Chapter Four
"Action and Strategy"
Tommy's mouth fell open when he beheld basement lair at 4:00 that afternoon. Broad and wide as it had been before additions and changes had been implemented. Four metallic columns, surrounded by rings of blinking, descending neon colored light, winged the empty floor in the four alcoves. In the center of the floor was painted the Mighty Morphin' Lighting Bolt. Directly ahead, on a dais of three wide brick steps, the command station was nothing more than two large widescreen computer monitors hooked up to keyboards. Though the walls and ceiling were the same tan and cream color, the homage to their old Command Center was haunting.
"Tommy, this is your place?" Rocky exclaimed from behind. The others were equally impressed.
"Minus those columns and the emblem on the floor," Tommy finally spoke. He noticed that all of the DinoThunder symbols had been replaced with the Mighty Morphin Lightning symbol.
"We thought they would be a nice touch," Billy supplied from the side. Sean stood beside him. "Give us a sense of the old days."
"And what we're fighting now," Haley chimed in, greeting them at the door
Tommy opened his mouth to objection but Haley stared him in the eye.
"Tommy, you don't just ask for a day's worth of help and then tell me to sit on the sidelines for the rest of the year. I'm a part of this."
Sighing, the white ranger nodded.
"There's still more we'd like to add but we have most the equipment up now," Billy continued.
"This—this is amazing!" Tommy exclaimed, allowing his shock to take over. "It looks better than before."
"Well, we still need to update some of this software," Haley reported. "I had to replace a lot of our old stuff when Zeltrax trashed the place." The breath of a snarl traveled under her words. Zeltrax had demolished Tommy's DinoThunder Lab, a place she had devoted and poured gallons of energy, sweat, and time to. To say that she was upset when she saw the damage was an understatement. "What do you think?" she added flashing a smile.
"It's incredible." Kimberly said, awed.
"Thank you," Haley chirped, hoping that this time it would survive the year. We can hope, she thought.
"Everyone, this is Haley," Tommy announced. "Haley, this is Rocky, Adam, Kimberly, and Zack."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," she said, smiling at all of them in turn. Jitters ran up her legs at seeing these legends of Ranger Lore.
"You said there was more to be done?" Tommy asked, looking at Billy. "What did you mean?"
"Installing the same security that was in the original Command Center and Power Chamber," Sean answered from the side. "Making it a sanctuary of Good."
"Is that possible?" Rocky asked.
"Yes," Sean answered simply. "It will take time for us to do that, though."
"Thanks to Billy's and Sean's help," Haley continued, "I was able to duplicate the surveillance equipment we had and expand its range to Angel Grove. I'll be honest: we're not at a hundred percent yet."
"It's more than what we had yesterday, Haley," Tommy said, crossing over and hugging her. "Thank you."
"Oh, it was fun," Haley chirped again, forcing a smile. "Mostly."
Tommy eyed her, noting the sarcasm under her acting.
Just then a buzzer chimed three times from the workspace. "Looks like we got this running not a moment too soon," Haley said, crossing over to the monitor.
The others followed in her wake.
"I knew he wouldn't go away," Tommy muttered under his breath. Haley tapped a button and a patrol of putties wobbled and hopping through civilians at Angel Grove Park come up on one of the monitors.
"Putties?" Zack sighed. "Yesterday: Gargoyles. This morning: monsters… and now putties. Jason's working us backwards."
Many of the others nodded. Tommy flinched upon hearing Jason's name, having still not gotten over their conversation the previous evening. "Not exactly how I wanted to start the weekend," he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Sean merely stared at the screen, gazing at the putties. Two attacks in one day, he mused. Worry and suspicion pricked in the recesses of his mind. Acknowledging them but staying objective, he mused.
"Wait, those look different," Rocky pointed out. "Sean, are these the ones you were talking about earlier?"
"They are," Sean said, still musing. True to his word, the putties were dark gray fusions of Rita's super putties and Zedd's putties with silver Zs tattooed on their chests instead of on circular emblems. "They have no weak spots."
"What about the special weapons we used against the super putties the first time?" Zack asked.
"Ineffective," Sean replied.
"I don't care if they're invincible; we need to help those people," Tommy said, moving down the dais. The others followed him.
"You'll need Zack and me on this," Sean said, ushering Zack away from the group, "But not before Zack finishes his trial."
Silent shock possessed Zack for a few seconds but he then uttered, "Now? Wait; when did it start?"
"It started the moment I gave you your powers," Sean said. "Trini's also. However, yours cannot wait anymore."
"But Trini isn't using her morpher," Kimberly reminded them. "Wouldn't that help?"
"Yeah, and what about what we did this morning?" Zack asked, referring to the energy harmonization among the three of them.
"No, because of her indecision, my ranger energy is in a state of flux," Sean said. "If we can eliminate Zack's dependency on me, then that will help my powers as well."
"Making us stronger," Rocky added.
"Exactly."
Meanwhile, Billy narrowed his eyes at Sean, worry pawing at him. This was a risky move for them.
Zack sucked in a lungful of air and then sighed, letting his agitation ride along with the air. "When I get my full powers, Jason's gonna feel sorry he messed up our day!"
"Patience, Zack," Sean soothed. "We have much to do before then. The rest of you must handle those putties the best ways possible." Tommy looked Sean in the eye, both of them understanding this was a mission they could not fail in. "We will return. Are you ready?" he added to Zack.
The silver ranger sighed. "Yes," he said.
"Then take my hand," Sean said, extending it forward.
Zack took it. At contact, small sparks of green energy passed from Sean's forearm into Zack's arm.
"So are we going to Phados?" Zack asked.
"Not exactly," Sean answered as they dematerialized and teleported through the ceiling as green and silver columns.
Tommy paused for a moment, and then darted his gaze at Haley. "Haley, how many putties are attacking?"
"There are thirty putties in the park," she answered. "Who knows how many Jason has in supply."
"Great! Billy, you up for this?" Tommy asked, surveying his friend.
"Affirmative," he said, perseverance lining his eyes.
"Okay. It's morphin' time! Falcon Ninjetti Power!"
"Crane Ninjetti Power!"
"Wolf Ninjetti Power!"
"Ape Ninjetti Power!"
They shot through the roof as teleportation streaks, echoing the memories of their glory days. Haley sat in her chair, charged with joy. Never thought I would see that, she beamed. Now all we need is a seventh ranger, and we'll have a full team. "One thing at a time," she sighed, turning back to the computer monitor. "I hope this works."
Meanwhile, Zack and Sean materialized in a grassy meadow between a mountain ledge and a forest. Less than twenty feet ahead of them, a thick fog of dense, warm, greenish steam spewed into the sky above a campfire.
"Where are we?" Zack asked, surveying the environment.
"Mt. Rogers, southern Virginia; a few miles off of the Appalachian Trail," Sean said. He gestured toward the campfire.
Zack stared there for a while, an unknown longing holding his gaze.
"Zack," Sean asked. The other looked at Sean. "Let's go over there."
Taking one step at a time, Zack walked toward the fog-like steam as if weightless.
Sean followed.
As Zack moved closer he saw a tinny cauldron suspended by a tripod over a clear fire. Feeling Sean's hand on his shoulder, Zack halted a foot from the fire ring.
Sean knelt before the fire. Casually, he reached into the steam bath and removed the lid of the burning pot.
"It's ready," Sean said, peering through the steam at a churning emerald green potion. Streams of silver glimmered underneath the surface. Zack's eyes stretched with shock as Sean grasped the sides of the pot with his hands and removed the pot from the tripod. Neither a moan nor wince escaped Sean's lips. His muscles remained relaxed and calm. Without another word, Sean poured the potion onto the flames extinguishing them instantly, leaving no ignited embers. The lingering steam wafted away into the wind.
"What did you do that for?" Zack exclaimed, gaping at the ashes. They were dry!
"Patience," Sean whispered, scooping a handful of dry, stone gray ashes into his hand. "Don't worry about my hand, Zack. The ashes have no heat." He spun upward, facing Zack.
Zack's face was a question mark, gawking at Sean's unscathed hands.
"Take a deep breath," Sean instructed in a breathy voice, while staring into Zack's eyes. "Breathe in deeper than you ever have before. Clear your mind."
Zack obeyed, although unsure why he did. There was something within him that told him to be calm. It was not an order but more of a suggestive gesture. He trusted it. This was about faith not fact.
"Good," Sean whispered. "Shut your eyes and breathe in this scent," Sean added, holding the ashes under Zack's nose.
Zack did not understand what was going on. Yet he could not ignore the benevolent presence within him, telling him it was alright. In his mind, Zack clambered down a deep cave, past the extent of the sun's light with his guide always outside of his sight. Yet somehow, Zack knew which direction it was going. Nevertheless, Zack could not figure out where it was coming from and that made his head spin.
"Trust me," Sean implored with a whisper. "Trust yourself. Trust your Animal."
Zack looked up into Sean's eyes and was reminded of when he had found Sean the previous night outside of Kimberly's house. Just like then, behind the anguish and exhaustion, stars of true benevolence blazed with inner power. Putting his trust in faith, Zack closed his eyes and breathed in the scent.
To Zack's surprise, they did not smell like ashes. The scent of grass, moldy bark, damp leaves, moist dirt, and damp stone flowed up his nose, soothing his anxiety. It was the scent of a forest after a summer shower – of home. But it wasn't his home. It belonged to someone else. Or did it? It was familiar to him, but recollection escaped him. Zack had never lived in a lush forest.
Sean smiled with content, sensing the debate wrestling inside Zack. Bringing his hand close to his lips, he blew the ashes into Zack's face. At once, they transformed into brilliant orange and yellow embers which swirled around Zack, from his head to his feet.
With an exhale of breath, Zack's legs lost their support. As if he weighed no more than a feather, he fluttered backwards, passing into sleep. Catching Zack's head and upper back, Sean guided his fall.
"Sleep well, my friend," Sean said. "May you emerge victorious." Standing again, he meditated opening himself to the surrounding environment.
"He may be sleeping, Sean," said Lord Zedd from his throne. Standing up, he added, "But I plan on making sure he doesn't wake up."
Rita, who had been at the balcony, cocked her head around at her husband. "We won't be able to do anything with him while Sean is there," she interjected. "He's too powerful, remember?"
"I remember that perfectly, my little toadstool," Zedd replied. "And I also remember that Sean can't use his ranger powers for long or he'll die. If we distract him long enough, we can get to Zack," Zedd replied coolly, gazing at Scorpina and Goldar. "But then again, if we manage to kill Sean in the process, that wouldn't be a bad thing either."
Rita, Scorpina, and Goldar grinned eagerly back at him.
"Come everyone! We have a funeral to arrange!" Zedd called to his minions, gathering them around him. "But first, let's make sure those other rangers don't interfere," Zedd added, sending lightning from the Z on his staff towards Earth. "There will be no interruptions this time!"
No sooner had Tommy, Kimberly, Rocky, and Adam had materialized in the park, Zedd's lighting struck the atmosphere above them.
"What the heck was that?" Rocky asked, looking up. The sky remained the same.
"I'm not sure," Tommy said, bringing his wrist toward his mouthpiece.
"Haley, you copy?"
"Yeah, there's a bit of interference but not much," she replied, while tapping at the controls.
"Haley, did Lord Zedd seal the entire park in a force field?" Billy asked, remembering Zedd's force fields were circular and had no visible top.
"Yep, a big spinning cyclone of energy darts. Air is moving through it so I would guess that he is trying to block your teleporting in case Sean and Zack need your help."
"Great; so where are the putties?" Adam asked, glancing around.
"Look no further," Rocky said, pointing forward. "There."
"More like everywhere," Kimberly chimed in.
Back to back they huddled in a circle of defense as at least thirty Super Z Putties crept toward them from all sides.
"Talk about setting bait for a trap," Rocky said, gritting his teeth.
"They don't matter," Tommy said. "They're meant to distract us. Haley, see what you can do in breaking that force field."
"Got it."
"Tommy, even if she does find a way, we'll be outmatched and outnumbered," Billy reminded him.
"Yeah, but if we don't have an exit, we'll get creamed before Zack's finished," Tommy responded.
In the Power Ranger Lair, Haley switched off the com channel and blew out a gulp of air. This was the first time she had combated an object of magic with science. Though thoroughly anxious, she smiled. "Okay, let's see who's smarter," she said to the air, already computing calculations, and hoping that Lord Zedd did not hear her. She was going to have to do a lot of this manually and did not want to be distracted by fending for her life. Of course even if she did figure out how to neutralize Zedd's force field, she doubted they had the equipment to execute it. "Work with what you have," she sighed. "Tommy is going to owe me a large caramel macchiato when this day is done."