Days After Grace
Tenaya was not having a good morning.
She woke up content and recharged until she noticed something off about her vision. She could see.
It wasn't clear outlines and colors. No, it was pitch black with white outlines, which became a violet color near the center. She could make out her alarm clock, but not the time. She could tell where Dillon was and how fast he moved, but not what he was wearing. She knew where their cat, Alby, was by the dresser, but she didn't know that he was beneath it, something she found out by walking into. All in all, this new form of 'seeing' sucked.
"We should go see Doctor K about this," Summer said, looking the younger girl over carefully. Tenaya rolled her sightless eyes, dark curls falling onto her cheeks. She had gotten it cut and curled a week ago, trying to find a new style.
"Dillon?" Tenaya asked, looking at her older brother's hazy form.
"Go get packed," he sighed, walking towards the room he shared with Summer. The blonde woman patted Tenaya's hand, tucking her own shoulder length hair behind her ear.
"We'll figure this out," she said softly, leaving the brunette to herself. Tenaya closed her eyes and rested her head on the table.
She truly hoped so.
Nobody was prepared for the sight that met them when they arrived.
Dillon and Summer watched blankly as Ziggy, K, and a boy they didn't know chase, well, Ziggy down the street.
"Catch him!" Ziggy, the one chasing himself, shouted. Dillon stuck out an arm and clotheslined the brunette making his way by him. He grunted and fell back, cracking his head against the sidewalk.
"Aha!" Nicholas panted, collapsing beside the unconsious Ziggy impersonator. "Finally caught up to you, Kuron."
Dillon raised an eyebrow at the heavily breathing Ziggy and Quinn/Dr. K.
"Ask questions after we get him back to the lab," Ziggy gasped, glaring at his mirror image. "Damn, I am tired!"
Twenty minutes later, the former Rangers, teen scientist, and female hybrid sat around the table in the kitchen. Nicholas, feeling like he was intruding on a sentimental moment, opted to stay in Quinn's lab and watch over Kuron, where they were locked in.
However, he soon regretted his desicion not to be a third wheel.
"What the hell hit me?" the brunette growled, sitting up angrily. Nicholas gulped as angry brown eyes landed on him.
He suddenly felt very small and vulnerable under Kuron's dark and desire filled look.
"Heh heh," he laughed nervously. "Hello?"
The copycat smirked evily.
"So you accidently cloned yourself?" Dillon asked his best friend, snorting incredously. "If I wasn't a hybrid and didn't know you were living with the doc, I'd think you were crazy. Wait, you are. Never mind." Ziggy puffed his cheeks out in annoyance.
"I didn't clone myself," he said, garing at his cup. "Kuron's a part of me."
"Care to elaborate?"
"From what we've found out," Quinn said, leaning forward. "Kuron is a manefestation of Ziggy's mind. He's the cruel, sadistic, and prideful piece of him. While Ziggy's complete in his emotions, Kuron lacks any sympathy or compassion for anything. Even Ziggy, his orgin."
"Yeah," the brunette scowled. "That's why he locked me in my closet for two weeks. I'm lucky he fed me." Ziggy shivered, not wanting to expierence that again.
"What do you plan on doing about it?" Summer asked, concerned.
"First we must discover how he was created. Apparently Kuron solidified one day and took over Ziggy's life. What's dangerous, however, is the fact that he can act like Ziggy perfectly, being a part of him. The only way we can tell them apart is through attitude. If pushed enough, Kuron becomes annoyed while Ziggy merely brushes it off as if the situation was nothing or panics about it."
"Hey!" the boy protested, pouting.
"Do you think it's a coincidence," Tenaya asked suddenly. "That both Ziggy and I are showing abnormal abilities in the past month. I mean, cloning yourself spontainiously and developing heat vision is not exactly normal." Quinn frowned.
"The tests on Ziggy are almost complete. We're just waiting on the results. If you'd like, I could perform a scan to find out the source of your newfound ability." Tenaya nodded, excited to finally get some answers. "Then let's get started." Everyone rose from their seats and followed the raven haired girl to the lab.
Reactions varied when the doors opened. Tenaya merely stared at the heat signals she saw, Dillon copying her. Summer and Quinn turned bright red while, Ziggy, shoving tissues up his nostrils to stop his sudden nosebleed, grabbed a camera and began snapping pictures rapidly.
"Eeep!" Nicholas yelped, scrambling up from his place on the floor. Kuron sighed and grabbed him by his belt loops, pulling him back to sit on his lap once more.
Both boys were half-naked, Nicholas missing his shirt, while Kuron wore only boxers.
The latter looked up at them lazily.
"We were in the middle of something," he drawled. "Come back later or enjoy the show."
Quinn snapped out of her trance and marched over to them, ripping Nicholas away from the clone.
"Did I mention Kuron has a wicked sex drive?" Ziggy giggled, looking over his pictures like a crazed schoolgirl. Kuron glanced at him.
"I want copies of those," he said, raking his eyes over Nicholas, causing the black haired boy to flush.
"I'm just gonna go now," he said, picking up his shirt hurriedly, giving Kuron and Ziggy, who was getting dizzy from blood loss, a perfect view of his butt.
"You better leave before one of them jumps you," Dillon told the kid, grinning slightly in amusement. Nicholas blushed again, practically running out of the lab and to his room.
"That was awesome," Ziggy sighed, sliding down beside his clone, who smirked.
"I like him," he purred, pulling a photo from Ziggy's hands and looking at it appreciatively.
"No having sex in my lab!" Quinn snapped, angry.
"She said sex!" Ziggy laughed, finally collapsing from lack of blood and excitement. Kuron looked at his creator, who laid across his lap, eyes swirls of brown.
Quinn stomped over to her computer, grumbling about stupid former Rangers and their clones.
A high ringing sound signaled that the computer was finally done with its analysis. Her icy blue eyes racing across the screen rapidly, Quinn let out a desparing groan.
"Perfect," she muttered, glaring darkly at her beloved machine.
"What is it?" Ziggy asked, suddenly very serious and aware of the situation.
"My theories about Kuron were correct. He is in fact, a clone of yourself." she looked at him, half angry and half depressed.
"How did he get here and why the hell are you so depressed?" Dillon asked, raising an eyebrow inquisitively, leaning against the glass. Behind him, his old ranger suit hung in suspension, never to be used again.
"Ziggy created him," Quinn sighed.
"Eh?" the brunette asked, tipping his head to the side. Kuron raised his eyebrows, looping an arm carelessly around Ziggy's waist. The brown eyed boy jumped, looking back at his clone in surprise. As his chocolate brown eyes met Kuron's slightly darker ones, the clone smirked, tightening his grip. Trying to ignore him, Ziggy turned back to Quinn, staring at her curiously.
"Care to explain?" Dillon asked, annoyed by the lack of answers. The raven haired girl sighed, turning to her computer once more.
"Last year, Venjx was defeated by the Power Rangers," she said, pulling up the video of the virus's demise.
"Us," Ziggy said, nodding sagely.
"Exactly," she said. "Now, there were some repercussions to our positions at the time. Ziggy was here with me, where we brought Gem and Gemma back. There might have been some left over residue from the opened field."
"The twins haven't been showing any 'powers' and what about Tenaya?" Ziggy asked, glancing at the blind girl.
"The twins were there longer than we were and our initial creation of the morphers required mass amounts of exposure to the field. They've built an imunity to the side effects." Quinn said, sighing as memories of Alphabet Soup came back. "As for Tenaya, she was still in sych with the computer's main frame when they were brought back. I'm certain I will develop some abnormality in the future. Nicholas might as well."
"Hey Doc," Kuron said, boredom obvious in his voice. "Don't know if you know this, what with your forgetfullness with names and all -coughZiggycough- but Nicky wasn't a Ranger or anywhere near the city when it happened."
"He's been living with us in the lab," Quinn said, glaring at the clone. He stared back at her darkly. "The residue is all over the place. He's been in contact with it since his arrival."
"Is there any chance that is could affect us?" Summer asked, blue eyes wide.
"Very little," the younger girl said, turning back to the computer. "If I had to guess, I'd say it wouldn't affect you. Though, if you have children, they might be a bit more biologically enchanced than most."
"Really?" Dillon asked, blinking. Quinn nodded, not noticing Kuron's evil grin.
"Hey," he said, catching everyone's attention. "If we locked you and Ziggy up together in a small closet, you could test your theory." Ziggy flushed as Dillon laughed at Quinn's menacing look.
"Get. Out." she said dangerously, fingers twitching in the direction of the sound cannon.
"Careful there, luv." he said, noticing her choice of direction. "You might be eager to get my clothes off, but let's not give these two a show." He jerked his head at the slightly red Summer and still laughing Dillon, who had to lean against the wall to stay standing. Quinn's expression was just too much.
"Get out!" she snarled, picking up the cannon and swinging it at him. Ziggy squeaked as it nearly hit his head. Kuron laughed, dragging his creator out of the room and towards the stairs. She sighed and sat back down. "I'm going to hate being stuck with him."
"Why can't you just de-clone him?" Dillon asked, looking at the small brunette, finally done with his laughing fit.
"He's developed a personality," she grumbled, glaring at nothing in particular. "He should retract to Ziggy by touch, but the two weeks he's spent as his own person havecaused him to develop a new persona: Kuron Grover. Basically, he's here to stay.
A/N: Kuron is Japanese for Clone. This story has a very anime-ish tone to it, so bear with us.
- botanthegrimreaper89 - thanks for the Review! How did you like this chapter?