by the man. "Have you gotten any word on Doctor Oliver's condition?"
Conner shook his head. "Nobody tells the students anything. It's like one big secret the teachers are hiding. I'm surprised they haven't let you in on the deal, you being a substitute."
"Part-time substitute," Mercer corrected, "And I've only filled in for Doctor Oliver for a short time." After a momentary silence, Mercer patted Conner's shoulder. "I'll see about getting an update on Tommy's condition. If I know anything, I'll let you know."
"Sounds cool, Mr. Mercer. Thanks."
With a nod, Mercer shot Conner one last smile before leaving the boy alone in the soccer field. When he was out of sight, Conner resumed kicking around the ball, but before making the shot, spotted Hayley walking towards him. Conner quickly picked up the ball and ran to her.
"Hayley, what are you doing here?"
Hayley frowned, her face telling Conner the whole story. "Tommy's condition has taken a turn for the worse. They've taken him to the emergency infirmary."
Conner brushed a hand through his hair. "This isn't fair. Doctor O is dying and we can't do a thing about it. Did you tell the others yet?"
"Not yet," Hayley replied, teary-eyed. "I called a friend of Tommy who might know a little more about this than I do, but if he doesn't get here in time, it'll be too late."
-o-
His car has gone six hours running through highways without a pause. He had sped through tolling stations without paying. Now he finds himself speeding through the main expressway to Reefside at about two times the speed limit. His fast lane cuttings have earned him the hatred of other drivers along the way, but he doesn't care. He can't afford to wait and respect any rules of conduct. If he does, it'll be too late and his friend will be dead.
"Hold on, Tommy," he prayed, "Hold on a little more."
TO BE CONTINUED...