Chapter Sixty-five

Game of Honor

"Good as new," Kimberly proclaimed as she pulled Tommy's shirt out of the dryer. She and Billy had been hanging out in the laundry room while she washed her shorts, Tommy's shirt, and Kira's outfit. Billy had wanted to ask what exactly she was planning for him at the mall tomorrow, and she'd just finished walking him through hour four when the dryer stopped.

"Yeah, good as new. Unless you count the rip in the sleeve," Billy commented.

"He'll get over it," Kimberly said with a wince.

"Well, I'm kind of tired," Billy said. "Let's head back, shall we?"

They made their way out of the laundry room and back to the lobby, where they ran into Jason and Trini. "Hey!" Kimberly called. "I got all that muck out."

"Good," Trini said serenely.

"Especially since that's Tommy's shirt," Jason added dryly.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at him. "No, it's my shirt," she said firmly.

Jason smiled at her. "Whatever."

The four of them headed back upstairs. Jason and Billy said goodbye, heading back to Tommy and Zack's room, and the girls continued towards Kimberly's… but when they were still a good ten feet away, Kira came bursting out of their room at full speed and ran smack into Kimberly before she could stop.

"KIM! Oh, thank god! I didn't know what to do…"

"What's wrong?" Kimberly demanded urgently. Kira shook her head and grabbed Kimberly's arm, hauling her towards the room. The three girls burst in, their eyes immediately drawn to the mirror.

Kimberly's favorite black bra had been taped to the mirror in a U-shape, forming the mouth of a smiley face, with green panties for a nose and two white balled-up socks for eyes. Written in red lipstick above the demented smiley face was the message:

Told you so! (Neh-neh-ne-neh)

Kimberly stared at it in horror for a moment, then burst out laughing. "He's such a crackpot!" she chortled, tossing the laundry onto Kira's bed, snatching the bra down, pulling the tape off and opening the drawer. "Did he really think this was going to get me back for stealing his shir—OH MY GOD!"

"What is it?" Trini demanded worriedly.

"My clothes!" Kimberly wailed. "He took my clothes!" She pulled open the other three drawers in a panic. "ALL of them!"

"Even the dirty ones," Kira added, cringing sympathetically.

"Are you serious?" Kimberly demanded, rushing for the closet. Sure enough, her laundry was gone, as were her dresses and…

"My shoes," Kimberly breathed in a horrified whisper. "My shoes. He took my shoes."

"It's okay, Kim," Trini said soothingly, rubbing her back. "I'll just go talk to Jason, see if I can get in the room and get the clothes and—"

"HE IS SO DEAD!" Kimberly roared. With that, she stomped over to Kira's bed, ripping her tank top over her head as she went. As if strapping on battle armor, she pulled Tommy's shirt on, buttoned a couple buttons across her chest, knotted the ends over her stomach, and marched from the room.

A smirking Tommy pulled open the door and calmly regarded the furious Kimberly, who was flanked by the two disapproving Yellows. "Hi," he said cheerfully, leaning against the doorjamb to block her from running into the room to reclaim her clothes.

"Give them back," she growled by way of greeting. Behind Tommy, the other guys snickered, even Billy and Adam.

"What would you give me?" he retorted silkily.

"You're not funny," Kimberly growled.

"Really? Cuz I think it's very funny. Just like you thought it was funny when you stole the shirt off my back."

Kimberly took a deep, shaky breath and ground out, "Fine. Name your terms. What do you want?"

Tommy beamed at her. "Your shirt, of course. Or should I say, my shirt."

Kimberly looked down at the green shirt she was wearing and said, quite simply, "No."

"Come on, Kim. You're beat. I just want the shirt back, and then I'll return your stuff. Well, maybe not everything…" He grinned again.

Kimberly glared at him. "Give me a minute to confer with my associates, okay?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Take your time," Tommy replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

Kimberly turned around and put her head together with Trini and Kira, whispering so quietly that Tommy couldn't make out a single syllable. Then, as one, the three girls turned to look at him determinedly. Kimberly reached up, undid the top button on the shirt… and then lunged at him with a rage-filled battle cry. Tommy yelped; the button thing had been a successful distraction, and he was too startled to react as he hit the floor, Kimberly on top of him, Trini and Kira leaping over them. Kira dove for the bags of clothes in the corner while Trini rushed headlong towards Jason, Billy, Zack, Rocky and Adam.

"ARGH!" Zack screamed, no longer laughing. He and Rocky dove for the bathroom door on general principles, Billy getting swept up in their path; the three of them managed to get inside as Trini charged at Adam and Jason. Zack shoved the lock button in, breathing heavily with terror. "She's gonna kill us!" Zack wailed. "She wasn't supposed to attack! She was supposed to barter! Tommy said she'd barter!"

"We're doomed!" Rocky wailed. "We're really doomed!"

"Um, guys…" Billy began.

"We're not finished yet!"

"Yes we are!"

"Guys—"

"We'll barricade the door!"

"How?"

"Guys!"

"Help me move the toilet!"

"Okay! Oh, EW—you get the front, I'll get the back."

"Guys!"

"Why do I have to get the front?"

"It was your idea!"

"GUYS!"

"Yeah, it was my idea, so I should get to get the back."

"No, it was your idea, so you should get the front."

"GUYS!"

"Jesus, Billy, there's no need to shout," Zack complained.

"Yeah, we're right here," Rocky added.

Billy sighed, but, being used to people not understanding him in conversation, he didn't argue. "Guys… it's six against three. That's two against one. I don't think we need to be hiding in a bathroom. However, if we stay in here, Trini, Kimberly and Kira might get the better of Tommy, Jason and Adam, and then we'll be sitting ducks."

Rocky and Zack thought this over.

"Oh," Zack said, then wrenched the bathroom door open.

Kira and the clothing bags were no longer in sight; she'd taken the bags and fled. Trini was now held firmly in Jason's grasp, her arms pinned to her sides as he held her around the waist from behind, though she was still kicking at Adam, making Jason struggle to keep from falling over as she kept throwing him off-balance with her flailing. Kimberly and Tommy were now having a wrestling match worthy of Pay-Per-View on Tommy's bed, blankets and pillows flying as they grappled with each other. As Billy, Rocky and Zack watched, Trini managed to topple Jason by driving her elbows into his chest and she broke away before he could get up, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. Before she could get far, Billy grabbed one arm and Adam got the other, holding her fast, while Rocky and Zack leaped at Tommy and Kimberly, just as she was getting the upper hand.

Kimberly saw them coming, diving off the bed so that Rocky and Zack landed painfully on top of Tommy, who screamed in pain and surprise. Panting heavily, Kimberly returned to the doorway, holding a defensive stance and glaring at Tommy. Tommy pushed Rocky and Zack off of him and hopped up, regarding her smugly.

"Six against two, Kim," Tommy told her. "You're beat."

"I don't think so," she retorted. "I've got my clothes back."

"Yeah, but we've got Trini," Tommy pointed out.

"Yeah!" Rocky exclaimed, rubbing a shoulder he'd bruised against the headboard. "She's our prisoner now."

"Prisoner of war," Jason added, coming up behind Trini and putting his head on her shoulder from behind. Trini kicked him in the shin, but he didn't even dignify her with an "Ow."

"Even exchange. Trini for the shirt."

"I'm not going to give you my shirt for Trini!" Kimberly said with a snort. "I mean, come on. It's not like you're going to… do anything to her."

"Wanna bet?" Tommy replied, giving no indication whatsoever that he was bluffing.

"Hand over the shirt, Kim," Jason urged, grinning his head off. "Cuz if you don't, Trini's gonna kill me for this later."

"I'm going to kill you for this later anyway!" Trini yelled, continuing to struggle. "I knew I put my room key in my pocket! Did you honestly think I wouldn't figure out that you stole it and gave it to Tommy after this little display?"

Jason sighed. "Ah, damn."

"Tell you what," Kimberly said. "I can be reasonable. You let Trini go, I'll go change out of your shirt, and you can have it back."

"No. You give me the shirt now, and then I'll let her go."

"How do I know you'll let her go if I give you the shirt?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Jason, for one."

"Jason'll let her go. He wants to live."

"Okay, fine. I'll go change, and when I come back, we can continue this."

"No. Give me the shirt now, or we're keeping her."

"I'm not taking off the shirt in front of you!"

"You are if you want Trini back."

"No, I'm really not."

"Look, if we're not going to let Trini go anytime soon, can we tie her up or something?" Adam asked, exasperated as he fought to keep his hold on Trini's arm. She was mostly kicking Jason now, but a few stray kicks had landed on Adam and Billy.

"With what?" Billy asked.

"I have rope," Zack offered. "Maybe some handcuffs, too; I'd have to check." They all turned to stare at him. "What?"

"Get the rope," Tommy said finally.

"Thank god," Adam muttered, wincing as her foot connected with his knee.

"Wait, wait," Kimberly said resignedly. "Give me back the room key, and then I'll give you the shirt, and then you can let Trini go."

"I don't remember the room key being part of the deal," Tommy said mock-thoughtfully as Zack began rummaging through his suitcase.

"There's no deal without the room key."

"If you want the room key and Trini, you're going to have to give me more than the shirt."

"Hell no!"

"Hell yeah."

"Found the rope!" Zack announced, pulling out a coil of white cord.

"Why do you have r—never mind," Billy interrupted himself with a shudder, forcing his natural curiosity and his desire for information as far away from the forefront of his mind as he could.

"Get her feet," Adam begged.

"Come near me and die," Trini growled threateningly, fighting Adam and Billy twice as hard.

Zack no longer looked thrilled about tying her up. "Um… Rocky, you do it," Zack said, holding out the rope to him.

"No way, man! It's your rope."

"Tie her feet," Tommy commanded.

"I'd like to see you try!" Trini roared.

"It's my rope, so I shouldn't have to do it!"

"Yes you should! It's your rope!"

"I'm warning you, Kim," Tommy said calmly as Trini flailed wildly and Rocky and Zack argued about tying her up, "you've got ten seconds to give me the shirt."

"Or what? You'll go tie her up yourself? Don't think I haven't noticed you're smart enough not to turn your back to me."

"Tell you what," Jason called lazily, "throw the rope here. I'll tie her up."

"You sure?" Zack asked incredulously, impressed with his bravery.

"Why not? I'm in enough trouble as it is."

"Yeah, but…" Rocky began.

"Guys, trust me on this. You're her friends. I'm her husband. It's got to be me. Throw me the rope."

"Well, Kim," Tommy said pleasantly. "Ten… nine…"

Zack threw the coil of rope; it bounced off Adam's chest and he handed it to Jason, who knelt behind Trini's wildly kicking legs and tried to loop some of it around her ankles.

"Eight… seven…"

"Okay! Wait! I'll do it," Kimberly shouted. "I'll do it. Fine. You win, you win."

"Pleasure doing business with you," Tommy said pleasantly, holding out his hand for the shirt.

Kimberly opened another button. "Okay. Just… show me the room key. I'll give you the shirt. The shirt for the key and Trini."

"I told you, the key is extra."

"Tell you what—I'll throw in a special one-time offer of no retaliation. No trying to kill you in your sleep, no eating fries in enticing ways, no stealing your cell phone and calling random people in it, no voodoo dolls, no tagging your car, no telling mortifying stories to your students, no setting fire to anything, no stealing your hair gel, no nothing. Trini will even be nice about this, won't you, Trini?"

"Yes," Trini lied through gritted teeth.

"Yes. Trini will be nice to you, and not hurt you. She won't even make Jason sleep on the couch. How's that sound?"

"Please say yes," Zack, Adam, Billy, Rocky and Jason begged in unison. Bravery and loyalty only went so far, after all.

"All right," Tommy said with a sigh. He pulled the key out of his pocket and held it up. "Shirt and no retaliation for Trini and the key."

Kimberly nodded. "Deal." She reached for the buttons on the shirt. "I just want you to know, Tommy, that—NOW!" she screamed, suddenly snatching the key and diving to the side.

Before Tommy could process this odd maneuver, Kira literally flew threw the doorway, kicking him in the chest. Tommy staggered back and just barely caught himself before he could fall. In the confusion, Trini yanked herself free of Billy and hopped out of the loose circle of rope Jason had managed to get around her legs.

"Hold your positions!" Tommy screamed wildly, blocking a punch from Kira.

"Get her, Billy!" Zack yelled in terror as Trini fought to wrench her arm from Adam's grasp.

"RAWG!" screamed, of all people, Conner, as he bounded into the room, leaped over Kimberly and rushed at Adam.

Kira had apparently gone for reinforcements.

Adam dropped Trini's arm in order to fend off a kick from Conner. Jason lunged at his wife, only to find himself tackled by Trent as Ethan grappled with Billy.

"Argh!" Zack yelped, diving back for the bathroom.

"We're still outnumbering them!" Billy shouted as he blocked a right hook from Ethan. "Hold your ground!"

"Forget that!" Zack dove into the bathroom and shut the door—in Rocky's face as Rocky tried to follow.

"Zack! Let me in!" Rocky wailed. "Zack! Please! OW!" Trini had smacked him upside the head as hard as possible as she rushed by.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Tommy!" Kimberly called with a cackle as she and Trini escaped.

"You'll pay for th—oof!" Tommy complained as Kira head-butted him in the chest.

"That's for Kimberly!" Kira yelled. She kicked him in the side. "And that's for getting Trent to take me out on a date just so you could distract me!" She went to kick him again. "And that's for interrupting my pancakes with—hey! Let go of my foot!"

"Rocky! Help!" Billy yelled as Ethan backed him into a corner. Sighing heavily, Rocky dove on Ethan from behind.

"At least Trini's gone," Jason muttered as he pinned Trent up against a wall. Jason frowned. "Never thought I'd be happy to say that."

Kira tried to kick Tommy with her other foot while Tommy was still holding her right ankle, but Tommy seized that foot too, then hurriedly lifted his arms as high as possible to keep Kira from hitting her head on the carpet as she toppled over. Holding her aloft by the ankles, Tommy looked over at his friends.

Trent was still pinned against the wall, fighting Jason like mad. Rocky and Billy were wrestling with Ethan. Zack was still hiding in the bathroom. Adam was now sitting on Conner. Kira, realizing she was beat, sighed and continued to dangle upside down by her feet, holding the hem of her shirt with one hand to keep it from falling off.

"Um," Conner said tentatively, his voice slightly muffled (Adam was sitting on his stomach), "what's going on?"

Silence settled over them as the Dino Rangers stopped fighting. Rocky and Billy untangled themselves from Ethan. Jason released Trent. Adam pushed himself up off of Conner's diaphragm. Tommy swung Kira up and around so that she landed safely on the bed, after which he released her ankles. Confused teenagers warily looked to their predecessors for an explanation, but none was forthcoming. Eventually, Kira crawled off the bed and flounced out of the room. Conner, Ethan and Trent followed, eyes darting from one Ranger to another, all three ready to kick butt if need be. Trent closed the door behind them.

Zack was the first to break the silence. "Well, that was a bust," he called, his voice echoing slightly from the acoustics in the bathroom.

"Not really," Tommy said cheerfully. "Come morning, Kimberly will realize I've still got her entire collection of miniskirts and everything from her sock drawer stashed under the bed."

The six guys snickered. Then Rocky frowned. "Huh. Do you think that offer of no retaliation is still valid?" he asked.

Jason shook his head. "Somehow, Rocky, I doubt it."

"I'm going to kill him in his sleep," Kimberly was ranting as Kira came back into the room. "First, though, I'm gonna need some French fries, Tommy's cell phone, a voodoo doll, pink spray paint, some lighter fluid, and a good contingency plan for acquiring Tommy's hair gel."

"You forgot telling me mortifying stories and making Jason sleep on the couch," Kira chimed in as Kimberly dumped yet another bag out onto Kira's bed. Trini was refolding everything or running it to the closet to be hung up.

Kimberly sighed. "I think I'll start with the tale of the pink bows, and then move on to Cinnamon Buns. Where's the last bag, Kira?"

Kira knitted her brow. "What last bag? There were only four."

An icy cold chill went up Kimberly's spine. "No, Kira, there weren't. I opened up four, and I'm still missing my miniskirts, underwear, swimsuits, and socks."

"Of course!" Trini muttered, smacking her forehead. "He wouldn't keep everything in one place. He'd stash a few things elsewhere, in case you managed to recapture the bags without giving up the shirt."

"Forget the voodoo doll and the hair gel; he's dead now," Kimberly growled, heading for the door.

"Kim, don't," Trini insisted, grabbing her arm. "He'll lord it over you for the rest of your life if you walk out after that big a win and come back three seconds later to beg for your underwear!"

"I'm not gonna beg. I'm gonna strangle."

"Just… just wait until morning. Maybe we can steal them back somehow. Jason said that Carrie woman has a friend at the front desk; maybe we can get a room key from her. Or we can send Trent in undercover."

"I'm not sending Trent in undercover to steal my underwear back from my ex-boyfriend!" Kimberly shouted.

Kira suddenly blinked, feeling the first-ever faint stirrings of what she would later dub "Dr. O Syndrome." She frowned and looked askance up at the ceiling. "This isn't really my life, right? I'm not helping the first Pink Power Ranger steal her underwear from my science teacher, right? This is all just a creepy dream. Like Conner and the pizza-box Speedos."

Trini spared her a disturbed glance before turning back to Kimberly. "Kim, honey, make him think he's won. Let him have his little victory. Then bitch slap him in the morning."

Kimberly took a deep, shuddering, calming breath. "Okay. Okay. Morning. Okay."

Kimberly continued putting her clothes away, occasionally muttering what sounded like bits of half-baked plans, things like "fiery squirrels" and "Jeep full of Play-Doh." Kira took over helping Kimberly put her clothes back in their rightful place while Trini went off for a shower.

"Um, Kim?" Kira asked. "What's to stop Dr. O from stealing all your clothes all over again?"

Kimberly waved a hand dismissively. "He wouldn't bother. First time, it's original. Second time, it's tired. As it is, I'm going to have to think of something a little more creative than knocking on his door and demanding my clothes back and then recruiting you guys for help. It won't work again. I'm going to need something a little sneakier."

Kira arched an eyebrow. "You sound like you've done this before."

Kimberly smiled. "Every game has rules, Kira. They're not always apparent, but they're there. Both sides have to play by them, or it's not truly a game."

Kira shook her head. "It just seems like you're both going through a lot of trouble to dance around each other like pygmies at a bonfire for no real reason."

Kimberly chuckled. "Ever hear the expression that 'it's not the destination, it's the journey?'" Kira nodded. "Well, winning is nothing without the game."

End Notes: The next chapter should be up shortly. We've added in a last-minute zaniness campaign to the coming segments, so it should get fun. Up next, we have nightmares, strippers, balconies, secret rendezvous, and—my personal favorite—ice. Stay tuned!