"The Choice"

"I honestly don't know anything!" Billy cried out.

His head was thrown back hard as the marine struck him with the back of his hand. The interrogator, a Lieutenant James Moore, watched and lent forward again in his chair opposite, his hands coming into the main alumination of the over head light as they clasped.

"Billy I really don't want it to be like this" he looked in with sincere eyes "if you just tell me what you know, you account of the last year. You'll be free to go."

Billy straightened. He had been loyal, not uttering a word. They had been kept away from each other in isolated cells and all Billy could think about was Trini, where she was and if she was ok. He would do anything to protect her, anything. He looked up at him, his black eye and bruised cheek evident.

"Alright. But only if your promise me that I can see Trini and that she hasn't been harmed" he finally said.

Moore nodded, his lower lip curled up over his top one as he lent back in satisfaction "agreed."

***

Moore circled the table, hands clasped behind his back.

"So your an alien" Moore said as he walked behind Master Kaku.

Kaku simple sat, following the Lieutenant with his eyes, not speaking a word since he was captured. His red Chinese suit was something not many would be seen in, even without the evidence they had he was out of place.

Moore finally had enough and slammed the table, picking up a piece of paper from the top of the pile and pushing it in Kaku's calm face.

"I have sworn statements from two of the others telling the whole story you told them. But even when dealing with the crap we have seen over this past year I find their story hard to believe. Now I don't think they are lying because the details are far to similar, but what I do think is that they are stupid kids and you and this Zordon character are manipulating them for your own needs. First of all I don't see no pointed ears or tentacles, not much alien about you."
Kaku looked up with a calm turn of his head and answered in a soft voice "Perhaps my appearance was altered."
"To look like a chink? I would get a refund pal" Moore replied as he sat.

"Such a shame" Kaku sighed "in a time your people should be banding together you still have problems with such petty things as racism. Your people have always been scared of what is different and that is why you have us here now. Your control freaks who can not stand the fact that your fate is no longer in your hands and that you are shall we say 'out of the loop.' If you must know many humanoid species of this galaxy, and nearby ones at, that look similar to yourselves."

"Guards!" Moore turned his head and shouted and looked over at Kaku as the two marines that were guarding the door entered"take this alien down below with the others. If we are lucky maybe they will kill each other and save us a job."

As the two marines picked up Kaku and pulled him back in the direction of his cell he spoke simply "I will pray for your species."

***

Zack gritted his teeth as the guard hit him again.

"I don't know much but I'm sure treating prisoners, especially kids, like this is not exactly legal" Zack said through clenched teeth.

"Not when national security, hell planetary security, is at stake. I got all the clearance I need to get answers" Moore replied.

"And I gave you them. I told you everything so you will stop being such a dick for five seconds and figure out all we are guilty of it saving your collective asses!" Zack shouted back at him.

"What about the eight thousand Japanese citizens who were killed in Tokyo five months ago? Should they be grateful too?"

***-

"Like I said" Kimberly replied, her voice with more than a hint of anger "he was being controlled."

"Cause they did something to his brain right?" Moore leaned in "you don't expect me to believe that."

"Well its the truth!" Kimberly screamed at him.

***

"Look, our leader fixed him and he was with us from then on. I'm sure somebody got footage" Trini said "it will clearly show us fighting him and his Zord in Tokyo."

"That and the fact we excavated his remains from outside your base. I would be more likely to believe he rebelled against you so you killed him for it " Moore raised his eyebrows as he lit a cigarette between his teeth.

***

"Thats not what happened!" Jason shouted loudly.

"Why are you getting angry Jason. Did I touch a nerve?" Moore asked, leaning in.

"Maybe its because you dug up the remains of my friend and are holding us captive for saving the fucking planet genius!" Jason snapped.

The marine walked forward and hit Jason again, hard.

***

Jason stumbled as he was thrown into a larger cell where the others were all gathered. Kimberly rushed over noticing his wounds.

"Oh God. Jason are you alright?" She asked putting her hand on his bruised face.

"I'm fine" he pushed her hand off and walked into the room, sitting in a far corner.

"Well at least they put us together" Billy sighed as Trini was rested on his shoulder, holding him tight.

"Only so they can watch what we say and prepare a new set of questions for tommorrow" Jason replied dryly.

"I don't get it!" Zack exclaimed "we told them everything just like you said Jason. What the hells their problem?"
"Their paranoid Zack. The world is a different place since giant alien machines fell from the sky and levelled the major cities. They don't believe or trust the fact that their fate is in the hands of kids, they won't except that" Jason told them.

"I always wondered why us?" Sighed Trini "I guess thats what their asking."
"All I know is that the first day we became the Power Rangers I knew it felt right and I have never looked back since" Jason said.
"Like destiny" Trini spoke softly, her head still rested on Billy's shoulder.

"Yeah" Jason let out a breath "but destiny isn't a good enough answer for these bastards."
"What do you think they have done with the coins? The Zords?" Asked Kimberly.

"From what we were told security on the Zords is tight, and we know the coins won't respond to them" Billy replied.

"We need to get them back" Zack said "what if Zedd comes back and were sitting here in this cell?"
"Then its up to Rocky and his Thunder Rangers" Billy sighed.

"Yeah" Jason said, his voice solum.

***

They all were gathered in their old base on the outskirts of Miami, now empty but for a few things that either had been left or had not yet been moved to the Command Centre. Rocky, Adam, Joey, Katherine and Aisha stood watching the TV as more news about the whereabouts of their comrades came in. They had each heard about the assault on the Command Centre on the news and I had contacted each other, deciding to meet here and arrange what they were going to do.

Rocky had opted to wait until more was released and they watched the news channels eagerly as more and more was revealed. They knew that every face that came on however was giving the public statement and that many details were probably being kept from the general public.

Katherine walked in from the rooms behind the main hall and over the where the others were gathered, watching as the marine commander that lead the assault spoke to a reporter as he still stood outside the Command Centre.

"We detected some strange readings in the area about a month ago. We checked it out and found this place" he turned and pointed back to Command Centre "we also detected some sort of energy field in place that would make it impossible to damage it or get anyone in. Yesterday at fifteen hundred hours we detected the field was down and as ordered we moved in. We found the missing kids, an elderly man some sort of robot inside" the marine spoke.

"Son of the bitch!" Joey exclaimed.

"Where are they now?" Asked the reporter.

"The robot was taken offline and transferred to a high security facility. The man and kids are now being held for questioning. But not to worry people, their safe."

"Captain. Thankyou" the reporter finished the screen cut back to the anchor who began recapping the details.

"We have to do something Rocky" Kat said.

"Yeah but what? We don't even know where they are" Adam replied.

"Even if we did. What are we going to do? Bash down the door and take them back? That will make things worse than they are. What if we hurt people? We need to show them we're the good guys" Aisha added.

"So. I say we go get them, get the Zords and hide up somewhere. They started it! They want to attack us for saving the planet? Well fuck them!" Joey contributed.

"We can't" Rocky finally said "for now lets sit and tight. If we find out where they are then I'll think about it. But I'm not about to bust into the pentagon with Red Dragon and started demanding answers."
Rocky turned and walked off back toward the living area where Master Kaku had stayed. The others all looked at each other, their opinions conflicted.

"Well at least they said their safe" Kat said with a sigh.

"Yeah, they said babe" Joey replied.

***

Jason sat against the large cell wall, the small window letting in only a fraction of the moonlight outside. All of it ran through his head; What he had been chosen for, Tommy, Zed, Zordon, their current situation as a result. He almost found himself being angry with Zordon. While he had saved every living being from occupation, had he made it worse? Had more people died than if they had never fought back? Not to mention the fact that the only reason they were here was because he made a tactical error. But he concluded Zordon had been right in lowering in the shield for repairs, he knew there was no chance of a Zedorian attack and time soon. Unfortunately Zordon hadn't counted for the very people he had brought them together to protect.

He looked up as Kimberly walked over and sat next to him, he turned his head not wanting to look at her.

"I know this probably isn't the place to to talk" Kim sighed "but I want to know what the hell your problem is."
"What do you mean?" Jason asked quietly, not looking her way.

"You know what I mean!" She snapped, still trying to talk quietly so as not to wake the others "you have barely looked at me all day."
Jason turned and looked at her now, determination and anger in his eyes.

"You really want to know?" He asked her.

"Yeah, course I do."
"Alrighty...Its the fact you can't keep your fucking legs closed! Its the fact you think Tommy's death is a free pass to be a slut! Its the fact you slept with another fucking Ranger when you knew it would make things awkward!" Jason snapped at her.
"How dare you!" Kimberly's face was now almost turning red with anger "I can do what the fuck I like! Your my leader not my Dad Jason! And as far as the group goes I don't see your little cock fights with Rocky helping!"
"You know why that is!" Their voices were getting louder now.

"Yeah its because you fell threatened, you hate him because he might try and take your place in the group. Just like Tommy did!"
"I made up with Tommy!"
"Yeah. In the end. But what about the fight you had on Titan?"
"He told you about that?" Jason looked away.
"Yeah he did."
Jason looked back up at her and quickly changed subject "stop trying to change to subject on me! You are being a slut just because you think it will help your pain go away! News flash, it wont."
Kimberly brought her hand up and slapped him across the face "go to hell!"

He could see the tears in her eyes as she stood and walked back across the room. Jason knew Zack was now awake and watching them but decided to ignore him.

"Its because I care about you alright!" Jason called over still trying to be quiet "your better than what you have become."
"You care about me?" Kim exclaimed and walked back over, not sitting but standing over him "so is that what this is about? Jealously? Jealous of Joey, hell Jealous of Tommy!"
"Yeah! Alright yeah! I like you alright! I know its wrong! I know the fact I am jealous of Tommy is so wrong...but I don't care. I just want something between us" Jason finally admitted to her.

"Well news flash for you!" Kimberly hissed at him, each word spitting out from her like position in her anger "there is nothing between us and there never will be. I loved Tommy, not you and you will have to fucking deal with it! And I don't need you to tell me who I can and can't fuck!"

With that she walked back to the other side of the room and sat with a thud to the ground.

"Well. You tried man" Zack spoke up.

"Shut the hell up Zack!" Jason turned his head and shouted at him.

Jason turned back away from him and rested his head back on the wall, taking in her words silently and adding it to his torment. At least she had been clear what she wanted, he wasn't even sure who he was anymore.

***

Jason sat at the table watching as Moore walked into the small room and sat at the table opposite him.

"Good morning" Moore smiled as he sat forward "I have good news."
"This should be good" Jason replied sarcasticly.

Moore chuckled "what If I told you that you and your friends could just walk out of here and never be bothered again? What If I told you that we would not only not hunt you, but that the Government would get behind you."
"I'd say you need to stop throwing bones rapped in bullshit" Jason replied frankly.

"Well its the truth. I met with the President, my bosses at the Pentagon and all of them are willing to accept you for the heros you are and let you continue doing you job" James told him.

"And what do we have to give them in return?" Jason asked.

"We want in on your operation. The military need to be involved with any and all human operations against these alien invaders" Moore replied.

"In?" Jason asked.

"From what you told us this Master Kaku downstairs told you that there is another set of these 'power coins.' We want the third team to be made of up military personnel."
"American military" Jason shot back.

"Well you are based in our country, and all of you are US Citizens" Moore stated.

Jason looked him over for a moment trying to work out if he was lying.

"Like I told you yesterday, the coins don't work like that. They chose who uses them, not the other way around" Jason finally said.

"I'm sure someone among the thousands of candidates will be suitable for their needs" Moore replied.

"Perhaps" Jason said "but even if you are telling the truth and this isn't some bullshit story you were told to say to get us to tell you were the temple is, we don't know by the way, I can't let this become some military operation. This is Zordon's team and he calls the shots."
"An Alien?" Moore said in disbelief "you really want the fate of humanity to left in the hands of an alien?"

"Without this alien you paranoid, racist bastard! We wouldn't even have any damn coins or protection for this planet! Without that other alien that your doing God knows what to downstairs, we wouldn't even know of any other sets of coins" Jason countered.

"Look. You don't have much choice. I have authority to do what ever is needed to get answers and to get this deal! With your family gone it would be shame if I had to have Kimberly executed as an enemy of humanity" Moore now spoke in a dark tone.

"You son of a bitch!" Jason growled.

"Except the deal. We become full partners in stopping this Lord Zedd and as a result you open all your technology and information to us. If you don't then...I may have to use the other methods I have at my disposal."

Jason turned away, chaos running through his mind as he tried to make the right choice.

"Only if along with us the robot and the alien are also released" Jason looked up and said.

"We have reason to believe they are working with this Lord Zedd and have been manipulating you from the start" Moore told him.

"Oh for....they aren't! I give you my word!"
"Thats not enough."
"Release them with us and I will except" Jason repeated.

"Alright! The robot. But the alien stays here..." Jason was about to cut him off "but he will not be harmed, he will be moved to a more comfortable location and you can see him under our supervision on request."

Jason lowered his head in the thought and nodded in agreement "what about the other aliens?"
"What about them?" Moore asked as he stood and gathered his papers.

"What will happen to them?" Jason looked up at him.

"What do you think should happen to them?" Moore asked.

"Executed. My teammates should never have taken prisoners. This is war" Jason responded sincerely.

"Good answer" Moore smiled.

The Lieutenant breathed out as he walked toward the door.

"We will arrange for your release and for your devices to be returned to you" he called back to Jason and turned as the door opened "we can get you cleaned up and have you do a press conference to let the people know your on our side. You made the right choice Jason."

With that James left Jason to himself to contemplate the deal he had just made. For everyones sakes Jason hoped it was the right one.

END

Next time: The alliance is reinforced in full force as a joint military and Ranger operation is dispatched to find "the temple" and the third set of power coins.