I'm sorry once again for keeping you all waiting for Part 3. I hope you are all getting used to my sporadic update schedules. We're finally on the last part of Once a Ranger, we will be also delving into the past of the original ranger team, obviously referencing to the TV show and little things inbetween. Yeah, that fight scene between Kim and Thrax, then throwing Rita in, I've been playing far too much God of War and I felt at least one of Thrax's parents should have been there.
I dare openly say, though you may have different opinions, I absolutely detest how I handled the fight scene between the twelve rangers and Thrax's dodgy alliance. My Writer's Block was actually that bad, I could not function properly for those scenes, which is why the fight between Kimberly and Thrax looks as if it abruptly ended. It is explained as to what happened, but I was compensating for my stupid Writer's Block. I should be on a roll once more after that.
Enjoy Once a Ranger Part 3!
"Memories, even bittersweet ones, are better than nothing."
- Jennifer L. Armentrout
Chapter 9: Once a Ranger Part III - Final Showdown and Memory Lane
Five Minutes Later…
16:35…
(Scene: Battlefield, Quarry, Outside San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
All twelve rangers descended the SHARC, which was being piloted by Andrew and landed on solid ground. They faced their enemies, Thrax and his little alliance, they were surprised to see not just the Retro Rangers, but the Overdrive Rangers whom they thought they put out of commission. That was when they noticed their repaired Overdrive Trackers and it obviously meant bad news for them, the rangers reconnected to the Morphing Grid and got their powers back. This doesn't abode well for Thrax, as it was his idea to target the Grid and now, it backfired. Terribly. So much for gaining the upper hand, the rangers have once again shown their intellectual prowess and overcome the obstacles Thrax placed. Silverdar was too busy glaring at his brother's killer, this time, his sword is going to be in Kara's chest; he was being soft because his friend told him and not to kill Kara on the first day they attacked the rangers. This battle will decide who will be the victor. The Rangers could see their enemies seething, Thrax was gripping his staff tightly.
"IMPOSSIBLE!" He roared,
"Just like your father, Thrax." Kim started, "You underestimated the Power Rangers." Standing beside her team, Mack led the morphing sequence, as he, Ronny, Dax, Rose and Will took out their Overdrive Trackers.
"Overdrive Accelerate!" The five rangers dragged the movable part of the morpher across the length of their arms, while Dr. Hart and Tyzon carried out a sequence, similar to the Dino Thunder Rangers morph. Next was the Retro Rangers.
"It's Morphin' Time!" Rocky brought up his Ape Ninja Power Coin, "Red Ranger Power!",
"Dino Thunder! Power up!",
"Ninja Storm! Ranger form!",
"Wild Access!",
"Let's Rocket!" Five different coloured lights surrounded them all and shortly, all twelve rangers stood before their enemies, morphed and ready for action. Mack cracked his knuckles, as he stood beside the second Original Red and first Ape Ninjetti Ranger.
"You're going to learn, Thrax, why you never mess with the Power Rangers." That was the cue for both sides to charge like a herd of bulls. The rangers teamed up according to the corresponding colour, somewhat: Mack and Rocky faced Moltor, Ronny and Kira went toe to toe with Miratrix, Dax and Tori squared off against Fluious, William and Carlos were facing Kamdor, while Rose, Alyssa and Tyzon fought The Fear Cats. This left Dr. Hart to face Thrax and Silverback alone.
With Mack and Rocky…
Moltor had his two swords unsheathed, preparing to face the two Red Rangers, who unsheathed their Overdrive Defender and Blade Blaster in sword mode. Charing at their enemy, the two rangers slammed their weapons down on Moltor, who managed to block the attack, but leaving him foolishly open as the pair side kicked him the stomach, sending the Brother of Fire flying into a rock face. He hit his back hard and so, it left an opening for them to switch their weapons to blaster mode and fired full power on Moltor. It wounded him, but he wasn't done yet and so, the fight continued.
Ronny and Kira…
The two Yellow Rangers surrounded Miratrix, with their side arms drawn in blade mode. Miratrix kept an eye on both rangers as they circled her, trying to figure out when they will attack her. Ronny was first to charge, bringing her Overdrive Defender down on the her blade, Miratrix raised her own weapon to block it, but was surprised at the amount of force applied, causing her to stagger. That allowed Kira to slip by and get an attack in, swinging her blade across Miratrix's torso and kicked her away. Miratrix managed to get into a shoulder roll, that allowed her to recover quickly and retaliat with a laser blast, hitting Ronny. Annoyed at that attack, Kira glared at her opponent, it was time to go full dino.
"Super Dino Mode!" She commanded and extending from her suit, were small spikes on her arms and legs. Then there was some sort of light material to mimic that of a Pterodactyl. The small spikes, compared to Dr. O's, Conor's, Ethan's and Trent's, allowed her to be lightweight and fly. She turned to Ronny and said: "As soon as I leap into the air, take your blaster out and hold on!" Getting the gist very quickly, Ronny unholstered her firearm, then Kira leaped into the air, giving Ronny the signal to grab her foot. It was the same trick she did with Tori after freeing her and her friends from Lothor's mind control. Surprised that Kira was holding her weight, Ronny got a clear line of fire on Miratrix.
"Hasta la vista, baby." The latest Yellow Ranger in the legacy smirked, under her helmet and fired, sending their opponent crashing, seriously hurt.
To Dax and Tori…
Fluious held his ice lance horizontally, as he narrowly blocked the dual strikes on him by the Blue Rangers' Overdrive Defender and Ninja Sword. He then pushed them back, forcing the two rangers to flip, yet it allowed Dax to quickly switch his Defender from blade to blaster mode. Once he landed, the stunt actor got in three shots due to Fluious' poor defences, staggering him. With his guard down even more, Tori went full ninja on the Brother of Ice, performing a Ninja Streak. To Dax, Tori was nothing but a blur of blue and that's exactly what Fluious could see, as he was being struck in all directions; unable to block the attacks because he was unable to match the speed. When he staggered, Dax leaped in beside Tori as the two let out a hard, combined side-kick, knocking Fluious several feet from them and leaving feelings of defeat. He knew he played his cards wrong this time.
William and Carlos…
Carlos rolled with the punches, they say as Will dashed for Kamdor. It was kind of obvious the two struck a rivalry, so it was natural for the two to face each other. It's not a surprise, a lot of rangers in the past would have rivals or nemesis they would fight on each encounter; take Jason Scott, Tommy Oliver and Goldar for example. They faced each other more times than he can count when he got his copy of the Ranger Legacy video. Kamdor was armed with his lance and swung it low, attempting to trip Will, luckily, he saw it coming and leaped over it. Carlos saw his opening, taking out his Lunar Lance, giving it a quick spin, he dashed forward, lashing out with a basic thrust right into Kamdor's chest; forcing him to stagger. Will unsheathes his primary weapon: the Drive Slammer, he rushed forward and raised his weapon. Kamdor brought his own weapon up to block it, but Will slammed his hammer down on him with such force it broke his lance in two. Shocked that his weapon broke, Carlos jumped in with the finishing blow, a clean arc, lifting their enemy into the air and the Black Overdrive Ranger finished it with one final swing; sending Kamdor into the base of the cliff face, his back slamming into it. The two Black Rangers fist bumped as a small victory.
Rose, Alyssa and Tyzon…
This fight was a three against two, three Rangers facing two of The Fear Cats. To Tyzon, the name should have really no meaning, there was nothing to fear about them, now that he had friends to help him. Rose and Alyssa teamed up to face Mig, while Tyzon was left with Benglo. While the fight went on, the three would switch opponents or switch among themselves to confuse the two remaining Fear Cats. Tyzon wondered should the two just surrender and leave Earth if they value their lives, but since they are after the Corona Aurora, they really don't care if they waste their lives for the crown and its jewels. Tyzon swung his Drive Detector in a wide arc, also parrying a strike from Benglo, then a lock followed, he could also hear Rose and Alyssa, they're standing against Mig just fine. As many of the rangers say, past and present, no doubt future too: never underestimate the female rangers. The Mercury Ranger overpowered Mig and pushed him back with a hard side kick, Benglo was thrown back too, landing beside his team mate. Tyzon switched his weapon to blaster mode, so did Rose and Alyssa unsheathed her Crystal Sabre. The three Rangers charged up their weapons and the two Fear Cats were brought down by the power of three combined laser projectiles. Knowing their enemies are down, Tyzon, Alyssa and Rose high-five each other. It was great to have the powers working again.
With Kimberly Hart…
Kimberly raised her Overdrive Defender to block an attack from Thrax, when the corner of her eye caught Silverback trying to flank her. He brought down his sword, only to hear a 'clang'! Looking, Silverback had a look of shock when he glanced that his attack has been blocked by a shield he didn't know the Green Ranger had. Thrax was just as surprised, he swore the ranger didn't have any form of a shield, in his distraction, Kim kicked Thrax away to make some space, then slammed her shield into Goldar's brother. She then followed it up with a shield ram into Thrax, sending him flying, this left Kim and Silverback alone, but only for so long. The two warriors circled each other, then charged. Kim summoned her short sword, it seems like the Morphing Grid sees the weapon as a part of her arsenal and attacked Silverback. The two clashed, fighting as if they were the only two on the battlefield, Kim could just about hear over the clanging of their swords, Rose and Alyssa telling Tyzon to keep Thrax preoccupied, it seems like he recovered from that shield slam faster than she'd like. At the time being, Thrax is busy dealing with the Mercury Ranger, that is fine by her. Focusing her attention on Silverback, Kimberly parried a swing, seeing an opening for a quick slash. Silverback was getting angry, using his wings to leap in the air, he began to fire an energy blast from his hand, making the Green Ranger dodge, then suddenly, she used her shield once again and parried the projectile, sending it right back at the young silver armoured warrior, causing him to fall.
She really hated the thought coming to her head, but if Kim allowed Silverback to retreat to heal his wounds, he could come back again, even target those closest to her to smoke her out. The thought of him attacking herself and Tommy in their home is a bad scenario and so is him finding her mother and stepfather in Paris. Leaving an enemy who has a long grudge alive, it can't happen, the part of the Green Ranger that is a soldier, will do everything to keep those she loves safe from danger and so, Lieutenant Kara has no choice: if Silverback is going to keep coming after her to avenge Goldar's death, he might find peace in joining him. Gripping her sword tightly, Kim sheathed her Overdrive Defender, switching her short sword to her left hand; as much as she hated Boreas, one valuable lesson he taught her, was to sword fight ambidextrously. The fighting between her and Silverback reached intense levels, first, she needs to cripple him dodging another swing, Kimberly summoned her shield and using all her strength, she rammed it right into Silverback's chest. He was quick to stand, but Kim noticed the armour was cracked, but there's an area not protected by it and that's her opening. Silverback flapped his wings, speeding towards Kim, before she could react, his hand nearly death gripped around her helmet, sending her crashing to the ground, skidding across it. Kim winced as her helmet made a horrible scraping sound that hurt her ears, but she is glad that it's her helmet and not her head. Kicking Silverback off her, the two went into another bout of swordplay, before Kim, just like with Goldar, slipped behind her opponent and instantly, cut off the wing that so happened to be Goldar's. How the irony repeats itself, Kim was unsure whether to see it as laughable or not.
Silverback fell to his knees, crying out in pain. He looked up at his brother's killer, who stood over him, her sword slightly bloodied. He wondered was this how his brother died? Dr. Hart put her sword tip towards Silverback's neck.
"Spare me, Eltarian." He said, putting on a faux tone of pleading. However, Kim could read right through it. She shook her head, glaring at the warrior from Titan, who tried and almost succeeded in killing her. At this stage, Kim would nearly call herself an expert and give lectures on how to survive and cheat or evade death.
"You'll only come after me. Listen to me, Silverback, your brother fought well and I don't know your planet's customs for the dead or your Gods, I'm sorry it has to be this way.",
"Why are you being merciful with me?" Silverback growled, returning a glare of his own. "You were not merciful when you killed Goldar.",
"I didn't kill your brother! I wounded him, yes. It was my father's energy wave that killed him." Kim sighed for a second, "If it brings you peace, you can join your brother. You fought just as well as Goldar. He would be proud." Hearing those words, the words of an honourable warrior, the warriors of Titan always prided in fighting with honour. His brother's killer, seems no different and he fought to the end. With nothing else to live for and deciding Thrax will no longer need him, if Kara promises him he can join his brother, then it shall be so. Raising his arms, it was the signal for the Lieutenant to strike him down, as Kim raised her sword, her grip tightened, she really didn't want the kids or the other rangers to see this and those who were watching from the Overdrive Base. Life is beautiful, but it is cruel. It can chew you up and spit you back out and the Lieutenant has been through that one, so many times that the entire Universe and Multiverse laughs at her. As she prepared to stab her sword down, Silverback's last words in his mind were:
"I'm coming home, brother." It happened so quickly, Silverback didn't even process the sharp pain of the blade entering his flesh. The warrior from Titan, Goldar's younger brother, looked up at the scrapped helmet of the Green Ranger, knowing the face behind it. From Kimberly's perspective, Silverback was quietly thanking her, for reuniting him with his brother in the afterlife. Pulling her sword out, Silverback was no more, joining his brother, no longer angry at the Lieutenant who fought him on Eltar during Countdown and his body fell limp to the ground.
The fighting seemed to have paused for a moment, everyone seeing the Green Ranger stand over Silverback's body, her sword now red with his blood. It shocked the enemies of the Overdrive Rangers that there is one ranger who is capable of killing. Miratrix was a witness of that when their mentor almost killed her before she officially became a full time ranger, to think that could have been her back then, when her life was being choked out. Thrax on the other hand, after he recovered, was not aboding to his friend's death well. Yelling in anger and anguish, he caught Tyzon by the throat and threw him away, then charged towards the Green Ranger. Turning around, Kim had a split second to throw her shield up, Thrax's fist made contact and surprisingly, she skidded back due to the strength behind it. Kimberly was actually unprepared for the force behind Thrax's attack, he means business now that she killed Silverback and under her helmet, she was silently muttering curses in Eltarian; words she picked up from hanging out with the soldiers, words her mother would be horrified of and probably lecture her on. With the way the son of Rita and Zedd is fighting, Kim will have to go all out against him, no holding back her strength, no restraint. The Green Ranger raised her shield to block a strike from the staff that belong's to Zedd, batting it away, then quickly following it up by a forward punch to his face, sending Thrax flying across the battleground, fifteen meters away from her. Thrax pulled himself up, proceeding to fire projectiles at her, forcing Kim to move to dodge them all, it was like dodging laser fire during the war. Time had no meaning during the fight between them, it was fast, hard and intense; the other rangers knew they could interfere, the battle was too dangerous, especially when she was going all out and by all out, her Eltarian enhanced strength being used to the fullest. Thrax's staff began to glow and the two charges at each other, Kimberly raised her shield for a shield bash, and the two fighters collided, their vision was blinded when white light exploded.
19:45…
(Scene: Bar, City Centre, San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
After the long battle, finally defeating Thrax and his unstable alliance, things have quietened down once more. The young Overdrive Rangers enjoyed fighting side by side with the Retro Rangers and Kimberly had some fun using her new shield against Thrax and Silverback. The Green Ranger did unintentionally frighten the kids after she brutally severed the wing that belonged to Silverdar's brother, only to end him by stabbing her short sword through his chest, breaking his armour. While the young rangers and their predecessors dealt with Moltor, Fluious, the Fear Cats and Kamdor and Miratrix, Dr. Hart faced an angered Thrax alone. The fight between them did get explosive, getting to the point that the Green Ranger was throwing Lord Zedd's son through hard rock and slamming him into the walls of the quarry. Kim even knocked over a large slab of rock onto him, in attempt to crush Thrax. Seeing the fight was getting to dangerous levels, Thrax's so-called allies fled, not wanting to be within range of Kimberly's wrath. They abandoned him and that angered Thrax greatly. The Overdrive Rangers wanted to aid their mentor, but Rocky stopped them, he and the other past rangers and technicians who were back in the Overdrive Base; knew it was too dangerous for them to help. When Kim starts using her full Eltarian strength, it is a sign and warning to stay out of it. Kimberly would feel guilty if she hurt the kids, while going all out and not holding back. Then, to everyone's surprise, Rita Repulsa… now Mystic Mother, appeared to cease the fight, though her husband Zedd, who now goes by the name Zakai was not there, due to being in the M51 Galaxy. Rita begged Kara to spare her son's life and that Zedd would want that too, but it appeared that Thrax was just as angry towards his own parents, as he was towards the daughter of Zordon and Aria.
Her presence sent the fight into further increasing danger, but Thrax was focused on Kimberly. Dax compared the fight to be something out of a video game, but making everyone tell him that it wasn't the time to make comparisons. Kimberly was utilising her shield to the full, quickly mastering blocking and countering, then using the shield in creative ways. Neither side would listen to Rita's pleas to stop fighting and it reached the point that she started using non-aggressive magic to try and stop them. Tommy ended up joining the fight, to keep Mystic Mother occupied, as much as he hated it - Udonna would beat his ass, as well as Snow Prince if they heard they were fighting against Mystic Mother and in a way, offending The Council of Magic - he was also accompanied by Billy, Kat and Cam. The four of them kept Thrax's mother distracted, allowing Kim to face him without struggling against magical binds. The Overdrive Rangers felt helpless, but the Retro Rangers were insistent they keep out of the fight. Kimberly sat at the table in silence, beside Tommy listening to her friends talk and laugh. It was her idea to go to the bar to celebrate their victory, but in her mind, it was bitter victory. She recalled what she did in mental detail, after weakening Thrax, Rita leaped down, begging her to spare Thrax; Rita was even willing to die if it meant soothing her son's anger. Kim knew Rita's role in The Council of Magic and her death would cause uproar, which is worse than actually fighting her. While Thrax was too distracted in choking the life out of his mother, Kimberly grabbed him, pulling him away, holding their son in a headlock. That was when she did the unthinkable in front of the rangers, the kids, friends and her husband. They all watched as she used her strength to snap Thrax's neck and Kim can still hear it, the sickening snap, watching Thrax's body limp to the ground. For the first time, they actually saw their first enemy weep over her son's body. Tommy knew Kim did it for the better good, Rita was needed as the leader of The Council of Magic. However, Rita was angry at Kim, saying Zakai would be the same, while she tried to reason that Thrax was too far gone and despite that, Rita wished that Kim would die a painful death for killing her son. Taking his body, Rita left, leaving a cold air around them. For the first time, the kids witnessed their mentor take a life, it's something Kim hates being able to do, it is only more blood on her hands, blood she can only see, no matter how many times she tries to wash it off.
Being brought back to reality, Rocky was in the middle of telling the kids and the veterans who remained with them - which were Kira, Billy, Kat and Hayley. Carlos had to leave to return to his job, Alyssa needed to go back to the primary school in Turtle Cove; she couldn't remain away from the classroom any longer; then Tori and Cam had to go back to the Wind Ninja Academy to keep it running - a story of their mentor and her husband during their high school days. Much to their mortification, it was when the two were going for school president and they tried so hard to forget that experience. It genuinely was not their proudest moments, even though their friends laugh at it now. He was at the point she and Tommy spent more time arguing than fighting their enemies.
Twelve Years Ago…
16:30…
Year: Mid-Autumn, 1994…
Canon: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers; Best Man For The Job
(Flashback/Scene: Battlefield, Angel Grove Park, Angel Grove, California, Earth/No POV)
The six rangers landed in the park to deal with Goldar and Zedd's Z-Putty Patrol. They wasted no time in starting the fight, however, the opposite was going on for the two bickering Pink and White Rangers. It was almost comical to watch as they verbally fought, while the Z-Putties failed miserably to even get a hand on them. Aisha and Billy, the primary campaigners for Kimberly and Tommy for school president were scratching heads, wondering if the whole thing was getting to their own heads. They wondered what happened to fair play. Wasn't there a phrase: 'All is fair in love and war'? There was certainly no fairness at what going on between the two, their friends were swearing that the young love birds were going to break up over this ordeal. In the school, Tommy was vandalising the posters the Yellow Ranger made, while Kim did something similar. During the lunch break, Tommy and Kim were having another argument, which herself and Billy had to intervene after Kim unwittingly dented her locker door with her enhanced strength thanks to her Eltarian genes. Thankfully, no one batted an eye lid, because it is nearly impossible for a normal human to even dent a locker. Tommy should be considered lucky that it was the locker that got hit and not his face, that whack would surely knock him out for a good few hours. No doubt Kim was very tempted to punch Tommy. Aisha managed to get a glimpse of Tommy walking away from Kimberly, whom she quickly followed right in front of poor Goldar, who didn't know what to do with the bickering couple. Hell! Aisha, Rocky, Adam and Billy could hear the argument from where they fought.
"Typical, typical blockheaded Tommy behaviour!" Screeched Kim, pointing fingers at Tommy.
"Who's a blockhead!?" He snapped,
"You are!" If the rangers were not in the middle of battle, they would have at least loved to capture this on camera as blackmail material. They somewhat figured their two friends were under a rivalry spell and didn't exactly have a chance to confront them about it, since the Pink and White Rangers were too caught up in their campaign and arguing between themselves. Then they heard Tommy tell Kim to 'go back to the mall', while she countered with 'can't take the heat Mr. Runner Up'? The Yellow Ranger was just about ready to bash their heads in and she wouldn't be sorry for the Pink Ranger or her father. Things quickly escalated when Goldar managed to rip Saba from Tommy's waist and quickly figured out how to use it by making poor Saba fire lasers from his eyes. After that, Goldar retreated with Tommy's weapon in tow, along with the power to control the White Tigerzord. Aisha ran up beside Rocky and Adam, pulling the bickering rangers away from each other, blaming one another for losing the sabre. Adam lost his cool.
"GUYS! KNOCK IT OFF!" Taking a deep breath, he then said: "Let's take this back to the Command Centre and have you two scanned." No one was going to argue with Adam when his patience is ticked. Rocky, Aisha and Billy nodded in agreement, while Kim and Tommy just scoffed with their arms crossed, glaring at each other through their helmets.
"Screw you." Gritted Tommy at Kimberly,
"Well fuck you, too." Kim is not usually one to use foul language, but when she is bad tempered, all cards are off the table. While everyone knows Kim has a voice of an angel, angered she has a mouth that a sailor would be proud of. It's still strange for them to hear her swear. Aisha and Adam had it. Grabbing their friend's communicators, they tapped the wrist watch, engulfing their friends in a beam of pink and white light and the rest of the team shortly followed. There is going to be chaos at base and poor Zordon, Kimberly's real father is going to be playing referee.
(Flashback Ends)
Tommy and Kim covered their faces in mortification over that tale. It certainly was not on top of their list and to say again, not their proudest moment. The two of them literally had to smell the roses to break Rita's rivalry spell. If there was a potion to erase that part of their lives, they would certainly drink it. They certainly learned the hard way that ranger duties and politics don't mix very well. Kim looked over at Mack who was smirking furiously, he had a look that said: 'I have a story that can top that'. Instincts were telling the Doctor of History that this story is very familiar. Mack cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"You think that's funny, Rocky?" He asked. The Red Ape Ninjetti turned to Mack with interest, wanting to know what shenanigans his little sister got up to. "I have a story that you will all die of laughter." Kimberly's fears proved correct, as her mind instantly clicked. Mack knew he put his mentor in an embarrassing position.
"MACK!" She yelled, "Shut the fuck up!" This story is going to end her brief reputation as a serious ranger mentor.
"Go on Mack." Her husband encouraged, "Tell us." Beside Hayley, who was having a pint of Orchard Thieves cider, Andrew was covering his mouth with his hand to muffle his laugh. He knew what the story is and boy, it was hilarious. It was a couple of days before they assembled the Operation Overdrive team, if Andrew recalls correctly, it was exactly six days before the kids arrived. The young Red Ranger rubbed his hands eagerly.
"The story I'm about to tell you all, was when Dr. Hart 'accidentally'," He did the air quotes with his fingers to put more emphasis into the word 'accidentally'. "Locked our poor, elderly butler Spencer in the walk-in freezer for twenty to thirty minutes." Kim sank into her seat as the entire table burst out laughing, making a bit of racket. Anyone who turned around to see, knew the group around the table were a very close knit family or friends that see each other as family. Kira was almost struggling to get her breath back.
"Zach is right, Dr. Hart." She inhaled again to calm herself. "You are like a real life Lara Croft. Tell us how you locked Spencer in the walk-in freezer.",
"It was an accident!" Kim muttered, glaring at Andrew and Mack. They recalled the memory like it was yesterday, as it flooded back into their minds.
Three Months Ago…
14:30…
Wednesday…
16th May 2006…
Canon: Pre-Kick Into Operation Overdrive
(Flashback/Scene: Kitchen, Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
Kimberly left Andrew's office for a brief break, on his insistence, to be fair she was a little hungry; going between looking for leads on her dad and finding clues to locate the five jewels of the Corona Aurora is hard. She admits that she did spend a little overtime researching and maybe pulled a few all nighters, especially when finding the crown itself. If her friends caught wind of that, Kim would find herself in one hell of a lecture. She recalls her dad used to pull all nighters, so it seems like she picked up a few bad habits of his. Entering the kitchen, the Doctor of History decided to make a cup of tea and a sandwich, just something quick, dinner would be later tonight. Going through the cupboards to find the mugs and figuring out where the food is, Kim suddenly felt a cold chill in the kitchen. It certainly wasn't a draft and it didn't come from an open window. Following the trail of the cold breeze, the Pink Ranger soon stumbled across a freezer in a separate room and it wasn't just a freezer, it was one of those highly expensive walk-in freezers. Kimberly asked herself was it even necessary for Andrew to even have one, unless he used to throw some large parties in his youth or when his parents were around. She did find it odd that it was open and assumed it was opened by accident. Walking over to the door, Kim pushed it, sealing the large literal ice box shut and locked it. She then went back to the kitchen to make up her light snack and head back to the office.
Twenty Minutes Later…
15:05…
Andrew's only son, Mack was walking around the mansion looking for Spencer. He's been trying to find him for the past twenty minutes and there hasn't been a sign of him. At first, he just assumed that the elderly butler had gone out to get something, but noticing the car was still in the garage, Spencer had certainly not gone out. Scratching his head, Mack decided to ask his dad and research assistant Dr. Hart. Normally, his dad doesn't like to be disturbed, but his assistant is more easy going. He never really had a proper conversation with Dr. Hart, except for passing each other along the halls and greeting one another with a nod or a quiet 'hi' or 'hello'. Mack did read up a little on Dr. Hart's profile, she made serious contributions to history, some newspapers got a little cruel, saying if she could be 'another' Dr. Kevin Hart; he too was a historian; a controversial one, before he vanished. The young woman is also a genius if she managed to graduate early and got her PhD without acquiring a Masters Degree. He learned that she studied in Angel Grove University, but he wondered why so late in her life? She managed to graduate after one year and that was in two-thousand-and-two, early two-thousand-and-three was when she received her Post Doctorate. Dr. Hart sure is a woman of mystery. Returning his attention to the missing butler, Mack walked over to the door which is his dad's office and knocked.
"Come in!" That must be Dr. Hart. Mack opened the door to let himself in.
"Sorry for disturbing the both of you, but… dad, have you seen Spencer?" Andrew had a look of thought for a minute.
"Come to think of it, no.",
"Well, I've been looking for him for twenty minutes straight. I assumed you might have known where he is.",
"Let's go look for him." Said Dr. Hart, putting down the book she was reading. Exiting the office, the trio searched the mansion for a further ten minutes, still finding no sign of the old butler. They were all scratching heads by the time they regrouped in the kitchen. Honestly, Spencer can be quiet as a mouse, but there's no way he can just disappear in the mansion. Just when one of them were about to say something, their ears picked up a loud, furious banging coming from the room where the walk-in freezer was. Mack and Andrew walked over, while everything was clicking in Kim's mind and she was paling slightly, as her mind rushed like a river, while Rhea was laughing at her champion. Kimberly Hart-Oliver accidentally locked Spencer in the walk-in freezer. Following the father and son, Mack unlocked the door, revealing Spencer, clutching himself and shivering. It seems like the twenty to thirty minutes spent in the freezer was enough for tiny icicles to grow on his suit. Kimberly face-palmed, making Andrew and Mack turn to her. "I didn't know anyone was in the freezer!",
"You locked Spencer in the walk-in freezer!?" Mack exclaimed, only to burst into a fit of laughter, while his dad was the same. Spencer was too cold to reply and Kim was going red with embarrassment. Something told her, they are not going to forget about this.
(Flashback Ends)
Kimberly was hiding her face in shame as the entire table laughed at her, some nearly choking on their food or drinks. While some of her friends were wondering why Andrew even needed a walk-in freezer, this was the best story they have heard so far. Kim could then see Caesar with Rhea, due to her and Tommy's connection, they were both laughing, hell! Even Firebird was chuckling, the Green Ranger can imagine her alter ego was chuckling while crossing her arms, smirking. Mack felt he sort of destroyed Dr. Hart's reputation in front of her friends, but they all knew it was a laugh and love to make fun of each other. He wouldn't be surprised if they have blackmail material on each other and there would often be roasting competitions. Next, Kat decided to have her turn at making fun of the oh-so serious mentor of Operation Overdrive. Kim swears it must be a tradition to make fun of the mentor. The table stayed silent so that they could listen to Kat, while poor Kim was dreading what Kat knew about her.
"Spill the beans, Kitty Kat." Billy said happily, too happily than Kim would have liked. Kat was giving one of her creepy, but sweet smiles and there was a glint in her blue eyes.
"Well kids, did you know Kimberly was a video game dork and still is?" Tyzon was a little clueless, he didn't know what a video game is, but the others dropped their jaws. The historian with a PhD, a Power Ranger, their mentor and a high school history teacher… plays… video games!? Kira was laughing, obviously recalling her own memory of it and clapping her hands like a sea lion. It was almost hilarious to look at. Kira was thankful that the people inside the bar respected her privacy, she is a popular singer and they could see the group of people she sees as a second family, all assume they are her bodyguards wearing civilian clothing. Kimberly rubbed the side of her head, looking like she is getting a headache.
"How did you know earlier on?" Kimberly asked her fellow Pink Ranger, "I thought you didn't learn that till Tommy got me that belated birthday gift." Tommy was choking on his Heineken upon hearing that.
"Kimberly, sweetie; I was around town when I saw you and Aisha heading for the arcade. It was a couple of days after we met, I just decided to follow you two." Kim went wide eyed, knowing what day that was ten years ago. Aisha never told her Kat was there! Her stress was felt by Tommy, mainly sent towards Aisha and she could hear her friend and her Animal Spirit Artemis laughing. Kim made a note to kill Aisha when they next meet and she was not going to feel sorry for her or Rocky.
Ten Years Ago…
15:00…
Friday…
6th January 1996…
Canon: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers; Pre-Changing of the Zords
(Flashback/Scene: Angel Grove Arcade, City Centre, Angel Grove, California, Earth/No POV)
Katherine Hilliard was walking down the street with some shopping that her mom needed for the fridge. She and her parents are not long after moving to Angel Grove and Kat already likes the city, she already felt welcome when she met Kimberly Hart and Aisha Campbell. The two already introduced her to their social circle, consisting of handsome and buffed up Rocky DeSantos, the quiet but kind Adam Park and then there was the super smart Billy Cranston. Katherine thought Billy was actually quite cute, she did notice the kind of subtle glances he was giving her, the glasses made him look dorky, but it was an endearing kind of way. Kat could tell Billy has a nice build underneath his clothes, he's just not the type to show off muscles. There was also Tommy Oliver, but Kat knew what boundaries not to cross after Kimberly introduced him as her boyfriend. Kat hoped to have a guy like Tommy, the two were like a match made in heaven or they were destined to be soulmates. Aisha often joked they were in a way. Kat stayed friendly with Tommy, but they kept their friendship as friends, Tommy was just an absolute gentleman; his parents raised him the right way. The Australian blonde from Sydney never thought she would make friends so fast, being that she will be applying for Angel Grove High School shortly. Kat made a note that Aisha was like the mama bear of the close knit group and should one of them be emotionally or physically hurt, Aisha would show no mercy on the offender; that's a side Kat made note of. She does not want to see that side of Aisha. Kimberly… Kimberly is the reason she even feels welcome in this city and at home. The brunette had an aura around that she just loosened and opened up in an instant, but like Kat, Kim knew her boundaries and didn't ask questions that would make her feel uncomfortable. The young teenager in pink has an amazing sense of empathy, something Katherine doesn't see in people often, more often people feel sympathy. Kimberly was just so friendly, even going so far to trust her in meeting her friends, especially her boyfriend. What caught Kat's eye was her new friend's unusual silver necklace, it was beautiful and well kept, the sun's rays danced off it. The necklace was a bird wrapping its wings around a staff, Kat couldn't figure out what it symbolised, but it means something personal to Kim. The Australian wanted to ask, but didn't want to upset or agitate Kim, it sort of clicked that Kimberly must be adopted. However, Kat decided to respect Kim's privacy, since she did the same.
Kat was brought out her world when she saw her new friends across the street heading for… the arcade? Weird, neither mentioned being into games and stuff like that, she knew they could shop a whole mall out, but not the arcade. Katherine didn't want to be nosy, but her curiosity got the better of her and so, she crossed the road when it was clear of traffic. After she crossed the street, Kat entered the arcade which was surprisingly bustling, almost as bustling if not more, as Ernie's Youth Centre. Why was there so many people? There must be an event going on, a tournament but what tournament interests Kimberly? She never took the brunette for a gamer. Her new friend is full of surprises, perhaps she was embarrassed to admit she likes video games. Suddenly, someone called out her name.
"Kat!?" The blonde twirled around, seeing Aisha. "What brings you here?",
"I saw you and Kim enter the arcade. I got curious." She admitted, shot brushing a piece of her hair behind her ear. "What's going on? I didn't think Kim liked video games." Aisha chucked,
"It's Kimberly's secret hobby. No one knows about it except for myself and now you. Tommy doesn't know either. Consider yourself honoured. " Her friend wearing yellow explained, "As to what's going on, you're in time for a tournament, specifically a Mortal Kombat Tournament; also to celebrate the reopening after The Ooze Incident if you watched the news." Kat grimaced, she did hear about the attack on Angel Grove and is aware it is the home of the Power Rangers. Kat was weary of moving to a city that often gets attacked, but with the Power Rangers patrolling the streets, appearing when needed, she feels safe. Katherine was still in Sydney when the creepy Ooze Man was attacking. "Anyway, there's prize money too, first place gets one-thousand dollars, second place five-hundred and third place two-hundred-and-fifty dollars. Kim is currently champion in the smaller tournaments, but wants to stamp her name on this one too." Katherine was surprised that it is this serious.
"Why are you here? Did you enter?" Kat asked Aisha, but only for her to shake her head.
"Oh no, I don't game. I come here for support, it used to be dragging me, even by force. Kim went so far to trick me into thinking it was the mall one time. Now, I see how much enjoys it, so it's moral support since the others don't know." She finished, "Want to watch our favourite brunette make the male competitors look like idiots?" Aisha caught Kat by the hand to bring her to the front for a better view, even though Kat is tall, a foot taller than Kimberly. The two of them stopped by the barrier that separated them from the game stall, the competitors and the public. Kat could see Kim, she almost felt bad for her, she was the only female amongst the large number of males who were trying to hit on her. Does that happen often? One of the boys were even wolf whistling her and the two heard her threaten if the poor lad wolf whistled again, she will make him completely infertile.
"Jeez," Kat thought, "How does she put up with this? Tommy would beat this guy's ass before he would blink." Aisha seems to trust Kim, while she may be petite, Tommy told her she is very adept in Martial Arts and is deadly when mixed with her gymnastics. "Martial Arts and gymnastics, is surely a deadly combination. I don't think Kim would have shame in knocking out the lad." When she learned that, Kim promised she could watch her spar with either Aisha, Tommy or Rocky. Billy would sometimes spar, but he is usually hung up on a science project. Shortly, the match began, they had to wait twenty minutes for Kim's turn. She was against the guy who was hitting on her, Aisha and Kat herself couldn't wait for Kim to wreck him; if Aisha proves right that Kim is highly skilled in this very violent game, this game is controversial for its intense violence. While the game wasn't banned in her home country, but others that supposedly released last year but were banned and/or censored, such as Voyeur, Phantasmagoria and Dreamweb. Australia's censorship system is very strict, there were some releases, games or films were even rejected censorship. Kat watched on the big screen that looked to be rented for this. Kimberly selected an intimidating character dressed in gold ninja garments and her opponent chose a character with blue eyes and a large hat. The names under them were Scorpion and Raiden, the match was five minutes long, three-hundred seconds and the rest is pretty self-explanatory. She and Aisha heard the guy speak again before the go ahead was given.
"I was thinking about our date. Do you like Italian?" If he's trying to be suave, it's really failing. Badly.
"The only thing I'll have for our 'date' is your tears and loss of manhood." Kim threatened and her voice said it all. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes as a warning, one would assume it would flash a different colour. Kat was slightly shaking, is this the same girl who introduced her to her friends? Aisha watched with satisfaction when the boy winced at the threat, but he was adamant in getting that date, or so he thinks.
"You better get used to Kimberly's tough persona." Aisha advised, "She's not playing around and takes no shit from the boys." Kimberly is being a tough girl alright, there's no way Kat could make those kind of threats. Kim seems to be a completely different person in the arcade, particularly for these tournaments. The match began, Kat went between looking at Kimberly herself, then the screen. She was amazed… astonished would be the better word, Kim controlled her character with expertise like it was second nature; she knew the characters and their moves. The poor lad was already down to half his health bar and they were only two minutes into the match. The crowd was going wild, some of the public were actually chanting Kim's name, she must be a favourite here. The game finished as quickly as it started, as Kim inputed the commands to make her character perform its signature finisher. The crowd and even Aisha erupted as Kim beat her first opponent, allowing her to move onto the next stage.
"I was distracted!" He sputtered, lamely.
"So they say." Kim muttered and walked off to allow the next pair competitors compete. There was a break in between once a stage finished, Kat has been in the arcade for an hour and is actually having fun watching Kim play the game. Aisha came back with a coke for her, which she accepted.
"Enjoying yourself?" Aisha asked,
"I am actually. It still surprises me that Kimberly likes, no, loves video games." Kat stopped to sip her drink. "Why won't she tell the others?",
"She's… kind of embarrassed about it. Everyone stereotypically assumes that video games are boy's interests, well, she's proving them wrong." The Yellow Ranger, that Kat doesn't know, replied. "Kim likes to come here to practice as well, very friendly with the owner here and sometimes gives her unlimited access to the game booth. He sometimes rings to let her know of an upcoming tournament if she doesn't see the flyers. If I recall correctly, the owner is actually Ernie's brother-in-law.",
"It really is a small world." Kat pondered. Shortly, the competition resumed and before they knew it, Kim actually reached the final stage after beating her last opponent, putting him in third place. At least he seemed happy with claiming the two-hundred-and-fifty dollar prize money, it appears Kim earned his respect. Now, it was the final, the game that will decide who will place first and second. Like all the previous rounds this round also lasts five minutes, but time doesn't seem to matter to the players, skill does. The match began and to Aisha's, even Kat's worry, this bloke was equally skilled as Kimberly. The game was tense, three minutes were already gone and both health bars on either side were roughly ten percent, Kat knew if Kim makes one mistake then she'll lose the game. That was when her new friend noticed her opponent's slip up and she had no shame in taking advantage of it, making her character punch its enemy, followed by a side kick-sweep kick combination and no fancy finishers were used. The opponent was down for the count. Kimberly and the male competitor shook hands, congratulating each other. "At least this guy has better manners than the other few. He actually respects her." The owner of the arcade walked up to them and announced the first place winner of the tournament, handing a cheque and doing the same with the second and third place winners. It was then followed up with her name being placed on a large board, amongst other winners in similar tournaments. The only girl whose name is amongst the list past lads.
Kat decided to sneak out before Kim spotted her, telling Aisha she has to return home. She also promises that Kim's secret is safe with her. Saying goodbye to her friend Aisha, Kat left the arcade after seeing a different side of her new friend, a no nonsense side of Kimberly. It was actually funny to see her down talking the boys, she couldn't believe this was the same kindhearted person. Well, there are two sides of the same coin.
(Flashback Ends)
"Curiosity is going to kill the KAT, one day." Dr. Hart growled, glaring at Billy's wife, who was smiling so innocently. Kim was tempted to knock some of her pearly whites out, but Billy won't appreciate that. The group were having another laughing fit, Kim swears that her friends are primarily here to wreck her reputation.
"And, her name is still on that billboard to this day, in the very same arcade." Kat finished. Mack looked at his team, they were thinking what he was thinking.
"We have to see that when this is over." They all nodded in agreement.
"There is nothing to see." Kim groaned. "Actually, if you don't mind, I really need to head to the rest room." Tommy stood up to allow his wife out so she can head to the bathroom. Once their mentor left, the young rangers were still laughing, still trying to comprehend that Dr. Hart was a bit of a dork in her youth and she would sometimes be so serious around them. It's actually great that they are hearing stories about a different side of her, it made Kira hum in agreement. It was the same when she heard the stories about Dr. Oliver, the two were the best teachers she ever had in her final year and so was Mr. Callaghan, Dr. Hart's cousin. She finds it is a shame that her former Maths Teacher couldn't be here, even to see his cousin. Apparently, Cassie told her that her boyfriend has decided to work on getting a PhD, he already has a Masters and is in the middle of cracking one of the Millennium Prize Problems. Mr. Callaghan is working on cracking the P versus NP problem that, once solved, will make big contributions for computer scientists. He is also looking at the Hodge Conjecture, so really he is solving two problems. There is a reward of one million dollars to the solver and because of his Eltarian background which will remain absolutely unknown, he may have an edge over his peers. Fellow mathematicians think he is crazy trying to solve two of the Millennium Prize Problems, but in her gut and Cassie's, they know he'll prove them wrong. The banter was suddenly interrupted when Ronny's and Rocky's stomachs growled, making them go red. Of course, the stomachs had to belong to the two human garbage disposals. Since Rose so happened to be on the outside, she volunteered to get more chips for the gang. Tommy pulled out his wallet to give Rose some cash, but Andrew insisted he pay. Kimberly's husband continued to object, but in the end, he gave in, letting Andrew win the argument. Rose took the fifty dollars off Andrew to get four portion of chips, to cater for the bottomless pits and headed for the bar counter.
Rose approached the young man at the counter, cleaning glassware and asked if she could have four portions of chips. With the order taken, Rose decided to wait after she got the change back. The barman got back to his regular work and this went on undisturbed until another young lad leaned against the counter beside her, flashing the best, cute smile he could muster. He looked to be either fresh out of university or a final year undergraduate. Rose smiled back politely, but paid no heed to him until he spoke.
"Hey there. Name's Clark, it's not everyday to see cute chicks like you around these parts.",
"Nice to meet you, Clark. Honestly, I rather be left alone." Clark straightened up, whistling, not expecting a reply like that. Though, he quickly recovered, thinking Rose was playing hard to get.
"Spunky aren't we." He got in a little closer to Rose's personal space and she did not like that, fighting against the movement to lean back. "I like women with spunk. Say, why don't I buy us a few drinks and maybe, we can have a good time together?" Rose tried not to roll her eyes, but this guy doesn't get the hint that she is not interested. She should have taken Ronny or even Mack with her. He then placed his hand on Rose's wrist, causing her ranger reflexes to kick in, as she ripped her hand away from him; surprising the guy. Although, he just smiled. "Come on, women always say I'm quite the… cowboy if you catch my drift." Just when Rose was about to counter, someone else spoke.
"You won't be lassoing any women into bed tonight." Said a voice from behind and it was one that Rose recognised. Clark turned around, to face a petite brunette with a fierce glare on her face.
"What the fu-" Before he could finish his sentence, Clark was suddenly lifted into the air, his brain mildly processing the strength of the petite woman and was flung over the bar counter; hitting the floor with a crash.
"CLARK!" One of his friends screamed, running towards them. Dr. Hart pushed Rose to the side and soon enough, chaos ensued. Rose looked at her mentor in surprise that she blatantly started a bar fight, it wasn't long for her gang to come running, in an attempt to break up the fight; especially Tommy.
"Rocky wasn't kidding." She muttered, as she heard Dr. Hart's husband and friends, primarily Billy, Kat and Rocky; telling her to stop and cool it. The rest of the Overdrive Rangers were trying to comprehend how a simple task to order four portion of chips, turned to an all out brawl between their mentor and a random bunch of poor lads with little training in Self-defence or Martial Arts. It clearly was an unfair fight and honestly felt bad for them. Andrew, Hayley and Kira just stood there blankly, unsure what to do, get involved, call the police or help break up the fight. There was one thing they all knew: this is going to be a long night.
22:00…
(Scene: Hartford Mansion, San Angeles, California, Earth/No POV)
Everyone was glad to be back at the mansion after things at the bar got slightly chaotic for the lack of a better word, or putting it very lightly. Rose, the youngest of the group was being harassed by a random bloke who looked to be not long out of university or is in his final year and was hitting on the Pink Ranger. While Rose can deal with people herself, she wanted to avoid bringing attention onto herself and not start a fight, therefore, her only option was to verbally get out of her situation. That tactic sadly backfired as the guy was too thick to read her body language or her voice, he was even getting a little too close to her personal space. All she wanted was to order another portion of chips for the group and before she could count to five, Dr. Hart came to her rescue and held no qualms in tossing the bloke who's twice her height over the bar counter. It's no surprise her military training on Eltar gave her impressive strength, but Dr. Hart is stronger than the normal human because of her genes and heritage. Now, she's stronger than the average human, not talking Superman strength. Then the guy's friends came to his rescue and a bar fight broke out. It caused the entire gang to leap, Rose was already pulled to the side by Dr. Hart, while the others attempted to separate Kim and the men. It took them thirty minutes to get Tommy's wife away from them, not after she gave them a nice bruise and probably very sore muscles and possibly a cracked rib or two, plus a concussion. They will think twice to approach a girl now. It was thankful that the bar manager was lenient on the whole situation, he saw the security footage the bloke was harassing Rose, so Kimberly's actions were justified, even though she acted first and chose not to call the police. It made things a lot less messy. Andrew offered to pay for whatever damage was done and apologised for his assistant researcher's behaviour.
Now, here they are, on the other side of Andrew's office, listening to the argument between Tommy and Kimberly. It sounded exactly like the fight they had when they were under the rivalry spell. Billy, Rocky, Kat and Kira were face palming, Mímir was actually too scared to get in between the two to calm them and he was assigned as mediator ever since his move from Midgard; also known as Earth-10. Hayley was on Mímir's side, not wanting to be involved, she remembered being thrown into a situation like this, was when Tommy, Kim and Aegis spent fifteen minutes arguing that the fellow pink should stay behind during the whole Earth-X scenario. She was unwillingly thrown in because the three demanded to her on who was in the right. It actually gave her a headache, and this is no different. Rex sat beside her whining, he never liked it when Kim was yelling. Tommy wasn't helping either as he stood up to his wife. That was when words were spoken again and they could hear it right through the door. Andrew was now considering how much it would cost to get a soundproof door; he can easily afford one or build one himself. It was Kimberly speaking first.
"It was a split second decision, Tommy! There wasn't exactly a time to think!" She yelled,
"Since when do you ever think in situations like this!?" Argued Tommy, "Never! You're lucky you are not spending the night in a prison cell!",
"That fucking eejit could not read Rose's body language or the fact she didn't want him advancing any closer. He even made suggestions about wanting to have sex with her!" Kim defended. Rose kind of blushed at her mentor's surprising bluntness, it's true, she can't deny that Clark guy was being… very sexually suggestive to her. He didn't even realise that she is technically, by law, underage and being the youngest of the Overdrive family. "I just gave him the explanation in a more direct approach.",
"By starting a bar fight?" The four-time ranger snorted, "Typical, typical blockheaded Kimberly behaviour." Rocky and Billy's jaw dropped upon hearing those words. Did Tommy actually say that to Kimberly's face!? The two Ninjetti could feel their Animal Spirits: Loki and Daedalus cringing, while being poked and prodded by Kek and Artemis, who are wondering what's going; and why Rhea and Caesar are arguing. The Bear and Frog Spirits felt like chop liver because no one would tell them what's going on. They can even hear the angered and annoyed screech of the Crane and the Falcon as their champions fought.
"Who's a blockhead!?" The Pink, now Green Ranger growled,
"You are!",
"Firing back words I used twelve years ago?" Their mentor countered, "With your Swiss cheese brain, I'm amazed you even remembered that far back Mr. PhD in Palaeontology." The Overdrive Rangers felt like sneaking off to their rooms upstairs, were arguments between Dr. Hart and her husband always this… verbally combative? The level of snark Kim is showing is certainly turned to the highest level it can go, if words were fire, there would certainly be a blaze burning down the office. Kat was looking at Hayley, wondering if they should break the couple to cool off, the ranger technician could read Kat's mind; but before anyone did something, both Dr. Hart and Dr. Oliver exclaimed at the same time:
"Outside! Spar, now!" And that's the last straw as the older, veteran rangers groaned. That is usually a bad idea and they genuinely feel bad for Andrew. Mímir saw their expressions and tried to reassure them.
"They're burning off steam. What's the worst that can happen?" The Rememberer watched Magni and Modi, the sons of Thor spar; it can't be that bad between a human and an Eltarian, plus both are experienced Power Rangers. Billy, Rocky, Kat and Kira turned to Mímir with almost haunted looks on their faces, which kind of creeped the kids, even Andrew and Spencer out. Rocky put it in perspective for them.
"Picture the fight Kim had against Thrax and multiply that by a thousand." The young rangers cringed, Andrew on the other hand was dreading the fact there might not be anything left of his garden after Kim spars with her husband. His mother loved that garden, she was the gardener in the family, God have mercy on her soul; should anything happen, he will be put them through the ringer when they meet again. "It's ten-fold when their alter egos fight." He added. Billy still remembered that fight when Firebird got out the second time. Tommy got angry enough that Dragon came out to pull the reigns and the fight between the two was… explosive. One would swear they are demigods or something out of a superhero film, except, Dragon is an antihero. If pushed far enough, Dragon could cause the same amount of damage Firebird did two years ago. Tommy and Kim, with their normal powers can reach levels even their friends might not be able to tap into, but that power, the darker side of their powers increase even more when their alter egos come out to play. The two are literal embodiment of the phrase: 'Two sides of the same coin'. Everyone swore they never want to face an evil Tommy and Kimberly again, the worst time when Dragon got out, was when Tommy was kidnapped and brainwashed by Prince Gasket. It was a bad mistake on his part, but Kat managed to get through to him and Dragon returned to his slumber.
Everyone jolted away from the door as it opened, seeing the infamous Power Couple storm out, jackets off, heading out to the garden. Mack asked if someone should referee, but Rocky advised a referee would not be needed. The two spar long enough until they vented, it's not often they do it; they know how destructive they can get and have tried to tone it down. It usually fails though and when they spar in the woods, they end up sending a couple of trees to timber! The whole gang followed their mentor and her husband out to the back garden, Billy and Rocky profusely apologising should anything happen to Andrew's garden; Billy offered any damage that occurs, he will pay for in full. The perks of being a millionaire, but he's not far away from achieving the status of billionaire. Kim has compared her smart friend and his wife Kat to be just like her biological parents Zordon and Aria, when asked how, she explained that her parents; despite their controversial marriage have a pretty high status in the social ladder. Being the Grand Sage, former Falcon Ninjetti, along with being the Crane Ninjetti and Commander of the Eltarian Army, it makes them a powerful family. Despite their titles, they didn't leave it get to their heads, Aria told her daughter that she was adamant to raise her to respect everyone and not judge them for their titles, to just be kind to everyone. Titles are meaningless and an egotistical boast, it is why her parents chose to live among the middle working class, in a small, but warm, and comfortable home. Kat and Billy are exactly like that, they live in Angel Grove, but own a decently sized detached house, big enough if they ever wish to have children and not a large, extravagant and cold mansion. It made the two rangers feel proud their close friend compared them to her parents. All the former rangers hope Zordon is being treated well in the afterlife, his passing still feels raw to Kim.
Anyway, back to the main issue at hand, by the time they all stepped outside; Rex included, Kim and Tommy were engaged in what appears to be an equivalent of a street fight or a no holds sparring match. Rocky wasn't exaggerating when the couple spar if their arguments hit boiling point, where words don't simply cut it and they resort to their fists. While Tommy is a bit of tank, but moving swiftly, he wasn't as swift as Dr. Hart, who practically danced around him. Billy and Rocky finally copped on to the slight change or variance in Kimberly's fighting style, she was light on her feet, but she was getting in some hard hits, less gymnastics being thrown in and the Green Ranger was keeping her feet to the ground. Her fighting style was a lot more grounded, more controlled and mixed with a small bit of aggression. They both wondered what skills she learned while she served in the Eltarian Army. Tommy struck out with a fist, only to leave him open, allowing Kim to counter with a hard uppercut into his ribs, but keeping her strength in control. Everyone winced, hearing Tommy gasp for air when his lungs got the shock of their lives and since his centre of gravity was pushed forward, she followed it up with an Ippon Seoinage or a One Arm Shoulder Throw. Unprepared for his wife's impressive strength, Tommy felt himself being lifted off his feet and before he could mentally count to five, he hit the ground flat on his back, hard, rattling his lungs once more. Pulling him forward by the cuff of his shirt, it was clear Dr. Hart was in control of the fight. Ronny leaned towards Kat and whispered into her ear.
"Should we be worried?" Kat answered back,
"Don't worry, they'll know when to stop." The newest Yellow Ranger let out a quiet, nervous laugh. She wasn't sure how the veteran rangers could be so calm, if that was her, honestly she'd be screaming for help. Her mentor is a fighting machine! Turning back, she saw Dr. Hart pull her husband forward, locking her right arm around his neck, catching her other wrist. Using her weight, the Overdrive mentor leaned to the side, making Tommy's head feel the ground and wrapped her leg around his back. Rocky was sputtering because he was wondering when and where did his little sister learn Brazilian Jiujitsu? He well recognised this lock, but it wasn't just a lock, it was a chokehold. Those practicing this form of Martial Arts call it the Guillotine Choke, it's name is pretty self-explanatory in the technique. Kimberly tightened her grip around her husband's neck, almost cutting off his airways, by no means was she trying to kill her beloved husband, but she's showing him who's the top fighter in this marriage. Tommy on the other hand, was not enjoying his position as his wife choked him, desperate to be released, Tommy smacked his hand on Kimberly's back, as a signal to say 'I yield'! Feeling the tapping, Kim knew that Tommy wanted to be released. Letting him go, they both stood up after venting, now both sides can think clearly. Kim was first to speak.
"You were right. I do have a tendency to act before I think." She started, "There was a more peaceful way to deescalate Rose's scenario. I guess I've spent too much time with my soldiers back home." Tommy smirked a little,
"And I should have not gone off on you like that. You were protecting not just your own ranger, but a member of your family." Her husband paused for a moment. "Maybe we should reinstate Rule Two again? Never instigate a fight, unless your opponent forces you to." The couple both chuckled. "I'm glad you accept your error. Let's put it behind us." After some reconciliation, the two Original Rangers kissed, then held each other in a hug. Kimberly's Overdrive Rangers just dropped their jaws, one minute they were verbally arguing that could be heard for miles, then nearly pummelling each other, the next, they're cuddling! It's like going from one extreme to the other!
"What the hell!?" Exclaimed Will, making the older rangers laugh. Hayley decided to explain.
"That's the Tommy-Kimberly dynamic in full glory. Slow to anger and quick to forgive, even if their insane sparring matches are thrown into the equation." Her words did not fall from their ears.
"HEY!" Ignoring them, she continued her explanation.
"Sparring is just a way for both of them to vent, so that they can clear their minds. By the end of it, they can think more clearly and be less typical blockheads.",
"ASSHOLE!",
"I swear their marriage is either a curse or the worst thing some higher power could bring into existence, let alone allow. Dr. O and Dr. H are so unconventional." Kira muttered, well knowing their antics since they got married last year. Herself, Conor, Ethan and her boyfriend Trent were invited, along with all the other past rangers. Her aunt, Dulcea of Phaedos, going by Diana Prince, came as well for the Earth celebration; not long after they married by Eltar's customs.
"I won't be surprised if these two rangers start this world's own version of Ragnarök." Mímir added. "Oh wait! That did happen on Earth-X3." Upon hearing that, everyone looked at Mímir, all wondering if he actually implied that there's an Earth that has an evil version of Tommy and Kimberly, controlling the planet as evil ranger dictators, together. Mímir turned to them all. "Be glad they haven't figured out there's a Multiverse." Deciding not to broach the topic any further, because God knows what variations are out there with all these multiple Earths. Dr. Hart wonders why The Morphin' Masters came to the idea of creating a Multiverse, was it the need for balance? When they could have created a perfect single Earth? Who knows. Kim and Tommy walked back up the group, that was when Mack decided to speak.
"This was a challenge for us all. We lost our powers, got our asses kicked by Thrax, went through our own journeys and in the end, we still came out on top." Kim was about to counter Mack, because she still feels guilty about taking the life of Rita's son. It was clear she still loved him, but he was too angry to see that, however, Mack stopped her. "You did what had to be done, Dr. Hart. Thrax was far from reasoning, even by his own mother. To be fair, the ranger world is probably a better place with Mystic Mother in it. Please don't blame yourself." All Dr. Hart could do was smile, as she stared at Mack. He's growing up and learning, it seems like some the things he has seen her do, has made him realise that the world is a beautiful, but cruel planet.
"Looks like you, young man have found your equilibrium." The Overdrive Rangers looked at Mímir confusingly, unsure of what he actually meant, it made the veterans chuckle, so Billy explained.
"He means Mack, that you speak wisely." The Red Ranger blushed a little.
"Um… thanks?" Which came out more of a question than gratitude. Wordlessly, he put his hand out and everyone, even Kim knew what he wanted to do and it was just the Overdrive team. Tommy stood beside Billy, Rocky, Kat and Kira. The four-time Original Ranger was reminded of the time his own team did this, upon his return as the White Tigerzord Ranger and then the second time when Kim stepped down from the team, when they were tricked into thinking she was going to France. They listened to them count from one.
"One, two, three!" The all lifted their hands into the air. "POWER RANGERS!",
"Once a ranger, always a ranger." Tommy thought proudly, looking his wife and her team, the team she mentoring. It amazed him how much she grew and matured, but other than that, he was proud of his Pink Crane.
Next Time…
Kimberly was thrown into the air, after being ambushed by both Kamdor and Miratrix. Suddenly, she felt something sharp pierce her side, probably by pure luck, missed her vital organs, but it still hurt like hell. With the damage done and assuming she won't survive, her enemies left her to die, as the blood seeped through her clothes, soaking her hand…
"The barrier is weak.",
"Now's your chance.",
"Concentrate on the barrier and focus." A fist punched through the invisible barrier, like it was made of glass and creating a Grid Tear…
At long last, Once a Ranger arc is finished and I am finally bringing back Kimberly's father. If you like the story hit the Follow and Favourite to be updated quickly on a chapter. If you have something say, leave a review.
Again, apologies for the delay and my Writer's Block. Hopefully, Chapter 10 should flow better. Thank you for being patient and bearing with me.
Until next time!