Quantum Red Blues
By: PernDragonrider
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Not making any money off of this; don't sue.
A/N: Warning: This story will eventually contain a slash relationship. If you don't like reading about a relationship between two men; then hit the back button on your browser right now. If you enjoy slash then read on and enjoy! The plot for this tale almost literally jumped into my brain while just relaxing and playing some music on my media player. The inspiration for this tale comes from an old tune by the Bay City Rollers, entitled "I Only Wanna Be With You". When the song started playing I got a quick flash of an unorthodox Ranger couple in my brain that just wouldn't leave. This is the result. Written for the Live Journal AWDT 2nd Birthday fic exchange. This one is for you XRachX. Enjoy!
Chapter Five – Injuries and RecriminationsSix months after the attack on the Silver Guardians base, Jason was again manning the guardhouse outside the gates to the facility. "Well it's been six months since I morphed for the last time. Damn I wish power withdrawals would hurry up and get over with. I've been moody and bitchy as hell to Eric and everyone. Now I'm back to square one because of it. Mr. Collins raked Eric and Wes over the coals for what happened, even though it wasn't their fault. Tommy's okay, that's a huge relief. I can't believe the turn out of Rangers when the call went out he was missing. Thank God we found him alive, dehydrated and water logged, but alive." Jason looked up and cringed when he saw the caravan escort pulling down the road toward the gate.
"Base; shack one." Jason said into the communicator. "Caravan two is returning to office."
"Understood, shack one." Wes replied with a smile. "Hopefully Commander Myers had better luck than I did escorting my father and his board of directors to bi-annual stockholders meeting."
"Affirmative, base." Jason said with a moue of concern marring his features. "Double checking, driver of lead vehicle now." Picking up a pair of powerful binoculars, Jason scanned the driver of the lead SUV. "SHIT!" He said into the mic without realizing he was transmitting his words to Wes in the command center. "Talk about déjà vu from hell. Not fucking again, please."
"What's wrong, Jason?" Wes asked even as he started passing orders out to the other teams and had all available personnel advancing toward the front gate.
"Quantum is not visible in lead vehicle, base." Jason said with an increasingly worried tone of voice. "I repeat, quantum IS NOT visible in lead SUV; four passengers, all male; unfamiliar. Lieutenant Dale, Commander Myers, nor any of the team they took for security is present in lead vehicle."
"Close the gates and get inside the fence, Private Scott." Wes barked as he surged to his feet and started moving toward the door that led outside and directly to the front gate.
"Gates as closing now, base. Board is green, fence and gate are charged. Diverting to interior post as commanded, sir." Jason replied as he followed the same procedure he had just six months earlier. This time Jason wasn't greeted at the other shack by Eric, but by Wes morphed into the Time Force Red Ranger. He helped Jason to finish climbing the ladder and both me flattened when they heard bullets zinging past them.
"SHIT!" Jason said as he immediately dropped flat on the floor of the guardhouse he and Wes were standing in. He quickly freed his sidearm from its holster and took cover as he prepared to return fire.
"Hold your fire!" Wes called out to everyone through his helmet's communications system. "They aren't charging the gate like the last bunch. Wait and let's see what they want."
Every Silver Guardian in the compound waited calmly and professionally as the lead vehicle slowed to a stop about 20 feet from the main gate of the large complex. The man in the front passenger seat opened the door and stepped onto the running board. He wore a mask over his face and his voice was electronically disguised when he issued his demands. "Open the gate and allow us into the complex. We want weapons, ammunition, and bombs. You don't allow us in and we start killing hostages, starting with the five Silver Guardians we have as hostages."
"Let me speak with the hostages so I know that they're still alive; then we negotiate." Wes replied with a stern sharp voice.
"No way, Red Time Force Ranger." The terrorist replied. "No issuing orders in code to your men. We'll drag them out of the vehicle they're in and you can ascertain their conditions, but you're not to speak to them. You do and we blow them to bits."
Jason blanched, but remained where he was out of sight and holding a good, steady aim at the man doing the talking. "He's in my sights, Red One." Jason said quietly knowing that Wes would hear him. "Team Danvers is concealed in the bunker on the east side of the gate and Team Michaels is concealed in the west bunker. Both fire teams have clear lines of sight to the targets. Quantum and Team Dale is confirmed to be in the second vehicle. No confirmed sightings of explosives at this time, sir."
"Who is the demolitions expert on duty today?" Wes asked without using the communications equipment.
"Major Lee, sir." Jason answered. "The former seal that joined up last month. He and his team, Demo 2 is on point for this one. Should I call them up?"
"Do it, Jason." Wes said and turned to face the terrorists. "Show me my men. IF they're all alive and well, then we talk."
Jason triggered the internal communications system that would bypass everyone but those inside the base's radios. "Demo two to front gate. Demo two to front gate. Hostage situation in progress, Quantum and Team Dale possibly wired for sound. Move it Major, this is serious and as of now, this is not a drill."
"Received, gate one." Major Lee answered as he team started scrambling into the underground tunnel system that would take them outside the compound and up behind the attackers. "Demo two is playing rat; I repeat Demo Two is playing rat. ETA, four minutes, gate one. Keep them talking."
"Confirmed, Demo Two is playing rat." Jason said and then looked up at Wes. "Demo two is inbound in the tunnels, Red One." Jason said quietly without using the communications gear at all.
"Understood," Wes said without changing his tone of voice.
"Open the gates and let us into the facility, Red Ranger." The man doing the talking demanded angrily and with some fear staring to show in his voice.
"Show me that my people are actually alive before I start negotiating in good faith." Wes said in a calm, controlled tone that conveyed his anger very well to those that knew him.
"Very well, Red Ranger." The terrorist replied with a grim tone. "Drag them from the car and if any of them try any heroics, trigger the explosives we've planted on them."
Jason and Wes both tensed as Eric, Carson Dale, David Macomb, Tom Nichols, and the rookie of the team, Alan Butler were dragged from the second vehicle. Jason's jaw clenched even tighter as he saw the large bulky vests that were clearly packed with explosives strapped around each of the five Silver Guardians. "Demo Two, Gate One." Jason said quietly into the intercom system for the tunnels. "Confirmed large amounts of explosives on Quantum and entire compliment of Team Dale."
"Understood, Gate One." Major Lee answered as he and his team trotted the last few feet to the ladder that would lead to the very well concealed exit from the facility. "Demo Two is ready to quit playing rat and see the light."
"Demo two is in position, Wes." Jason said quietly. "I still have dead shot on passenger terrorist doing the talking. Awaiting your orders, sir."
"Tell Demo two to set up the jamming system and activate it, Jason." Wes said as he used the built in scanner in his Red Ranger's Armor to check out Eric and the men being held with him. "The detonators for the vests are radio remote controlled. Looks to be standard construction grade transmitters and receivers. As soon as the jamming has started, take out the terrorists. That will free up Quantum and Team Dale to join the fray."
"Acknowledged, Red One." Jason said with a grim tone. "Bunkers One and Two, Demo Two will be jamming all radio frequencies in one minute. I repeat team Demo Two will jam radios in one minute from, mark! Demo Two Red One relays this information. Detonators are radio remote, appears to be standard construction grade transmitter and receiver; Red One orders radio jamming to commence in 45 seconds from, mark. Once jamming commences, we are neutralizing terrorists."
"Understood, Gate One." Major Lee replied as he counted off the seconds to when they would start jamming all radio communications in a two square mile area around the complex. This included all frequencies that could be used for transmitting a radio signal and all cell phones as well. "Jamming begins, NOW!" The Major said into the external intercom that would transmit all over the base through concealed loud speakers.
As soon as the Major said, "now", Eric erupted into action and took out the guard nearest him. Carson Dale's team also exploded into action and they incapacitated any of the terrorists they were near. Jason took down the terrorist that was doing all the talking while the men in the concealed bunkers opened fire with their weapons too. Unlike the conventional side arms that police around the world used; the Silver Guardians used more sophisticated weaponry. Their guns didn't fire bullets, but a directed electrical charge that was designed to temporarily short-circuit the human nervous system. The added benefit was that all Silver Guardian uniforms were immune to the discharge so even if one of their own were accidentally hit with the fire from the bunkers, they would be unaffected.
Eric, as soon as he was able, drew his bound wrists to his mouth and spoke into the morpher that his captors had mistakenly left on his right wrist. "Quantum Power!" Eric called and shot his hands skyward to complete the action that would cause a wave of energy from the Morphin Grid to pass over him and transform him into the Quantum Ranger.
"Eric spoke the words to cause his Quantum Ranger's Armor to form around him just as Wes cried out, "Don't morph, Eric; you'll trigger the explosives!"
Eric's hand was already moving skyward as Jason took careful aim with his weapon and instead of shooting Eric, he shot his morpher. The electrical charge from Jason's weapon was just enough to disrupt the functions of the morpher and Eric looked puzzled and shocked when nothing happened.
"Stupid, idiotic, damned asshole!" Jason screamed in anger and horror as Wes cleared the still electrified fence in a single leap and was moving quickly toward Eric's position. "You almost killed yourself by morphing! The explosives strapped to your fucking chest would have detonated inside your armor!" Jason was shaking with reaction, terror, and he paled as he realized how closely he'd come to losing Eric from his life forever. Before anyone else knew what was happening, Jason was on the ground unconscious from the horror he'd almost witnessed happening to his lover, friend, and fellow Power Ranger.
"You dimwitted piss poor excuse for a Ranger." Wes said as he reached Eric and nearly shook him senseless. "You would have died had you morphed. What stopped the process?"
"Private Scott shot Commander Myers' morpher sir." Carson Dale replied with a very shaky tone as he slumped to the ground on his knees as realization of what Jason had yelled and Wes was telling his co-leader. "How he made that shot I have no idea, but I saw the discharge and he targeted only the morpher, sir. It was an excellent shot."
"Bunker One!" Wes used his helmets built in amplification system to bypass the jammed radios of everyone, including the guardians. "Send someone out to check on Private Scott at the gate, a.s.a.p."
"Red One," Major Lee said as he and his four-man team joined Wes by where Eric and Carson's team were standing, well Carson wasn't standing but still kneeling on the ground. "Sir, the vests might also be booby-trapped. Please, Commander Myers, would you and Lieutenant Dale's team come with us. We'll get these bloody things off of you as soon as we can."
"Red One!" Corporal Danvers shouted to Wes through the fence. "Private Scott is unconscious, sir. Should we transport him to the infirmary?"
"Negative, Danvers!" Eric said with a scowl and a very sharp, cold, biting tone. "Leave him where he is. I don't care if he's bleeding from bullet wounds. Just leave him where he is and either Commander Collins or myself will see to him when we get this situation under wraps!"
"Eric," Wes said with a shiver at the coldness in Eric's voice. "He's still…"
"Get this vest off of me, Jack." Eric snapped at Major Jack Lee. "Get it off of me, NOW!"
"Yes sir." Jack Lee said with a scowl for how Eric was acting. "You know sir, Private Scott did just save your life, sir. I've studied the information on Commander Collins and your morphers. Had you morphed you would have set off the explosives strapped to your chest inside of that spandex looking get up that surrounds you. According to what I've read, that stuff that looks like spandex is created wholly from energy that stops or lessens the blows you receive in battle. It would have contained the explosion and acted like a shaped charge. You wouldn't have body anymore had that happened. There's enough construction grade C-4 in all of these vests to obliterate your entire torso, sir. We'd have been burying a head, arms, hands, hips, legs, and feet only." Major Lee's tone was angry and concerned at the same time.
"My choice and Wes needed the back up." Eric said with an unhappy scowl for being told off by a junior officer. "The power of the Grid protects us and I doubt I'd have been harmed by the explosion at all."
"You keep thinking that, Eric." Wes said as he called for the gate to be opened. He walked through to check on Jason's still unconscious form that had fallen face first into the ground and outside of the guardhouse. "I'm still going to recommend Jason for a commendation for saving your sorry, ungrateful hide. Just don't talk to him or me until you've calmed down, Eric. He's got enough problems with prolonged power-withdrawals without having to deal with you on your high horse cause he did what was needed and saved your sorry ass." Wes moved to the unconscious and unmoving form of the first Red Ranger. "Danvers!" Wes shouted. "Bring a stretcher over here. Call ahead to Doc Allen and have him get in touch with Doc Cranston down in Angel Grove. I want to make sure that Private Scott's faint didn't have anything to do with his medical condition of six-months ago. Treat him gently, Danvers. He just saved Eric's sorry hide and saved us a funeral none of us wanted to attend." Wes's voice was sharp yet filled with horror and he was shaking so badly he couldn't power down out of his Ranger armor if he'd have wanted to. When he told of them treating Jason gently and why his voice was compassionate and concerned.
"Yes, sir." Danvers said with a quickly snapped salute as his team got Jason onto a stretcher and into the infirmary as quickly and gently as possible.
Wes stood up, squared his shoulders, and then marched back over to where Major Lee and his team were checking the explosive filled vests of five of his best officers. "Major Lee," Wes said with a shaky voice. "Once you've removed the explosives from Commander Myers and Carson's team; send them to the infirmary for Doc to check over. Do Commander Myers last, Major and that's a direct order that he doesn't have the authority to countermand." Wes turned to Eric, still shaking with a combination of anger and fear. "You, Eric Myers, you sit there and wait until last and while you wait I want you to think long and hard on what you almost just did to the Guardians. I also want you to think about how badly it would have hurt me, Kimberly, and everyone of the Rangers past, present, and future to have lost a family member because of his stupidity. I didn't need the backup that badly, Eric. I had things well in hand and the situation was totally under my control." Eric didn't say a word, but everyone knew he was seething with anger over Wes's words to him and the order that he was to have his vest removed last. The only outward sign of his anger at Wes was the clenching tighter of his already clenched jaw.
Major Lee and his team had the vests removed and the explosives neutralized from all of Carson Dale's team within an hour after they'd started their examinations of the hostages. During that hour Eric had sat silently and fumed as he waited to be free of the damned thing and able to get into the onsite gym where he could beat the shit out of the punching bag and pretend it was Jason, Wes, or the terrorists that had caused the problem. "Am I next or are you going to let me sit here in this damned thing until it rots off, Major?" Eric asked with a cocky, angry tone that set everyone's nerves on edge.
"I'm going to double check you just like we double checked everyone else, Commander." Jack Lee responded with a sigh. "After looking more closely at the job these terrorists did with the explosives; I'm more convinced than ever that Private Scott attacked appropriately in stopping you from morphing. My report for the entire skirmish and the aftermath will be on your desk before I leave tonight, Commander. Might I suggest you read it before you say anything to Private Scott, sir? His quick thinking and excellent marksmanship skills did save your life and the lives of Lieutenant Dale's entire team. His using his weapon to overload the circuits in your morpher stopped a disaster in the making, Commander. He is a hero and needs to thanked, not be screamed at in anger for saving lives."
"Just get this fucking vest off of me so I can go destroy something in the gym before I start taking my anger out on you as a convenient target." Eric snapped angrily at the man before him that was telling him things he didn't want to hear at that time.
"Very well, Commander Myers." Jack Lee replied with a sharp and angry tone of his own. He reached out and rid Eric of the vest by just ripping it off of his body, which caused Eric to inhale sharply as the already too small vest he was forced to wear dug into the back of his waist and shoulders before the flimsy cloth gave way and it fell off of his broad shoulders and into his lap. "There sir, the fucking vest is removed, as ordered and I would appreciate you following Commander Collins' order and reporting to the infirmary so Doc can give you a clean bill of health before you start destroying anything, sir." Major Jack Lee executed a perfect military salute and he and his team left Eric where he was sitting and returned to the base.
Eric rose to his fee and stalked into the infirmary just in time to hear Billy Cranston talking with Doc Allen about Jason. "You should have called me when his withdrawal symptoms lasted more than three weeks, Doc." Billy said seriously as they talked over Jason's still unconscious form on an infirmary bed. "Trey said that he might have an extended withdrawal period, but it shouldn't have lasted for six months. My scans and your tests have confirmed that he's suffering a chemical imbalance in his brain and throughout most of his body. Your course of treatment is one that I would administer and I believe that he will be back to normal within two or three hours if we balance out his brain and body chemistry properly."
"Good, then I'll set him up on the IV with the needed supplements to get him back into balance. I'll also keep a better eye on his condition, Billy. I hear a rumor that he's up for a commendation for saving Eric's life today. How he managed to shoot straight with his hands shaking like someone with palsy is beyond me, but sometimes a stressful situation can get your body back to normal for short periods of time." Doc Allen said as he looked up and saw Eric in the doorway of the room with a dark and angry scowl on his face as he glared at the unconscious Jason. "Ahh, there you are, Eric." Doc said with a large grin breaking over his weathered features. "I'm glad you came here before heading over to the gym and destroying equipment again. Ten minutes should be all it takes to get you going on your way, Commander." Doc left Billy in the room with Jason, monitoring his condition, as he led Eric down the hall to another examination room. "Give me just about two minutes, Eric." Doc said as he used the intercom system for his area and told his nurse what type of IV's she was to setup and administer to Jason.
"What's wrong with Scott, Doc?" Eric asked as the doctor scanned him.
"Chemical imbalance caused from, according to Billy Cranston, damage done to his body from morphing after being told not to combined with power withdrawals. He'll be fine once the imbalance is corrected and from what we can tell his faint at the front gate was caused from shock." Doc Allen told Eric as he scanned him. "I told Billy that it was a miracle that Jason could even pull off the shot he did that saved your life. Save your life he did, Eric Myers. I discussed it with Doctor Cranston and Jason saved your life by stopping you from morphing. It would have detonated the charges in the vest you wore and contained the explosion inside the armor." Eric, who'd been slowly seething in anger, started calming down as Doc gave him more than speculation but cold hard facts that he could deal with. Eric's own reaction to the situation kicked in and he started going into to shock on the jovial doctor that attended to the Silver Guardians. "Okay, lay back, Eric." Doc Allen said calmly as he gently pushed Eric into a prone position. "You're going into shock, Commander."
Eric laid back and soon his shaking slowed down as Doc Allen covered him and gave him an injection of a mild sedative to help keep him from going deeper into shock. "I would have… " Eric trailed off and just stared at the wall as the truth sunk into his no longer angry brain.
"Rest, Eric." The doctor said as he left the room quietly. "I'm going to check on Private Scott's condition." The doc pulled the door almost closed and walked the two rooms over to see how Jason was doing. He was mild surprised to see Jason awake and talking quietly to Billy.
"I don't know how I knew to shoot the morpher to stop the process, Billy." Jason said with a frown as his mind replayed the events of two hours earlier. "I just knew that Wes couldn't reach him in time to stop the transformation. I had to do something to stop him from dying."
"You made an excellent judgment call and exceptional shot, Jason." Wes said from the doorway where he'd come to check on both Jason and Eric's conditions. "Eric still on a rampage, doc?"
"No, he's resting two doors down, Wes." Doc Allen said with a slight smile. "His own shock set in and I gave him a mild sedative."
"Can I go home, doc?" Jason asked with a stronger voice and his shaking had stopped completely.
"You can go in a bit, Jason." Doc said giving Jason a smile that one would give a favorite grandson. "I need to do one more series of blood work to be sure that the chemical imbalance has been corrected. After that, you can go. Don't forget you have an incident report to write up before leaving."
"Can I get access to a terminal here, doc?" Jason asked with a smile. "I can write the report up while waiting for the test results. I really don't ever want to pull gate duty again. Not on a day when Mr. Collins and board have ventured out of the compound all at once. This is the second time in a year that their caravan has been hijacked and a group of terrorists tried to take over the facilities. Not good, not good at all."
"Maybe speaking with Wes or Eric about changing the procedures for these trips out would help." Major Lee said from the doorway to Jason's room. "Good shot out there, Private Scott."
"Name is Jason, sir." Jason replied with a smile and extended his hand for a handshake. "Thank you, Major Lee. It was a one in a million shot, sir, one that I never want to think about attempting again without a very large sniper scope."
"Jason," Major Lee said calmly and with friendship in his voice. "If you were inclined to want to learn explosives, I'd be honored to have a man of your caliber serving on my team. You kept your head and did what was necessary and that included saving a life by any means necessary. My name is Jack and it's my pleasure to know you."
"Quit flirting with the man, Jack." Wes said jokingly as he returned to the room with a smile for both of them. "Jason, don't worry about your after-action report. You can do it in the morning. You're on desk duty for the next two weeks anyway. Ops Center for you, Private. You're due a rotation in there and I've kept you too long on the front gate. Time for something different for you."
"Thanks, Wes." Jason replied with a warm smile for his fellow Red Ranger. "Oh, Major Lee suggested you might want to change procedures for Mr. Collins and the board's bi-annual outings from now on. This is twice in a year they've been hijacked and the base has been attacked. We haven't lost anyone yet, but next time we might not be so lucky. Third time is the charm for them or us. I'd rather not have the third time come up."
"That is being discussed in the morning as well." Wes said with a reassuring smile. "Your input is going to be heard on this one because you're assigned to Ops Center. So start thinking about what procedures you'd change for these, why you'd make the changes, and how to implement them. I'm headed out. Kimberly is coming up for the weekend and we're going house hunting. Can't believe that I'm getting married in five months, but it's just around the corner now."
"Congratulations, Wes." Jason said as he slid from the bed and hugged Wes in a friendly bear hug. "Kimberly is great for you and you're great for her. If you weren't her big brothers would be breathing down your neck, guy."
"Yeah they would." Wes said with a smile as he returned the hug. "You, Billy, Zack, Adam, Rocky, and even Tommy would be trying to rip my head off if I wasn't good for Kimberly. I know I got warned by each of you just after we started seriously dating. I think the main thing I heard was, "hurt her and you get hurt ten times worse by me". You guys are protective aren't you?"
"We all tend to be overprotective of the female members of our teams, no matter what type of team it is." Jack Lee said with a slight smile on his face. "Has to be in the genetic coding of all males to protect a female of the species."
"Being over protective of my friends and family has been sort of ingrained into my makeup since I was a kid." Jason said with a smile. "All the males and some of the females in my family, on my dad's side, have become cops in one shape, form, or fashion. I was the hold out until I joined the Guardians and I didn't like it growing up, but I like being a Guardian. We're more than a police force, more like a crack elite military unit. I'm learning stuff here I'd have never learned as a just a police officer in any department in the world."
"I retired from the military and looked everywhere for a group like the Silver Guardians." Jack Lee said seriously. "I wanted to put my years as a SEAL to use in the private sector, but not doing just standard demolition work. I get the opportunity with the Silver Guardians."
"Glad to hear that Major." Eric said surprising everyone as he strolled into Jason's room. "If all of you wouldn't mind I'd like to speak privately with Jason for a few minutes." His voice was neutral, but his eyes spoke volumes to Doc Allen and Wes, who knew him best.
"I've just drawn the blood I need for the next round of tests before releasing him back to duty, Commander Myers." Doc said as he left the room followed closely by Billy, Wes, and Major Jack Lee. "So of course you can speak privately with Jason."
"Eric, I'm truly sorry." Jason said as the door was closed softly behind the four men that had just left. "I couldn't stand to see you… " Jason's voice trailed off and he fought for control as tears sprung to his eyes.
"Jason, I understand." Eric said calmly, but his face was set in a stern frown. "Our relationship isn't going to work, Jason. I'll bring whatever is at my place that belongs to you with me tomorrow. I can't keep the feelings out of the way while at work anymore. I wasn't morphing to help Wes, but to help you. One of them had you dead to rights with a high-powered rifle. I… " Eric stopped talking and abruptly turned and stalked out of the door without looking back. "We're through, Jason. I thought I could, but I can't." Were the last words Jason heard before his emotions took over and left him sobbing nearly hysterically as he fell back onto the hospital bed in the infirmary.
"That fucking hypocrite!" Jason howled in pain, sorrow, and loss as he fought to get himself back under emotional control. "Fine if he wants it to be over, it's over damn him, damn him to hell. I thought this would be different!" Jason flung the clipboard that his chart had been hanging on across the room and paid no attention to when it stuck four inches into the back of the door. He was past caring about anything but leaving as fast and as far as he could go. "God he was the ONE!" Jason's heart and mind cried out in pain and shock as he stormed around the room like a caged wild animal.
Doc Allen returned when he heard the impact of the metal clipboard against the door. He was shocked to see Jason furiously pacing the room and completely taken aback when Jason spun and demanded angrily. "I'm going home, Doc. With or without your permission I've got to get out of here."
"Go Jason." Doc said with a sympathetic tone. "Stop by tomorrow morning, though; I want to run another round of blood work on you. I'm sure everything will be fine by morning, but I want to make sure you're chemical imbalance is gone."
"Thanks, Doc." Jason said as he practically bolted from the room and ran all the way to the locker room. Those co-workers in the locker room were amazed when Jason barreled through the door and skidded to stop in front of his locker.
"Hot date tonight, Jase?" Danvers asked with a smirk of a smile and a very teasing tone of voice. One he'd used thousands of times on his teammate. This time however the reaction wasn't Jason's usual one.
"No, and I'm not going through that hell ever again, Danvers." Jason said with such venom in his tone that Danvers backed up two or three steps. "I'll see you in the morning, guys." Jason's biting, angry, and hurt tone wasn't lost on anyone in the locker room and all of them were surprised when Jason didn't change into his riding leathers, but just bundled them up and grabbed his helmet.
"What's going on?" Eric asked as he entered the locker room from another direction about a minute after Jason had left the room very abruptly. "Danvers? What's got you standing staring at the door like you've seen a ghost or something?"
"Jason just left without putting his leathers on and said something about not going through that hell ever again." Danvers answered with a frown. "All I asked was if he had a hot date tonight because of how fast he came storming into the locker room. Is everything all right, Commander?"
"Everything is fine, Danvers." Eric answered with a strangely gloomy and yet insipid tone at the same time. "See everyone for the morning briefing." Eric turned and left the room, but he didn't go home. He retreated into the lifestyle he'd led before joining with Wes and Time Force to defeat Ransik. He stayed on the couch in his office, but didn't sleep. He spent the night thinking about how he would survive with seeing Jason on a daily basis, but not privately anymore.
While Eric was trying to put up his blocks against Jason, Jason spent a miserable night, alone, in his apartment. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and couldn't do anything but remember how happy he was with Eric and what happened to end it so abruptly.
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