Lyrics are from "Given Up" by Linkin Park, and are used without permission. This one's long, and moves a bit slow, but it's a necessary chapter. A note on why some of the technology doesn't meet today's standards: as stated in the story description, this takes place a few months after Turbo: APRM, which came out in 1997. So Xander's car is actually a pretty hot piece of machinery, and the Playstation One is cutting edge.

Different Shades of Red

I've given up

I'm sick of feeling

Is there nothing you can say?

Take this all away

I'm suffocating

Tell me what the fck is wrong

With me

Xander Whitewater's cherry red '92 Nissan 300ZX screeched to a halt in Jason's semicircular driveway, radio blasting. The teen set the car in park, switched of the ignition, and pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead before launching himself over the driver's side door to land in a crouch on the pavement. He straightened and brushed himself off, then headed to the door.

Jason had heard the radio from inside, and was in the process of opening the door just as his student reached the top porch step. Jason stepped out onto the porch and shook the younger man's hand, smiling warmly at him.

"Hey, Sensei," Xander greeted him, returning the handshake, his grip firm and confident. The teen's russet skin, chiseled jaw, black hair, and dark eyes gave away his Native American heritage, and when he smiled it was with two rows of perfect white teeth. Like most people his age, he often liked to hang baggy clothes off his muscular frame. Today he had chosen an unbuttoned red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up, worn over a white tank top. Khaki cargo pants and a pair of hiking books completed the look, staking his claim at the height of fashion without having to put in a lot of effort.

"How's it goin', Xander?" Jason gave his pupil a fond clap on the shoulder and gestured for him to enter the house. "C'mon in."

"Sure." Xander had been to Jason's house several times, mainly when Jason wanted to give his students a change of pace in their training. However, most of that training had been down on the beach, and none of them had ever gotten to see much of the inside. Still, he had been inside enough to know that he should take off his shoes before entering the house proper, and he set them next to Kim's tiny white sneakers on a rubber mat beside the door.

The house that Jason and Kim called home had one story and three bedrooms; your basic beachfront bungalow. All three of the bedrooms were centered on the living room. The largest bedroom was of course the master bedroom, and had its own bathroom, but for privacy's sake the couple kept the door closed whenever company was over. The next-largest room had been remodeled into a dojo, mainly for Jason's personal use. The floor was hardwood, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors made up the entire far wall. Just inside the door on the left was a rack of weapons, and a large rolled-up rubber mat rested against the wall beyond. The third bedroom was a guest room that Kimberly kept in pristine condition, refusing to let dust settle on the furniture for even a day. The door to that room stayed open, as Kim liked to advertise her handiwork. Who could blame her when she spent so much time on it?

Xander's attention was instantly drawn to the dojo. He was passionately devoted to his karate training, and though the room was simple, he couldn't tear his eyes away or take his mind off the opportunity to train in there. Jason suppressed a chuckle as he noted his student's interest. Most people liked the living room, with the fifty-two inch projection-screen TV and the comfy white couch and loveseat, but it didn't surprise him that Xander preferred the dojo. That was why he'd asked him here, after all.

The kitchen was sort of an extension off the living room, though it somehow still seemed like its own room. Instead of soft white carpeting, the floor in the kitchen was tile, and a small counter further separated the two rooms, though the stools that the couple sat on to eat their lunches were on the living room side.

Kim was standing in the kitchen now, intent on stirring a mug of hot chocolate, the aroma of which was intoxicating. She had her hair in a ponytail and was dressed in just a simple t-shirt and shorts, since she and Jason didn't have to be anywhere. She looked up as the two men entered and smiled. "Hi, Xander! Do you want some cocoa? It's Swiss Miss. My favorite!"

"Huh?" Xander jerked his attention back to the present and looked at Kim. "Oh, no thanks." He shook his head, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and looked around for Jason, who had crossed to the TV to switch off his game of Crash Bandicoot. The teen was a bit out of his element here, and it made him uncomfortable, especially since he didn't have any fellow karateka to share the experience with. He relaxed visibly when Jason beckoned for him to enter the dojo.

With the men out of the room, Kimberly seated herself on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her. She picked up the remote and pointed it at the TV, calling out, "Keep it down please, sweetie? This is an important episode."

Jason just chuckled to himself and shook his head. He didn't much care for soap operas, but Kim seemed to eat that stuff up. Every couple needed their time apart, he figured, and the time Kim spent watching soaps was time he could spend on his own hobbies.

Xander watched with interest as Jason lifted a sword from the weapon rack. Jason held the sword with one hand beneath the hilt and the other beneath the blade, both palms up, and held it out to Xander. Xander accepted the weapon in similar fashion, holding both hands out so the sword could be lowered into them. Both men bowed, exchanging the weapon in the ceremonial fashion used by martial artists. Then they straightened, and Xander took a few steps back and took hold of the hilt, holding the sword in front of him so he could examine it.

The blade was wider than that of a katana, shaped like an elongated triangle. Jason had bought it because it reminded him if the sword he had used as a Power Ranger. It looked very similar, and the weight and balance of it were almost the same. Xander gave the sword a few experimental twirls, then nodded in appreciation for the finely crafted blade.

"Nice," he said. "Is this why you wanted me here? To show me this?"

"Sort of," Jason responded. "We can talk about that in a minute. First, show me Kendo Shodan."

"With this sword? I'll try." Xander stood at attention, holding the sword as though he was about to withdraw it from a sheath at his belt. "Kendo Shodan, First Sword Technique!"

He bowed, then proceeded to go through the movements of the kata. Jason stood at a safe distance and watched with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Normally he would have called out corrections, but today he just wanted to observe. The teen's movements were fluid and precise, despite the extra weight of a sword he wasn't used to using. When he finished, Jason took the sword back, replacing it on the rack. He smiled and clapped his student on the shoulder. "That was good! Using a different sword didn't seem to bother you much."

"Not really, but I can feel it in my arms. They're gonna be sore tomorrow!" Xander laughed, but then his expression turned serious. "Seriously, Sensei, what's this all about?"

"C'mon," Jason said, and beckoned for Xander to follow.

The two men went out and sat on the back porch, where Jason began to tell Xander about his days as a Power Ranger, starting with being given the Power Coins and continuing all the way up to the events of the last few days. Xander's shocked expression faded to one of awe as he listened, and soon he began to interject with questions where he needed clarification or found something particularly interesting. Jason answered all his questions patiently, and when he was finished with his story he sat all the way back in his chair and spread his arms, saying, "And here we are, man."

"So…" Xander took a moment to mull over everything, choosing his words carefully. "If I understand you right… You want me to be a new Power Ranger?"

"One of them, yeah," Jason admitted. "It's a big decision, I know. You can sleep on it if you want."

"What's to sleep on? Who wouldn't wanna be a Power Ranger?"

Jason laughed. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Wait here."

He stood and went inside. Xander was tense with anticipation, and he glanced around nervously. They had been out here for a while, and the sun was beginning to set, casting magnificent orange and purple hues across the ocean waves. It was mostly silent except for the gentle rush of the waves against the shore, and the occasional seagull's call. The sound of the screen door opening was loud in comparison, causing him to look up. Jason was carrying something in his hand. It looked like an oversized silver belt buckle with an ornate gold coin in the center. He held it out to Xander, who took it carefully, as if he were afraid it would shatter into a million pieces if he wasn't careful.

"This is your Power Morpher," Jason explained. "You hold it out like this—" he demonstrated the motion he and the others had used to transform into Power Rangers—"and call out the name of the dinosaur on your coin. Now, there are a few other things we need to talk about…"