MMPR Revisited
Trigger Part 4
Rita's raucous laughter echoed throughout her palace, resonating even in its deepest, most obscure corners. With a maniacal grin, she twisted her telescope back and forth, scanning individuals across the world.
"Empress…" Goldar hesitated, not wanting to interrupt her fun, but knowing that he needed her attention. "Finster has made progress on the Dark Armor."
Rita lifted herself away from the telescope, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she turned to Goldar. "Ah, excellent news! Very rarely does fate smile upon me, but I'm feeling particularly enthusiastic about this endeavor, Goldar!"
"As you should, my Queen. With a plan like this, success is all but assured," Goldar remarked, sharing in her anticipation. "Have you identified a suitable sacrifice?"
"I believe so. Finster's suggestion to choose a human from Angel Grove seems promising. The chosen individual radiates purity. Currently, he's in what these humans refer to as a 'hospital,' injured and vulnerable. We'll simply nurse him back to health—with a touch of evil!" Rita cackled again, and Goldar joined in her wicked laughter. "Finster!" Rita called out as she made her way to Finster's laboratory. Upon entering, she found Finster engrossed in his work, carefully sculpting a remarkable suit of armor from clay.
"Greetings, my Queen," Finster acknowledged her presence without turning around. Rita moved around him, leaning in to examine his creation more closely.
"So, this is your Dark Armor, eh?" Rita inquired.
"Indeed. I'm infusing it with ancient darkness, albeit in controlled doses. After all, it is meant for a human wearer. Using too much would be counterproductive, as it would result in immediate death," Finster explained. Rita regarded him with a hint of uncertainty.
"Why do I sense that this won't be as straightforward as it ought to be? Are you suggesting that the armor might still kill him? So, not only does he have to face the Rangers, but he also has to contend with the darkness slowly draining his life force?" Rita posed a series of questions, prompting Finster to set down his carving tool and face her.
"Your concerns are valid. However, you must understand that he doesn't have long to live regardless. We need the armor to serve its purpose—gradually siphoning his life force and collecting the life forces of others. Once the Dragon Coin is free, the armor will complete its task by draining the remaining life force from him," Finster clarified.
"I see that there are many potential complications. What if the Rangers defeat him before he fulfills his purpose? That would render everything futile. Goldar, you shall be his personal guardian. Our primary objective is to keep him alive until he outlives his usefulness," Rita ordered.
"Understood. But I believe we may require additional support. My Queen, I request permission to search for Scorpina," Goldar proposed.
"Oh, Scorpina," Rita mused with a sly smile. "Zordon and his insufferable champions of light nearly obliterated her, and then they locked her remains away in some sort of tomb. Yes, it's all coming back to me."
"That could work," Baboo muttered quietly from the doorway, with Squatt nodding in agreement.
"Ah, yes, Scorpina," Rita continued. "Zordon is always alerted whenever we breach Earth's atmosphere. When you secure your sacrifice, Zordon will detect the presence of evil on Earth and focus his attention solely on you. However, if multiple squads of Putties enter Earth simultaneously, it will serve as a diversion, leaving them unaware of our human abduction."
"You're brilliant, Finster!" Rita exclaimed. "Alright, Finster, craft your most formidable Putties for the task. Goldar, gather any information you can about Scorpina's last battle and attempt to locate her. The Power Rangers will be blindsided by our cunning plan! It's positively diabolical!"
"This is Cindy V. reporting live outside Angel Grove Memorial Hospital. Earlier today, students of Angel Grove High School witnessed a tragedy when former student, James Lewis, brought an unauthorized firearm and wounded at least four students and faculty members. Good news is, no fatalities have been reported," Cindy's report came to an abrupt halt when she spotted Billy and Trini, accompanied by Zack and Kimberly, approaching the hospital doors. She signaled her cameraman to follow her and sprinted towards the students. "Billy Cranston? Trini Kwan, would you two like to comment?"
"No," Trini replied flatly, shaking her head and avoiding eye contact. Billy echoed her sentiment, and Kimberly shot an annoyed look at Cindy.
"Are your friends alright? How did the Power Rangers assist you? The city of Angel Grove wants to know!" Cindy pursued, keeping pace with them until they reached the entrance of the hospital, where the press was not allowed.
"I actually like her," Zack remarked.
"Now is so not the time," Kimberly retorted, rolling her eyes. "Okay, how do we get to Jason?"
"Excuse me," Trini approached the front counter, "Our friend Jason Lee Scott was admitted earlier. We're his friends; can we visit him?"
"One moment," the nurse replied, typing in Jason's name. "I see that he is still in ICU, in critical condition. Unfortunately, at this time, only family is allowed."
"I am family," Kimberly stepped forward. The nurse regarded her with skepticism.
"You are?" she inquired flatly. "Do you have proper identification?"
"Well, sure. It's in my backpack. In my locker. Where my friends and teachers were shot at. I'd love to go back there, but I might be suffering from PTSD," Kimberly retorted, matching the nurse's flat tone and shooting her a contemptuous look.
"I apologize," the nurse raised her hands defensively. "You may take one friend."
"One minute," Kimberly said and led Trini back to Zack and Billy.
"Nice lie, Kimberly. You look nothing like Jason," Trini chuckled.
"We gotta do what we gotta do," Kimberly responded. "Okay, I can take one person back. I'll take Billy. There's usually a map of the hospital in each patient's room, indicating emergency exits and procedures. Billy can guide you two from there."
"Or, or... Why don't we just teleport?" Zack suggested.
"Oh, yeah. I guess you could do that. But what about the security cameras?" Kimberly asked.
"No worries. Alpha and I have that covered. Once we get to Jason, Alpha will disable the hospital's security systems, rendering the security cameras useless for an hour," Billy explained.
"Awesome, Billy!" Trini smiled.
"Alright, still, Billy, let's go," Kimberly said, leading Billy back to the nurse's counter. "I'm ready to see my brother." She nodded to the nurse, who led them through the ICU. Room 412 was their destination, and as the door swung open, Jason lay unconscious inside, connected to an oxygen mask, an IV, and a steady beeping pulse monitor.
"He is critical, but stable. Unfortunately, we're not sure what's wrong with him. A doctor will be with you soon to discuss his prognosis. There's a phone here; we've tried calling your parents, but we can't reach them. They'll need to be present," the nurse instructed.
"Of course, I'll get right on that," Kimberly lied. The nurse left, leaving Kimberly stunned by Jason's condition. "Oh, Jason..." She reached for his hand, and Billy began examining his chart and the heart monitor.
"None of this looks good," Billy said gravely.
"Okay, none of that. I'm sure you understand everything in that chart, but we have to stay focused on the plan," Kimberly said.
"Kimberly, we can do this," Billy said encouragingly, though he could sense her unease. "Are you ready?" Kimberly nodded, her expression remaining unchanged. "Alpha, deactivate the security systems now." He spoke into the communicator.
"Affirmative, Billy," Alpha's voice responded. "And it's done. For the next hour, no security footage will be available."
"Thanks, Alpha." Billy placed the chart down and walked to Jason's door, closing and locking it.
"Hopefully, that keeps them out," Kimberly said, with Billy offering a cautious nod.
"Zack, Trini, we're ready for you," Billy relayed through his communicator, and moments later, they appeared in the room.
"Oh my god, Jason…" Trini gasped, her hand covering her mouth.
"Let's not waste any time; he doesn't look good at all," Zack urged. Billy retrieved Jason's morpher from his backpack.
"So, how does this work?" Kimberly inquired.
"Basically, we need to use our powers to restore his," Billy began as he carefully removed Jason's Power Coin from the damaged Morpher. "So, each of us will concentrate and use our Power Coins to channel energy into his, restoring his power and his life force."
"That sounds simple enough…" Zack remarked.
"Yeah," Billy responded, a hint of uncertainty in his tone. "If all goes well, that is."
"Stop. You can't do that, Billy!" Kimberly interjected sharply.
"I just want to be clear that there are negative possibilities, too, according to Alpha's research. But, yes, they are unlikely – just possibilities."
"I don't see any other possibility other than Jason getting out of this," Zack declared.
"Okay, let's do this already!" Kimberly urged, her anxiety palpable as she pulled out her Power Coin. Billy successfully removed Jason's cracked Power Coin and carefully placed it on Jason's chest. A red energy surged immediately, causing his heart rate to spike rapidly, and the monitor beeped loudly.
"Damn, what just happened?!" Zack exclaimed in a panicked voice.
"Our time just got reduced. The nurses are going to come check on him any second, let's hurry!" Billy urged, pulling out his Power Coin. Trini and Zack followed suit. All four of them extended their hands, holding their Power Coins, and each released a beam of energy that converged on Jason's Power Coin, causing it to glow red.
"Mastodon…" Zack uttered as his Power Coin sent a black energy beam directly into Jason, bathing him in a black glow. In return, Jason's Power Coin emitted a red energy, enveloping Zack in red light.
"What's happening?!" Kimberly panicked.
"It means Jason accepted Zack's power exchange," Billy explained. Just then, there was a knock at the door, and the handle began to jiggle.
"Hey, open up!" came a voice from outside, followed by more pounding on the door.
"Kimberly, c'mon!" Zack urged, his body tensing, clearly in discomfort as the red energy caused him pain.
"Pterodactyl…" Kimberly muttered, and her Power Coin responded by releasing a beam of pink light that struck Jason's Power Coin. In response, Jason's glow shifted to pink, and a red surge of energy surrounded Kimberly, causing her to wince. "Oh my god…guys, hurry…"
"Hey, what's going on in there?" came a different voice. "Open up. Open up in there. Can we get the keys to room 412, now! The patient is coding in there!" The knocks on the door became more frequent.
"Triceratops," Billy said, and his Power Coin produced a blue light that surrounded Jason. In return, a red light enveloped Billy.
"Saber—oh no," Trini heard the doorknob jiggle and a key slide into it. Trini's stomach clenched, and her nerves threatened to overwhelm her. How would they explain any of this? But before she could break down, a white light beamed down in front of the door, and Alpha appeared. The automaton positioned itself in front of the door, its weight keeping it firmly closed.
"It's jammed!" called out one of the voices. "We need help over here! Now!"
"Alpha…" Trini stammered, stunned.
"Hurry, Trini. I won't be able to hold them for long," Alpha insisted. Trini nodded and turned back to Jason.
"Saber-Toothed Tiger!" she cried, and a yellow light shot out of her Power Coin, causing Jason to transition from blue to yellow. A red light surrounded Trini as well, and the pain became excruciating, crushing. Each of them struggled to remain standing.
"Mastodon…" Zack repeated.
"Pterodactyl…" Kimberly barely managed to utter.
"Triceratops…"
"Saber-Toothed Tiger," Jason's aura shifted colors with each transformation, ultimately returning to red. The lights surrounding the four Rangers coalesced back into Jason's Power Coin, and his eyes snapped open, the monitor beeping off the charts.
"Jason?" Kimberly gasped. Billy turned to check the monitor and smiled.
"His vitals are stabilizing. You guys need to get out of here now," Billy said, grabbing Jason's Power Coin and Morpher and handing them to Zack before he and Trini teleported out of the room. "Alpha, we owe you one," Billy acknowledged.
"My pleasure, Rangers," Alpha responded before teleporting away. Immediately afterward, the door burst open, and nurses and doctors tumbled into the room.
"What's up, doc?" Kimberly asked, looking at them with confusion. The medical staff collected themselves and stood up.
"That door was locked," one doctor stated.
"No, it wasn't," Billy replied.
"We were trying to get in!" the doctor insisted.
"Yeah, we know. The door was jammed. You guys should really fix that," Kimberly retorted.
Kimberly Hart's family had purchased a house that offered seclusion from neighboring neighborhoods; her parents cherished the privacy and tranquility it provided. However, tonight, the street resonated with the laughter of their daughter, along with Zack and Jason.
"I can't believe you guys pulled that off," Jason chuckled.
"Believe it, we're amazing," Kimberly remarked, patting Jason on the back, while Zack joined in the laughter. The three friends stopped outside Kimberly's house.
"What a horrible day," Jason shook his head. "The interesting part is that I don't remember anything during that... coma? I guess. I don't know what it was. I remember the pain, and then I remember waking up. Nothing."
"I'm just glad it worked. Thank goodness Zordon let Alpha keep the door jammed, or else... I mean, who knows what could have happened?" Kimberly said.
"Yeah, with all our close calls with Rita, we've never been closer to being exposed... and this had nothing to do with her," Jason observed.
"And James... I mean, how tragic," Kimberly sighed.
"He won't be able to hurt anyone again," Zack reassured.
"Yeah, I'm sure he was in pain, too. We all saw his face…" Kimberly said. "I'm just saying, this was an unfortunate circumstance... and it could have ended worse."
"I still can't believe they discharged you so quickly, Jason," Zack commented.
"They had no reason to keep me. And my parents are out of town on business... so keeping me while I was fine would have been a wasted expense. I was as fit as a fiddle, as my nurse said," Jason replied.
"And dude, she was fine!" Zack laughed, and Jason nodded.
"Oh my god, okay, I'm leaving now," Kimberly rolled her eyes.
"Are you gonna check on Billy and Trini?" Zack asked.
"Yeah, they were only going to check on Daniel and Brent; they should be home soon. I'll call them both here in a little while," Kimberly said. She gave Zack a hug and then embraced Jason tightly. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Me too," Jason replied. They both watched as Kimberly safely entered her house before Zack and Jason began making their way toward their respective homes.
"Oh, by the way, here," Zack pulled out Jason's morpher and coin from his backpack and handed them to Jason.
"Oh, thanks, man," Jason said as he put them away in his bag. "So, I'll assume it was you who convinced Zordon to go along with the plan…"
"I didn't make it easy for him to say no," Zack replied.
"Thanks, Zack. I do want to apologize for how I've been towards you lately. I feel like I've been giving you hell ever since your birthday. I'm sorry, man," Jason said.
"Dude, don't even worry about it. I get where you were coming from... it was irresponsible. But, it does mean a lot to hear that from you," Zack said.
"No, I mean it. I also want you to know, I've talked to Zordon and the others, and I've decided that if something happens to me, you're my second in command. I know I can count on you to make the tough calls," Jason's statement caught Zack off guard.
"Are you serious?" Zack said, his eyes wide with surprise.
"I couldn't think of a better person than you," Jason responded, prompting Zack to smile.
"Thanks, man. I won't let you down," Zack promised, and Jason smiled in return.
"I know. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Jason waved at Zack and headed toward his house. He inserted the key into the door and turned it, opening it quietly. As he glanced down, he noticed a stack of mail on the ground, delivered through the mail chute. He winced when he saw the bills, each labeled with the ominous words 'Final Notice.'
"Mom?" Jason called out, but there was no response.
Jason placed the bills on the nearest table and proceeded to the living room, where he found his mother slumbering in a recliner. An empty bottle of Jack Daniels rested in her lap, and a lit cigarette dangled from her limp hand, hanging over the armrest. The television blared with the news of the day's tragic events.
"Mom?" he said softly, taking the cigarette from her and extinguishing it. "Mom, let's get you into bed..." She barely stirred but eventually opened her eyes.
"Jason," she greeted him with a smile, "Your dad called today," she mentioned. Jason looked at the phone and checked the caller ID, which displayed three calls from the school, two from the police department, and eight from the hospital. But there was nothing from his father.
"No, Mom, he didn't," Jason informed her gently.
"Oh... well, he will," she said flatly. Jason assisted his mother out of her seat and gently guided her toward the bedroom.
"I was watching the most awful movie today, a school shooting. The things Hollywood comes up with... so horrible..." she mumbled. It became evident that his mother had no awareness of the day's events.
"Yeah, Mom, it is horrible," Jason agreed, tucking her into bed and closing the door softly behind him. He leaned against the door and slid down to the floor, resting his hands on his knees. The events of the day hadn't fully registered with him either. The thought that Jason couldn't shake was that he could have died, and his mother wouldn't have known.
"So, homecoming is a yes?" Daniel grinned, and Trini shook her head.
"You're never going to give up," she laughed.
"I just want to make sure I wasn't hallucinating when I took a bullet for you," Daniel chuckled.
"You weren't. Homecoming is a go," Trini smiled.
"Awesome," he said.
"Well, I should go. It's late, and the doctor says you have some recovery to do before you can be released from here. So, you better get better," Trini said.
"Count on it," Daniel replied. Billy approached the door, and Trini turned to see him.
"Ready, Trini?" Billy asked.
"Yesh," she answered and got up from the side of Daniel's bed. "Good night, Daniel," Trini said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for taking a bullet for me."
"Anytime," Daniel replied before Trini walked out of the room. He couldn't stop smiling – probably the painkillers, he figured. But he continued to smile for several minutes until his door suddenly shut, and the lights in his room were turned off. "Hello? Nurse?" He called out, receiving no response.
The door to his bathroom creaked open, and after his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a silhouette.
"Who is there?" he repeated, cautiously.
"Daniel, is it?" The figure spoke with enthusiasm.
"Y-yes?" he answered, still wary.
"My name is Rita, and boy, do I have plans for you."
