Word Count: 3,421/?
Author's Note: Hey, Everyone. I just wanted to apologize for how long it's taken to post this. I- don't even know what I got distracted by this time. But I hadn't realized quite how many months had gone by since the last time I posted a chapter. Anyway, this chapter starts getting into the events of the Turbo movie. I got a complaint on the original version of this story saying that the reviewer didn't see the need to go into the events of the movie, since anyone who's seen the movie knows what happened.
That may be true, however I am following Jason's point of view almost exclusively and he saw and experienced things differently than the Rangers did. Also, there were several places in the movie that I was really interested in exploring his thoughts. So, yeah. This chapter and the next one follow the events of the movie, although they are written as Jason saw/viewed what happened. I hope you enjoy.
Angel Grove, California; 30 May 1996, 1928
The next few months flew by for the new couple. Kim spent most of her time training, of course, but when she was home, the two of them were inseparable. Jason found a local karate tournament where he not only won first place, but was also offered a job as an instructor at the dojo he had found that first day. He took it, and the two former Rangers began making long term plans.
Kim continued training for the Pan Global Games, while also attending the University of North Florida part time. Jason was accepted there as well, and was even offered a partial scholarship to attend.
Everything was falling into place.
The two of them talked to Kim's mother over the phone. While she was thrilled that the two of them were finally together- (She had never liked that Tommy fellow, with his long hair)- she wasn't too happy about the fact that they were living together.
After a few arguments, she relented with just a warning to be careful.
They hadn't told his parents yet. They wanted the chance to tell their friends about their relationship face to face, and they were worried that his parents might accidentally let something slip.
During one of Jason's weekly conversations with his mom, she mentioned a karate tournament that the guys were participating in to help raise money for the Little Angel's Haven Children's Shelter. They talked it over and decided that it would be the perfect time to go back to Angel Grove. They could support their friends in the tournament, and hopefully find a way to tell them about their relationship.
They flew out to Angel Grove the Thursday before the tournament. Atalanta Scott met them at the airport and drove them to the house.
Over supper that night, Jason and Kim told Joshua and Atalanta that they were together. Atalanta was thrilled. She had always loved Kim like a daughter and was excited at the prospect that it would happen for real. Joshua was a little more subdued in his enthusiasm, but he, too, was looking forward to having Kim join their family.
After supper, the two teens went out onto the back porch. Jason sat on the swing, with Kim curled up into his side. They stayed there for a while, talking about their plans for the next day. Kim wanted to go scuba diving, so they planned on a sunrise dive before getting something to eat, then meeting up with the gang at the Youth Centre.
Eventually, their conversation turned nostalgic. "Do you remember the first time Billy came over to play?" Kim asked.
"You completely freaked him out," Jason said with a laugh. "I've always been surprised at how close the two of you ended up becoming. He was so intimidated by you."
"Yeah. And then when Zack and Trini joined us, he was even more intimidated."
"It's a good thing we met Trini when we did. Even in preschool, I couldn't understand half the things he said."
Kim laughed. "We got better over the years though."
"We did."
"I bet I'm better than you are."
"No, way."
"Yes, way. I had to learn very quickly when you three went off to Switzerland, leaving just the two of us and Tommy. As much as I love Aisha, Rocky and Adam, it wasn't the same without you, Zack and Trini."
"Well, we all missed you, too. I hated leaving you behind."
"Then why did you? Why did you go?"
Jason sighed. "I couldn't deal with it all. Tommy had you. And then Zordon gave Tommy my team. I still blamed myself for Tommy losing his Powers in the first place. And when Zordon gave him my team, I thought-"
"You thought that Zordon blamed you, too."
Jason nodded. "Yeah. It just hurt too much. I couldn't deal with it. So I took the coward's way out and left."
Kim reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. "You're not a coward, Jason. You're the bravest man I know."
"But when things got hard, I ran away."
"Would you consider Billy, Trini or Zack cowards?"
"No." Jason frowned, confused.
"What about Tommy, Adam, Rocky, Kat or Aisha?"
"No."
"What about me?"
"Of course not."
"But when the battles got too hard, we always ran back to the Command Center. Doesn't that make us cowards for leaving in the middle of battle?"
"We weren't leaving because we were scared. We were leaving to regroup and come up with a new strategy. We always went back out and finished the battle, no matter how outnumbered we were."
"And you went back, too. You didn't run away. You made a strategic retreat so you could regroup and come up with a new battle plan."
Jason looked down at her. "You make me sound so noble."
"You are noble, Jason. Don't you ever doubt it."
"If I were truly noble, I wouldn't be dating my best friend's ex. But I'm selfish and don't really care right now." He gave her a squeeze.
"Well, I, for one, am glad that you're selfish. I don't think I could give you up."
"Good. Because I'm not giving you up, either."
They sat in silence again, staring up at the stars. After a little while, Kim fell asleep in Jason's arms. He smiled down at her. She was so beautiful and peaceful when she slept.
Not that she wasn't beautiful all the time. But there was something about her when she was asleep that Jason found addicting. He would often stay up long after she had fallen asleep, just watching her.
He sat there for a few more minutes before gathering her into his arms so he could carry her up to bed. His parents had given them permission to share his room, just as long as they promised not to do anything.
He carried her into his room, somehow managing to get her under the covers. After he finished getting ready for bed, he lay down next to her, pulling her against his chest and holding her tight.
JKJKJK
31 May 1996, 0430
The next morning, Jason woke Kim at four thirty. "Come on, Princess," he said, gently shaking her. "We have to get going if you want to see the sunrise."
Kim groaned and rolled over onto her stomach, pulling the covers up over her head. "It's too early," she mumbled.
"It's only thirty minutes earlier than you normally get up."
"But I'm on vacation."
"Wake up, Kimmy." He pulled the covers off of her and ducked as she flung the pillow in his direction. He just laughed and left the room.
Kim went into the bathroom. She reached into her bag and pulled out the box she had grabbed at the airport in Florida. She had mixed feelings when she saw the result.
One the one hand, she was happy. She loved Jason with all her heart and knew that he would stand by her, support her and love their child.
But she was also upset because she wasn't ready to be a mother. She was in the middle of training for one of the most important gymnastic competitions of her life. She was only eighteen. She was just a kid. She wasn't ready for a kid of her own.
She sighed and boxed the test back up, stuffing it back into her bag so Mrs. Scott wouldn't find it- she had a feeling Jason's parents would freak- and finished getting ready so they could leave.
JKJKJK
31 May 1996, 0530
An hour later found the two of them in a boat just off the coast. "Stay close to me, Princess. It's easy to get separated when it's this dark out."
Kim rolled her eyes. "You do realize that I have done this before, right?"
Jason grinned sheepishly. "I know. I just worry about you."
"Aw, that's sweet. But I'll be fine. I promise. Now let's go."
They slipped on their masks and flipped over the side of the boat, into the water. They dove down to the floor and began swimming along. Jason saw something that caught his eye and reached towards Kim to get her attention.
He never reached her.
Something came up behind him and grabbed his air hose. He turned and began wrestling with it, desperately trying to get the hose back. It wasn't enough and the last thing he saw as he blacked out was Kim struggling against another one of the creatures.
JKJKJK
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, 31 May 1996, 1113
He woke with a yelp some time later when they landed roughly on a hard surface under about a foot of water. They leaped to their feet and pulled off their masks, looking around.
"Kim?"
"Yeah?"
"I think we're in major trouble here," Jason said, taking in the metal surrounding them.
Kim made a face. "I'll say. I wish we could morph."
Jason studied all the walls, then the ceiling. "Doesn't look like there's any way out," he admitted.
They were interrupted by someone with a really awful Spanish accent. "Hola."
"Ya. Guten tag."
Kim and Jason looked at each other before wading over to the grate in the far wall. The source of the two horrific accents appeared in the grate.
"My name eez Antonio Bandana," the skinnier of the two said.
"Bulk?" Kim asked.
"Skull?" Jason said at the same time.
The two looked at each other before turning back to them. "You not speaking to us?" Bulk asked.
"Who eez thees Bulk and Skull?" Skull asked.
"Something is seriously strange with those two," Jason said, glancing at Kim.
"Oh, you only just figured that one out?" Kim asked, sharply.
Jason frowned and she sighed.
"I'm sorry, Jase. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just totally freaking out here. Last time I got kidnapped, I ended up in the hospital."
"It's all right, Kim. I understand," Jason replied, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm kinda freaked out, too. And I feel horrible, since this is my fault."
"How is this your fault?" she asked, looking up at him. "I'm the one who wanted to go scuba diving."
"But you never would have come back to Angel Grove if it weren't for me."
"Jason. We have no idea why we were kidnapped. Maybe we were kidnapped because we're former Rangers. How do you know I wouldn't have been captured if I had stayed in Florida?"
"I don't, I guess," he admitted. "But I still feel response-"
Kim pulled his head down and silenced him with a kiss. "There is no one I would rather be here with than you, Jason Scott. I don't blame you. Don't go blaming yourself. You're beginning to sound like everyone's favorite Rainbow Ranger." She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
Jason held her close, setting his chin on her head. He glanced up at the hatch again. "Hey, Kim," he said. "If I lift you up, do you think you can hear what's going on up there?"
"I can try."
They moved to stand under the hatch and Jason carefully lifted Kim up so she could press her ear against the hatch.
"Okay," she said after a few minutes, and he lowered her to the ground. She blew out a breath, leaning against the wall. "This is so lame. We come back here to surprise everybody and help out with the shelter. Next thing you know, we're snack food for some monster with the munchies."
"It'll be okay, Kim," Jason said. "The Rangers won't let that happen."
"Yeah, if they even know."
"I'm sure they do. When have you ever known a bad guy who hasn't bragged about capturing one of us?" Not to mention the fact that Adam and Tara would know something was up.
"I guess so." Kim wrapped her arms around her middle and shivered.
Jason noticed and pulled her into his arms.
"How long do you think we've been in here?" she asked, sinking into his embrace.
"I don't know. A couple of hours, I guess."
"I'm hungry."
"Me, too. Hopefully we won't be here much longer."
JKJKJK
1 June 1996, 1022
They were there the rest of the night. A cone-headed monster dropped food down to them that night, and again the following morning. After they ate breakfast, they searched the cell for anything they could use for weapons.
Jason broke off a piece of pipe from the wall and banged it against the side of the ship a few times, trying to get a feel for the thickness, before settling against the wall. He glanced over at Kim, who was leaning against the opposite wall with two pieces of metal that she was messing with. He smiled faintly when he saw her. He was just glad they were here together.
He glanced at the wall she was leaning against and frowned slightly.
"That's it." He took a step towards her. "Kim."
"What?"
"Move away from that wall for a minute."
"Um, sure." She moved into the center of the cell while Jason went to the wall.
"Instead of making weapons, I think we oughta be concentrating on getting this panel off," he said, fingering the bolts on the panel.
"Okay. Um." Kim frowned, her face wrinkling in confusion. "Wouldn't that mean all the water would come in?" she asked.
"Yeah." Jason raised his arm and pressed a button on the dive computer attached to his wrist. "Right now, my dive computer says we're at four hundred thirty-five feet. The closer we get to wherever we're going, the sub's gonna have to start climbing. Once we hit one hundred feet, we pop this off and then boom." He pointed up.
"And make it up in one breath?" she asked, doubt in her voice.
"It's our only chance."
Kim blew out a breath. "Wow."
Jason took the pipe and began hammering at the bolts. After popping three of them off, water started seeping in around the bottom of the panel.
"Jason," Kim said, panic seeping into her voice.
"We're gonna hafta wait until we start to rise," Jason said, pressing against the panel to keep it in place.
"We better start climbing soon," she said, glancing around nervously. The water kept coming in, getting deeper and deeper, but the sub made no sign of rising to the surface. "Jason, the room's filling up." Kim's voice shook slightly.
Just then the sub started to shake.
"What's happening?" she shrieked.
"I don't know!" Jason struggled to keep the panel in place. "I don't know how much longer I can hold it up!" Water splashed in his face. "Ugh!" After what seemed like hours, the sub finally began to rise. "All right, this is it. We need something to pry it up with."
"I'll get the pipe!" Kim said, diving down to the bottom of the cell, searching for the pipe Jason had dropped earlier. "Here," she said.
He took it and began prying at the rest of the bolts.
"Okay, any time, Jason," she said.
"I'm trying, Kim!"
Several minutes later, he still hadn't gotten the panel off completely. Bulk and Skull appeared in the grate, watching the two of them struggle. "Ve go svimming?" Bulk asked.
"Would you guys be quiet? I'm trying to get us out of here!" Jason exclaimed, turning towards them, smacking the water in frustration.
"Jason," Kim pleaded. "Ignore them."
While Jason finished popping off the last few bolts on the panel, Kim swam over to the connecting door, opening it and pulling Bulk and Skull through, leading them up to the surface. Jason joined them a few seconds later.
He looked at the two former bullies. "You guys have to exhale slowly on the way to the top. All right?" he asked, hoping they would actually do as they were told for once, but seriously doubting it.
"Swim now. Like a little guppy," Skull said.
Jason just rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, leading the dive down to the opening. He and Kim sent Bulk and Skull through first, knowing that the two civilians wouldn't be able to handle whatever Divatox threw at them if they got stuck.
When they were finally out, Jason motioned for Kim to follow. She started through, but got stuck on the edge of the opening. Jason fumbled with it for a second before getting her loose and pushing her forward. He started to follow her, but the emergency hatch slammed shut in his face.
He backpedaled as fast as he could and swam upwards to get some air. He fell abruptly to the floor as the water was suddenly drained out of the cell. He jumped to his feet and looked up when he heard Divatox's voice.
"Now open the hatch to the bilge. Hurry up!" She appeared in the opening and glared down at him. "Well, I suppose Maligore will have to do with just one sacrifice."
Jason slowly grinned, which then turned into a laugh as Divatox slammed the hatch shut. As long as Kim was safe, he didn't care what happened to him. Not long after that, several Piranhatrions came down into the bilge and dragged him up into the control room. They chained his hands together and draped a black cloak around his shoulders.
He stood still as Divatox slowly circled him, eying him with a predatory look in her eyes. "So you think you're pretty clever? Getting your friends out of here? Don't you?" she asked with a sneer.
He didn't reply, but simply watched her carefully.
"Do you not care what happens to yourself?" she asked, running her hands over his chest and arms, leaning closer to him.
"The Rangers will come," he said, forcing himself to speak confidently, even though he was beginning to have his doubts that they'd be in time.
Divatox pressed several kisses to his jaw. "But they're not here, now, are they?" she said in a low voice. "What's to stop me from doing whatever I want with you?"
It took every ounce of self-control Jason had developed over years of martial arts training to force himself not to recoil in horror at the implication in her voice and actions. Fortunately, they were interrupted by Elgar.
"Uh, your overgrown hamster ain't looking so good," he said, bringing Lerigot out of his cell.
Divatox spun away from Jason and marched over to Elgar. "No! He has to live long enough to open Maligore's sacred temple." Just then, the alarms went off. "Now what?" she snapped in exasperation.
"Impossible. Our radar is detecting five human life forms approaching the island," Rygog said.
Jason smirked. "I knew they wouldn't let me down, Divatox," he said.
She glared at him. "Oo. I have to get rid of those Power Rangers!" she growled, looking at the screen.
"Yeah, they're getting on my nerves," Elgar added.
"They've got to be riding something. Maybe a couple of torpedoes will find out what."
"Two torpedoes armed and ready," Elgar said. He pressed a button. "Fire one." And another. "And two."
Jason could only watch helplessly as the torpedoes sped towards the humans. He could see the explosion on the screen and closed his eyes briefly against the pain of sorrow that overwhelmed him as Divatox laughed.
"Whatever it was, we hit it," Elgar said.
When Jason opened his eyes, Divatox was sneering at him. "You were saying?" she said. "The Power Rangers are dead and you're on your own. You can't morph. You can't stop me from doing anything."
"The Power Rangers will always win, Divatox," Jason said with a confidence he wasn't feeling. "They might not come in time to save me, but they will stop you." And if they don't, my family will. You've just pissed off a lot of very dangerous people.
"The Power Punks are dead."
"There will always be Rangers, Divatox. Did you really think Kim and I are the only ex-Rangers around? There are still three former Rangers on Earth, and another on Aquitar. Zordon will call on the four of them, first. And, if need be, he will contact the Aquitians and Trey from Triforia. They will defeat you."
Divatox backhanded him across the face. "Shut up!" she snapped. "Rygog! Prepare him for the sacrifice."
