After dropping Vida off and making sure she got into her apartment, Jason sat in his car for a few minutes. He couldn't get that red gleam out of his head.
"It reminds me of Tommy," he muttered to himself. "But she's still acting like V…Could she be under a spell and fighting it?"
Sighing, he started the car and pulled out his phone.
"Definitely staying an extra day or two now," he said, dialing. "Better tell Trini I found the girls."
"Red gleam?" Tommy said, frowning. "Are you sure?"
Jason sighed, nodding as he leaned back in his chair. He was back in his hotel room, talking with Tommy on his computer using the video chat.
"I'm sure," he said. "She tried to hide it, but I saw…"
"Jase," Tommy said slowly. "That's exactly how it was back with you and Kim all those years ago…"
Jason groaned.
"Don't tell me that, bro," he said. "It's hard enough staying out of things here—especially with Maddy and V involved…"
"I'm sorry," Tommy sighed. "But she's the pink ranger. If she was just evil, her eyes would glow pink, not red…"
"But she's still acting like herself," Jason said, leaning forward again. "Other than being paler than normal and a lot more tired—she's still V…"
Tommy ran a hand through his hair, frowning as he tried to come up with an explanation.
"I don't know," he said. "I'm stumped right now. I'll check with some of the others and see if they can come up with something. For now, keep an eye on her. We need to be ready to deal with it if this gets out of hand—there's always a chance it's something completely new that the team won't be able to handle on their own."
Jason took a deep breath, nodding.
"I'm not going anywhere until this is solved," he said. "I know they need to do this on their own, but I'm not about to lose either of them."
"I don't want to lose them either, bro," Tommy said quietly, shaking his head. "If the situation hits critical, call me. I'll let the kids know to be on standby. We're not letting any of them go down without a fight."
Jason nodded.
"Thanks, Falcon," he said. "I'll keep you updated. Keep your communicator on you, if not your phone."
"Always have a communicator," Tommy grinned. "Can't guarantee the phone. Talk to you later, Rex."
Ending the call, Jason sighed and leaned back in his chair again. Rubbing his hands over his face, he groaned.
"This was so much easier in high school when all we had to worry about was ourselves," he muttered.
Red Ranger to the Rescue
Madison, Vida, Chip, and Xander laughed as they chased each other around the playground. The six-year-olds were playing tag with each other as their mothers watched and chatted from nearby. It was fairly crowded at the park since it was a nice afternoon.
"Stay where we can see you!" Mrs. Rocca called to the four kids.
"K, mom!" Vida and Madison chorused, chasing after the boys.
They all clambered up the jungle gym, still chasing each other in circles and playing hide-n-seek on the large play structure. All four of them were hiding and giggling underneath when people started screaming and running past the jungle gym. The kids froze in fear, not sure what was going on. Peeking out, there was no sign of their mothers. Sticking very close to each other, they peeked out to see the park overrun by odd grey men—and their mothers nowhere to be seen.
"Where's mommy?" Madison cried, tears welling in her eyes.
All four were near tears as they looked around in fright. But there was no one nearby except the grey men. Then someone new caught their attention. He must have seen them peering out from under the jungle gym, because he was watching them with his arms crossed.
"Power ranger!" Chip exclaimed, pointing.
"But he's green," Vida frowned. "Is he a new ranger?"
"He's a power ranger," Xander said. "He'll save us."
He darted toward the strange new ranger and the other three followed, Vida grabbing Madison's hand as they ran. But the green ranger didn't come running to get them. Instead he started laughing, dropping his hands to his side. The kids faltered for a moment at the laugh, but kept running, sure he would save them. Then he raised a hand to point at them. A jet of green light shot toward them, but a figure in red leapt in the way. The burst of magic struck the red ranger, knocking him to the ground. As the kids started screaming in terror, they were grabbed from behind. Still screaming, they looked up to see the other power rangers running in to join the fight. The yellow ranger had scooped up Madison and Vida while the black ranger had grabbed Xander and Chip. They were now running away from the fight with the four kids while the pink and blue rangers were running to help the red ranger as the green ranger continued throwing bolts of green light at them.
"Where are your moms?" the black ranger asked, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet.
The kids shook their heads, eyes wide.
"There!" the yellow ranger exclaimed.
She had just spotted the three mothers looking anxiously around, afraid to get too near the fight but desperate to find the children. The rangers ran over to them, handing the four kids over to the grateful mothers.
"Thank you," Mrs. Rocca said, taking Madison and Vida and holding them tightly. "Thank you so much."
Both rangers nodded and spun, racing back toward the fight without saying a word. With the kids clinging tightly to them, the mothers hurried away to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the battle.
"Good morning, Rootcore!" Vida exclaimed, strolling in and smiling as she looked around.
The others turned to look at her.
"Hey, sis," Madison smiled. "You're feeling better."
"I'm feeling great," Vida grinned. "Slept like a baby. Let's rock 'n' roll!"
Nick smirked.
"You slept like a log—," he said. "Twenty-two hours worth."
The others snickered, nodding. Madison pulled out her new camera, turning it on Vida.
"Hey, V," she said. "Say a few words to your fans."
Laughing, Vida nodded.
"All right," she said. "I'll show you a new pose that came to me in a dream."
She struck a pose as the others laughed along. Chip, who had been digging something out of the bag next to him, turned to Vida.
"After such a long nap, you must be very thirsty V," he said, holding out a goblet of red liquid.
Vida froze, staring at it. Slowly she reached out to take the cup. Madison was still filming, but Nick and Xander had gone back to what they were doing. Taking the goblet, Vida took a drink—and then immediately spit it back out.
"Yuck!" she exclaimed. "It's tomato juice."
Chip smirked.
"Aww, what?" he said. "Did you think it was blood?"
The others looked at him in shock.
"Pardon me?" Xander exclaimed.
Chip whipped around to look at them, holding up a small card in his hand.
"I am a card carrying member of C.O.U.N.T.V.—" he said, sighing when the others just stared at him. "Containment of Underworld Nocturnal Transylvanian Vampires Club. And I, my friends, have found myself a vampire."
"My sister is a vampire?" Madison said skeptically.
Chip nodded.
"Pale skin, sensitivity to light, sleeping all day, thirst for blood—textbook vampire signs," he said confidently.
Madison, Nick, and Xander exchanged glances. Looking back down at Vida and Chip, they all burst out laughing. As did Vida.
"Come on, guys," Nick chuckled, shaking his head as he headed down the stairs. We're late for work."
Vida laughed again, nodding.
"I'll meet with you guys later," she said, smirking at Chip. "I gotta grab a bite before I go."
She pretended to lunge at him as she spoke, eliciting another round of laughter from the other three rangers. Waving, they headed out the door leaving Chip and Vida alone.
"Okay, maybe I'm wrong…" Chip sighed, watching them go. "I'll stay here and go in with V…"
Once they were gone, Vida sighed.
"By the way, Chip," she said slowly. "You were right."
Chip froze by his bag.
"I am a vampire," Vida hissed, spinning.
She lunged at him, her eyes red and fangs out. But Chip was ready. He whipped around to face her, holding out a clove of garlic.
"Garlic clove!" he exclaimed as she hissed and backed away. "I knew it! You're a vampire! This is so great—oh, well, except for you. You're a bloodsucking night demon…Hmm… This could be a problem…"
"Maddy, how's V doing this morning?" Jason asked, leaning back against a wall.
He'd just arrived at the Rock Porium a few minutes before, shortly after Madison, Xander, and Nick. After glaring at Nick, he'd said hello to Xander and given Madison a hug. Now he was watching the three working around the shop.
"Better," she smiled. "She's supposed to be here in a little while. Chip is with her right now."
Jason smiled, back, nodding.
"That's good to hear," he said. "Think you two are up to spending the afternoon with me? Once you're off work, I mean. You still haven't shown me around Briarwood."
"I love that idea," Madison answered. "There are a ton of places we could take you."
"Great," Jason said. "Then as soon as you get off it's just the three of us for the afternoon."
Glancing over, he shot another glare at Nick. Taking a deep breath, Nick glared back.
"What is your problem?" he asked shortly.
Jason raised an eyebrow.
"No problem, rookie," he said.
Nick frowned. Jason had called him that once before, but he had blown it off. The repeat use annoyed him.
"Wait—rookie?" he sputtered. "Rookie what?"
Jason shrugged.
"You just look like a rookie," he said, crossing his arms. "Got a problem with that?"
Xander and Madison both had to stop themselves from snickering at the look on Nick's face.
"You know nothing about me," Nick snapped back.
"You're right," Jason said. "And you know nothing about me—any other obvious points you'd like to make?"
Nick glowered at Jason, shaking his head.
"If you knew—" he started to say, and then cut himself off.
Jason smirked.
"If I knew what, rookie?" he asked.
"Nothing," Nick muttered. "I'm going to check on stock."
Spinning on his heel, he stalked out of the room. Jason watched him go, a smug look on his face.
"Jason!" Madison exclaimed, swatting his arm. "Be nice!"
"I am being nice," Jason protested.
Madison rolled her eyes, but left it alone.
Later that afternoon, Jason and Madison walked through the park.
"Heard anything from V, yet?" he asked.
Sighing, Madison shook her head.
"No," she said. "Not a word. Xander and Nick haven't heard anything either…Chip and Vida are just gone…"
"Don't worry, kiddo," Jason said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "They've got to be in town somewhere. You know how Chip is—he's easily distracted sometimes. And it's not always that hard to convince V to take off for something fun."
"Yeah…" she said. "I guess. But—well, it's been a lot different lately. Chip really is a lot more focused than he used to be…And V—well, I guess we're all a little more responsible out here…"
Jason glanced down at her as they kept walking.
"Why's that?" he asked. "Is it because of the power rangers?"
Madison stiffened, looking up at him in surprise.
"What?" he said. "They're all over the news. And all of you know how that goes—what with growing up in Angel Grove and everything. You've always gotta be careful when there are monsters in town."
"Oh, right," she said, taking a deep breath. "I guess it could be…"
"Maddy, relax," he said. "I'm not here to try and take you away from the monsters. You live here now—you have to deal with it. Besides, it's not like you didn't learn to duck and cover enough growing up. Stay out of the way and the monsters usually leave you alone."
Madison sighed.
"I guess you're right," she said, looking down at the ground. "I'll be careful."
"That's all I ask," Jason said, squeezing her shoulders. "Now, where else can we check? V and Chip have got to be somewhere."
Madison glanced around, her eyes flickering toward the forest for a moment.
"Umm… Let's check the Rock Porium again," she suggested. "And then maybe swing by my apartment and see if V went home for a nap. Maybe she wasn't feeling as good as she looked?"
Jason nodded and they turned away from the forest, heading back into town.
"V!" Madison called as they walked into Rootcore that evening.
"Chip!" Xander shouted after her.
"Guys?" said Nick.
But Chip and Vida were nowhere to be seen.
"You're out here awfully late," Udonna said, looking down at them from the upper level. "What is going on?"
The three rangers exchanged glances.
"Chip and V didn't show for work," Nick said. "We think there may be a problem."
Udonna frowned.
"They seemed alright the last time you saw them?" she asked.
Xander shrugged.
"Well, not exactly," he answered. "Vida's been acting very strange. And Chip thought that she might be…Well, these are Chip's words, not ours…a vampire."
Udonna raised an eyebrow as the other two snickered.
"Well, there are many things in the woods that seem…unbelievable," she said slowly. "But I assure you, they do exist."
Xander, Nick, and Madison exchanged wide-eyed looks.
"Hey!" Madison exclaimed. "I just thought of something. This morning, I took some video of Vida."
Pulling out her wand, she walked over to one of the screens and brought up the video. As it started playing, they watched in shock.
"Okay, that's weird," Madison said. "She was dead center frame when I took this. And now she's not there."
Udonna sighed.
"Her image will not appear on video," she said grimly. "As it will not reflect in a mirror. Chip was right. She is a vampire."
The rangers looked at Udonna in shock, horrified looks crossing their faces.
"Find them, rangers," she said. "They need your help."
They nodded.
"Let's go," Nick said, heading for the exit.
"Children of the night!" Fly Trap cackled. "Go forth and destroy your beloved city! Go now! For at sunrise you will all be turned into ash!"
He laughed maniacally again as Vida and Chip came running up. They'd followed Fly Trap and the teenagers who'd been turned into vampires from the club. After Necrolai had disappeared, Vida had gotten Chip up and moving so they could stop Fly Trap and save the teens. They were already morphed and ready to fight.
"Hold it right there, Flytrap!" Chip shouted.
As they stood there, the rest of the rangers came running up. They, too, were already morphed for the fight.
"V, you okay?" Madison asked anxiously.
Vida nodded in her direction.
"Never better!" she answered.
"Good!" Nick exclaimed. "Let's swat this fly!"
Vida laughed and cheered, bouncing over to dance around with Leelee. With Fly Trap destroyed, they were back at the Rock Porium relaxing and having fun. Jason, lounging in one of the chairs nearby, had already scolded Vida and Chip for worrying all of them earlier by missing work and not answering their phones. Vida had just rolled her eyes, glaring at him for babying her. But he had laughed and given her a hug, letting the subject drop. Now they were all just enjoying themselves.
"Hey," Chip said, trailing behind Nick. "So, Nick. Now that you know vampires do exist how about joining the C.O.U.N.T.V. club?"
Nick scoffed, shaking his head and glancing over at Jason. He was watching Vida and didn't twitch at the mention of vampires.
"Not interested," Nick said.
But Chip didn't let it drop.
"Wait—before you make a hasty decision, let me show you what your two-hundred bucks gets you," he said quickly, setting down his bag and showing things to Nick as he continued. "Three cloves of garlic, "How to Spot a Vampire" handbook, mirror, vampire chalk, and a vial—"
"Wait, wait, wait," Nick interrupted. "'Vampire chalk'?"
Chip grinned
"No vampire hunter worth his wooden stake goes anywhere without it," he responded.
"Ah…" Nick said slowly.
Chip didn't need a lot of encouragement to continue.
"Just draw a circle around the vampire, and they cannot cross the line," he said.
Walking over to where Vida and Leelee were dancing around, he crouched down and started drawing a circle around Vida.
"What is he doing?" Madison asked, pausing next to Nick and watching Chip.
"Showing how vampire chalk works," Nick said, shaking his head.
When Chip got close to Leelee's feet, she jumped backwards, glaring at him.
"Uh! Sorry," she snapped. "These are $300 LeSage boots. Draw your chalk near someone else's feet."
Chip kept going as Vida laughed, not moving while he drew the circle around her. Jason shook his head, but didn't say anything. Finished with the circle, Chip hopped up and rejoined Nick and Madison.
"So, if Vida was a vampire, she couldn't cross that line," Nick said.
Chip nodded.
"Yep," he answered.
Xander, talking on the phone with a customer, took it from his ear and covered the mouthpiece.
"Hey, V," he called. "We got any Coltrane on CD?"
She shrugged and turned to go look.
"Let me check!" she called back. "Agh!"
As she tried to step out of the circle, Vida let out a cry of pain and stumbled backward. Everyone in the room froze, looking at her in surprise. Jason leapt out of his seat, running over to her as she tried again.
"V? Are you alright?" Chip exclaimed.
But as she tried to cross the circle again, the same thing happened. Xander and the other three exchanged grim looks.
"V, are you alright?" Jason asked in concern, reaching out to keep her upright.
"I—I don't know…" she muttered, shaking her head. "I—I feel so weird…"
"Alright, shop's closed," Nick announced turning to the few customers in the store.
Between Nick, Xander, Chip, and Madison, they quickly cleared the shop of everyone, including a protesting Leelee. The only one who wouldn't leave was Jason.
"Shop's closed," Nick said, looking pointedly at him.
Jason, still standing by Vida, just glared.
"Your point?" he said shortly. "I'm not going anywhere—now what is going on?"
The four exchanged glances, hesitating.
"If this is related to the vampire thing from last night, you need to tell me," Jason snapped.
"Wait, how do you know about that?" Chip asked, frowning.
"People have a tendency to notice when their children start behaving like monsters," Jason said pointedly. "It's been all over town. I know the signs—some monster did this. Now what happened?"
"We're not sure," Madison said slowly.
"But she should stay in there until we can get help," Nick said firmly.
Jason growled at him. Beside him, Vida grimaced. She let out a low growl, hissing as her eyes flashed red. Stepping back out of the circle before she could do anything, Jason took a deep breath. Vida shook herself, looking around at her friends and siblings.
"Guys, I know you think you need to do this, but I'm alright," she started pleading. "Please, let me out."
They shook their heads.
"We're gonna help you, V," Chip said. "I promise."
"And just how are you planning on doing that?" Jason snapped.
"The power rangers," Xander said, ignoring the outraged looks from his teammates. "If we can find them, maybe they can destroy the monster doing this to her. I'm sure we can find a way to contact them."
"Like what?" Jason said drily. "Are you going to shine a giant SOS signal in the sky?"
"Please?" Vida interrupted. "Please let me out…"
Madison stood next to Jason.
"Maybe we should let her out," she said slowly, reaching out a hand to Vida.
Vida snarled, lunging toward her. Madison let out a surprised squeak as Jason tugged her backward.
"And maybe you shouldn't," he said firmly.
Eyes wide, Madison nodded. Glancing over, she saw Nick gesture for her to join them. Leaving Jason standing next to Vida, she hurried over to the other three. They started discussing options in hushed tones, not wanting Jason to overhear anything.
"If Flytrap was destroyed, Vida should be fine," Madison said anxiously. "She must be under the spell of another vampire…"
The others nodded in agreement.
"What if it's Necrolai?" Chip suggested.
"Koragg would know that," Xander said.
That gave Chip an idea. He turned to look at Nick.
"Nick, Koragg seems to be able to contact you whenever he likes," he said. "Have you ever tried to contact him?"
Nick frowned, shaking his head.
"No," he said. "Well, I can try…"
Closing his eyes, he concentrated for a moment. But nothing happened. Shrugging, he opened his eyes again.
"I guess it doesn't work like—agh!" Nick cried out in pain, catching Jason's attention.
You wish to speak, red wizard? Koragg spoke in Nick's mind.
Nick grimaced, glaring at Jason when he started walking over.
"Next time, Chip," Nick hissed quickly. "You can call him yourself. He's in the glen."
"What is going on?" he asked.
"We think we know a way to find the power rangers," Madison said quickly. "But we need to leave…"
"Do what you have to," Jason said.
Madison looked at him in surprise. She'd been expecting him to argue with her.
"Who's gonna stay with V?" she asked, glancing at the three boys.
"I am," Jason said firmly.
"Jason, she'll try everything and anything to get you to release her. Are you sure you're up for it?" Xander asked.
Jason scoffed.
"I'm not easily fooled," he said shortly. "Go find help. We'll be fine here."
Madison nodded.
"He's right," she said. "Let's go."
They turned, pausing.
"Where's Chip?" Nick frowned.
Chip was gone. Groaning, the other three darted out the door, leaving Jason with Vida. The moment they were gone, Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket and headed over to grab his bag out of the corner. As he waited for an answer, he pulled out his computer and got it set up on the other side of the room. That way he could still keep an eye on Vida, but she wouldn't be able to hear everything he was saying.
"Hey, bro," he said the moment Tommy answered. "We've got an emergency—it's V."
He spoke quietly, just to make sure she couldn't hear anything she wasn't supposed to hear.
"What?" Tommy exclaimed. "What's going on? Do I need to call the kids?"
"I don't need you here yet," Jason said grimly. "But can you head down to your lab? Grab Hayley on the way. I'm getting my computer ready now."
"On my way down," Tommy answered.
"Call as soon as you get down there," Jason said. "There's something you need to see."
Hanging up, Jason shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned to look at Vida again. His computer was up and running, so he was just waiting on Tommy now. Vida's eyes were closed and she looked like she was listening to something he couldn't hear. Opening her eyes, she looked at Jason and grimaced.
"Jason, help me…" she pleaded, wrapping her arms around herself. "I feel really sick…"
Jason strode toward her. But, instead of heading into the circle, he grabbed a trash can and dropped it just inside, being extremely careful not to smudge the line.
"If you're gonna be sick, do it in the trash can," he said. "I'm not cleaning it up."
She looked at him in shock.
"But…" she protested weakly. "I—I need…oh…"
Vida collapsed to the ground. Behind him, Jason could hear the video call ring start. Shaking his head, he grabbed a water bottle that had been left on the counter. Taking the top off, he upended it over Vida. She shot upright, sputtering.
"What was that for?" she cried.
"Oh, good," he said. "You're awake. Guess you're alright now."
Leaving her glaring at him, Jason rushed back to answer the call.
"There you are, coward!" Chip shouted, charging into the glen.
Koragg turned to look at him in surprise.
"You!" Koragg exclaimed. "I was expecting red wizard to meet me."
"Well, you got yellow!" Chip yelled, attacking Koragg. "What did you do to Vida?"
"I did nothing to your friend!" Koragg cried, attacking back.
"Come on!" Chip snarled. "Lightening kick!"
To Chip's surprise, Koragg blocked the attack, knocking him away.
"I'm not done yet," Chip said, getting back to his feet.
But Koragg just shook his head.
"It's dishonorable to defeat a weaker opponent," he said, starting to turn away.
"What do you know about honor?" Chip cried. "I'll make you pay for what you did. Magi staff!"
He blasted Koragg again. For a moment, Koragg disappeared from sight and Chip thought he'd defeated him.
"Excellent!" Koragg said approvingly as he reappeared, not showing any signs of injury.
"No!" Chip exclaimed in shock.
"I had no idea you had grown so powerful," Koragg growled. "Now I can destroy you. Wolf attack!"
The attack struck Chip, sending him flying backward.
"Chip!" Nick shouted, running up to him.
"Are you alright?" Madison cried, dropping down next to Chip.
Seeing Koragg, all of them went on the defensive. But he did not attack.
"If you are looking for the one who turned the pink witch into the vampire," he told them. "Look no further than Necrolai."
"Necrolai!" Madison exclaimed.
"You're lying!" Chip shouted.
But Koragg didn't react.
"If you want the pink witch back," Koragg told them. "Defeat Necrolai."
"Why are you telling us this?" Nick demanded.
"If you are strong enough to defeat Necrolai and get the pink one back," Koragg answered. "Then, and only then, have you earned the right to fight me."
He turned to leave, the rangers watching him go with grim expressions.
"We'll play your game," Nick growled as he disappeared.
Back at the Rock Porium, Jason was standing in front of his computer. He'd set up far enough away that Vida wouldn't be able to hear or see what he was doing, but he knew she was watching him.
"Jase, what's going on?" Tommy asked. "Are the girls alright?"
He and Hayley were both visible on screen, sitting down in the lab. Jason sighed, shaking his head.
"We've got a problem," he said. "It's Vida…"
Tommy frowned.
"What's wrong?" Hayley asked. "Did something happen to her?"
"Does this have anything to do with the red eyes?" Tommy added, looking at Jason expectantly.
"I don't know," Jason said, shaking his head. "But take a look."
He stepped slightly off to the side so they could see behind him. Hayley and Tommy both frowned, looking around in confusion.
"Where is she?" Tommy asked.
"Right there, bro," Jason said, pointing toward her.
Vida glared at him, hissing and showing her fangs. She lunged at him, hitting the circle again and falling back with a cry of pain. Tommy and Hayley both looked around in surprise. He took a deep breath, turning back to the computer.
"Ok, that is not normal," Tommy said, frowning at the flash of blue that had come from when Vida hit the circle. "Where is she?"
Jason gestured behind him again.
"Jason, there's no one there," Hayley said.
"Oh, she's there," Jason said.
"Is she invisible?" Tommy asked.
Jason shook his head.
"I wish she was just invisible," he muttered. "No—I can see her."
Hayley frowned, thinking about what Jason was saying—then her eyes opened wide.
"Jason," she said slowly. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"
"Yep," he said grimly. "Vida's been turned into a vampire. Fangs, blood, aversion to sunlight, undead, and everything else."
Tommy and Hayley exchanged grim looks.
"How?" Tommy asked, leaning forward.
"I don't know," Jason sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't keep up with these things. You're always the one who handled all the weird stuff…"
Tommy scoffed.
"Says the guy who got kidnapped and turned evil on a snorkeling trip," he said. "And then tried to kill his best friend."
"Would you drop that?" Jason snapped. "Focus on V!"
"I am," Tommy said. "Or at least I think I am—she's in that circle on the floor, right?"
Jason nodded, glancing back at Vida again.
"I told you something weird was going on," Jason muttered. "But I didn't know it was this bad—she wasn't acting too out of character until today when Chip put her in that circle. She was still Vida. But now…Tommy, the kids are trying to fix this, but if they can't snap her out of it—"
"We're going to fix it, Rex," Tommy said firmly. "We're not leaving V like this."
"Jason!" Vida called from across the room.
Jason took a deep breath.
"Give me a minute," he said, turning and heading back toward Vida. "What's wrong, V?"
He stopped a few feet back, not wanting to risk messing up the circle.
"I need to go to the bathroom," she said, looking at him expectantly.
He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"Trash can is still there," he said, not moving any closer.
Vida's eyes widened in surprise and she looked at the trashcan.
"Jason!" she exclaimed.
"What?" he said. "Do you want me to guard the door? I can make sure no one comes in—though the door is locked right now."
"Never mind," she muttered. "Are you at least going to feed me?"
"Not right now," he answered, shaking his head.
Vida sighed, giving him a pleading look as she switched tactics.
"Jason, please," she begged. "I'm sorry—I'm not trying to do this. I don't want to be a vampire…this isn't my fault…"
"I know," he said, softening a little. "We're going to make this better somehow."
"I don't want to stay in here," she said, dropping her head. "Please let me out?"
"Sorry, kiddo," he said. "I can't."
She slumped.
"Jason, I'm scared," she mumbled, looking up at him with tears in her eyes. "I just want a hug…"
"And I will be happy to give you a hug," he said. "As soon as you're back to normal."
She lost it, lunging at him again and hitting the wall of the circle. Taking a deep breath, Jason turned and walked away. Tommy and Hayley were watching in concern.
"I'm not talking to you anymore!" Vida yelled from across the room.
"Fine!" Jason snapped back without turning around. "It'll be a quiet evening, then."
He sighed, shaking his head as he leaned against the counter to talk to Tommy and Hayley again.
"I hate this," he muttered, shaking his head. "Remind me again why I'm not kidnapping them both and taking them away from all of this?"
"Because this is their choice," Tommy said. "Just like it was ours—and they deserve the chance to prove themselves. We can't interfere, Jase. You know that."
"I know," Jason sighed. "Doesn't make it any easier…"
Tommy nodded in agreement, standing up.
"Just hang in there," Tommy said. "We'll figure this out. V is going to be alright."
"Where are you going?" Jason asked, frowning.
"Gotta do some research on the undead," Tommy answered. "Hayley, let's go."
"Tommy, you don't know anything about the undead," she said, shaking her head. "All of your books are on paleontology—those aren't going to help."
"That's why we're going to call Lightspeed," he said. "They've dealt with all sorts of demons."
"Vida is not a demon!" Jason exclaimed.
"Vampire, demon—same thing," Tommy said.
Hayley rolled her eyes.
"The point is," Tommy said. "Lightspeed has a lot more experience dealing with this kind of stuff—unless someone else has dealt with vampires. Have any of the other teams actually had vampire issues?"
He frowned, glancing between Jason and Hayley. They both shook their heads.
"I didn't think so," Tommy said. "Now go take care of V. We'll do what we can from here—though I'm hoping the kids will figure it out before we have to interfere."
"Same here," Jason muttered. "I'll call you if anything changes."
Nodding, Tommy reached out and ended the call. Jason sighed, turning back to look at Vida again.
"Alright," he sighed as she glared at him. "Now what am I going to do with you?"