Green with Evil

Interpersonal Part 1

It was weird for Jason, sleeping in his own bed. Sleeping was a generous descriptor for what he was doing. He lay in his room, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. He could hear the TV playing in the living room. His mother was still awake. He turned to his side, his eyes reluctantly finding the clock. It was nearly two in the morning. Tomorrow was going to be a long day if he couldn't get any sleep. He closed his heavy eyes. He wanted to just turn his mind off. But how could he?

He barely survived the Green Ranger, having been trapped in Rita's dark dimension for some time. That alone made him feel uneasy. Zordan was gone, despite Billy's positive attitude at finding him soon. His team was tired. They had been through a lot. And the fight didn't seem like it was any closer to being over.

His mind then wandered to Kim. Since Homecoming, they haven't really had a moment to themselves. He had a lot of feelings for her, and he didn't know how to express them. Was it even the right time? He then thought of Trini and Daniel. That relationship was so risky, and his death completely heart broke Trini. Even though Kim was a ranger, too, it would make her a different kind of target for Rita – a different kind of weakness for him. She didn't deserve that.

Jason's mind continued to wander endlessly through these scenarios, until finally his consciousness drifted off into sleep.


"The Eclipse is upon us," Rita declared, her voice hushed, but her smile exuding unmistakable enthusiasm. Seated upon her throne, she cradled a book in her lap, her gaze fixed on a peculiar ritual. "Ah, yes, this will serve our purpose," she murmured with a satisfied air.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Baboo couldn't help but speak up, his face peering out from behind her imposing throne. Rita swiftly shut the book, as though guarding a closely-held secret, and let out a wicked cackle. She rose from her regal seat, placing the book aside and reaching for her wand before making her way to the palace balcony.

"Gather around!" Rita commanded her assembled court. Goldar, Scorpina, Squat, Baboo, and Finster obediently encircled her, all bowing their heads in deference. "The next step of my master plan is about to unfold. Merely defeating the Rangers is insufficient; we must ensure they understand they never had a chance at victory."

"But what about the return of the Red Ranger? Won't that increase their odds?" Baboo inquired, his choice of words inadvertently reminding Rita of their recent failure to contain Jason. However, she brushed his concerns aside with a dismissive gesture.

"Silence," Goldar interjected, sensing Rita's growing impatience.

"Yes, there was a minor setback, but the Red Ranger is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Without Zordon, the Power Rangers are practically powerless to thwart us. And my Green Ranger remains utterly unchallenged by those power-infused upstarts," she chuckled.

Scorpina's eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger as she spoke, "The Red Ranger should be left to me. Allow me to ensnare him with my stinger and have some fun with him."

Rita applauded Scorpina's enthusiasm, clapping her hands together in delight. "Ah, Scorpina, how I've missed your fervor! But first things first, we must lure out the Megazord. Once that's done, I'll unleash a spell to conjure a solar eclipse. This will sap the Megazord's power, leaving it vulnerable for destruction."

"Without their Megazords, they won't stand a chance against Goldar or Scorpina!" Baboo exclaimed. Rita nodded in approval, pleased that her minions grasped the plan.

"Exactly. Their defenses will crumble, and then we shall commence the ultimate assault on Earth!" Goldar proclaimed, raising his fist in excitement.

Rita directed her attention to the matter at hand. "Let's initiate the plan by drawing out the Rangers. Scorpina," she turned to her loyal general, "I entrust this task to you." Scorpina beamed with anticipation and turned to Finster.

"Prepare the Putty Patrol, but only the strongest among them," she insisted.


At the Youth Center, Jason concluded one of his Saturday karate classes, savoring the exhilarating change of pace and the welcomed lightheartedness it brought. His students, radiating confidence and optimism, were blissfully unaware of the weighty responsibilities that burdened Jason and the other rangers. In that moment, his paramount concern was safeguarding them, preserving their innocence, and fervently hoping they'd never have to utilize their martial arts skills for self-defense against Rita.

With a raised hand in a closed-fist gesture, Jason signaled the end of the class, saying, "I'm very proud of all of you." These words marked the dismissal, followed by his directive, "Take some well-deserved rest," and a respectful bow of his head. The students reciprocated the bow and dispersed from the training mat. Jason remained, watching until all his students had left, his gaze scanning the rest of the youth center.

Nearby, Trini and Zack sat at a table, each enjoying a smoothie in hand. The notion of joining them appealed to Jason, and he quipped as he settled into the vacant seat next to Trini, "Zack, you got one for me, right?"

"You know I've got you covered," Zack replied with a warm smile. Almost as if on cue, Ernie arrived with another smoothie, this time presented in a red glass.

"Ah, thanks, Ernie. Feels like it's been ages since I had one of these," Jason remarked as he unwrapped the straw provided.

"No problem, Jason," Ernie said, grinning broadly, before returning to the bar.

"How was your class," Trini asked.

"It was good – the motivation of these students, its unreal. And its good to see. Especially with everything we have to deal with…" Jason said, sadness welling in his eyes. Zack placed an arm on Jason's shoulder.

"It's something worth fighting for," he said with a smile. Trini and Zack returned the smile, but there was a heaviness in their eyes. They exchanged knowing glances with each other, and Jason suddenly felt as though was something was amiss. "Everything okay?" he asked. They didn't answer.

Zack cleared his throat, "Look – I" he began, but couldn't find the right words.

"We visited your house, when you were gone," Trini said, her voice carrying a knowingness. The implication of her words weren't missed on Jason, and his eyes widened, a concern becoming a crack in his normal artifice. "When you were missing, we checked there…" she began to explain, catching Jason's sudden discomfort.

"Your Mom…" Zack began, and Jason held up his hand to stop him from finishing.

"I'm okay," he said tersely.

"Jason, of course – we wouldn't – we're not trying to suggest…" Trini also was failing to find the right words, something that was never an issue for her.

"Trini," Jason said, his tone more serious than usual. He took a sip of his smoothie and considered his next few words. "My parents…its complicated. My mom is going through a rough patch. That's all it is. I am okay. I would tell you if I weren't," he said. Neither of them believed this, though. He could tell they through him and he exhaled frustratedly.

"Jason – we won't press anymore. But…we were worried. We care about you. And it's okay to not be okay. Mental Health isn't about being happy and strong all the time – that's crap," Trini said.

"Yeah, you can count on us for support," Zack assured. Jason swallowed hard, hesitant to open up further but appreciative of his friends' concern.

"I appreciate both of you," Jason responded, maintaining a composed tone. The recent challenges, from the Green Ranger to Zordon's disappearance and his own capture, had taken a toll on them all. Rita was relentless.

This reflection made Jason realize the strained relationship he had with Trini before his capture. The death of Daniels had caused a rift, but now, unexpectedly, Trini and Zack had seen a vulnerable side of him he preferred to keep hidden.

Trini noticed his contemplation. "What is it?" she asked.

Jason hesitated before confessing, "I'm just, Trini – I'm really sorry." Her surprise was evident. "After Daniel – I – I think I said some things that I felt were valid at the time. I wanted to be a good leader, strong. I felt an undeserved authority over us just because I am the Red Ranger…"

Trini's voice broke as Jason continued. "I want all of us to be safe. But…I was in school when this happened. I was walking down the hallway, and the next thing I knew, I was trapped with the Green Ranger. And I thought about you guys a lot…especially the last things we said to each other because I wondered if they would be the last things."

"Jason, you're alive, you don't have to be saying these things simply because –" Trini began, but he interrupted.

"Please – let me finish. I still think we have to be smart. It's not safe for us to have certain relationships that could make us more vulnerable. But, I think…either way, no one in our life is safe, whether we involve them or not," Jason asserted.

"Yeah…I worry about my family every day – Curtis? He doesn't need help getting into trouble. Now throw Rita in the mix," Zack added.

"What I've learned is that Rita will do anything she can to break us down," Jason said. "I survived because of you guys." He expressed gratitude towards Zack for leading the team in his absence and Trini for fighting for him even when angry.

"We're a team," Trini affirmed. "Even if we don't see eye to eye. Zack and I didn't always either while you were gone. It's just part of it. I'm in it, Jason. What happened to Daniel…" she composed herself, "was just awful. I will hate Rita every day for what she did. And I will never forgive myself for not being able to save him. But that wasn't your fault. What happened to Daniel wasn't on you, Jason."

Jason, surprised by her words, said, "I am sorry, though." Trini nodded.

"But…" Trini said, clearing her throat. She anticipated resistance. "The Green Ranger – in a way, he is one of us. And I think he can be saved." Jason's expression turned cold.

"Damn it, Trini," Zack muttered, sipping his smoothie.

"Trini…" Jason's voice reflected his displeasure.

"I know – what he's done is horrible. But he was chosen for something he didn't ask for. I believe that. He has a power coin, just like us. He was turned evil by Rita. I think we can stop him and free him. And even if we can't…we should still try. Because Rita doesn't get to win here. She doesn't get to play with another human like this. We are not toys for her to manipulate. Because of Daniel, we should try to save him."

"What if he doesn't want to be saved?" Jason countered. Trini didn't say anything. She didn't have to. The heaviness in her eyes spoke volumes of it all. And deep down, even though he didn't want to - even though he detested the Green Ranger with all his might - even though the Green Ranger had nearly killed him - he knew she was right.


"If I move this transponder here, and I can reroute the sub-atomic -" Billy muttered to himself, lost in technical thoughts. Kimberly let out a sigh of frustration.

"Billy, if you're going to talk – can it be in a language I understand?" she said, shaking her head. Billy was accustomed to his friends not fully grasping his technical jargon, except for Trini and, surprisingly, Brent. The thought of Brent made him flush, and he cleared his throat, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"Are you okay?" Kimberly asked, noticing his distraction.

"Yeah, just a momentary intrusive thought," he replied, adjusting some wires.

"Do you think Jason's okay?" Kimberly's question caught Billy off guard, considering she could easily have asked Jason himself.

"He's back – you haven't asked him?" Billy responded.

"No. I mean, yes. But I mean. Do you think he's really okay?" Kimberly pressed, looking for something specific that Billy wasn't sure he could provide.

"Given what he's been through – the trauma of being kidnapped and starved, maintaining composure with serious injuries in the Dark Dimension – I would wager he's probably not very okay," Billy stated matter-of-factly, causing Kimberly to wince.

"Right, right – of course not, why would he be?" she muttered to herself.

"Is that rhetorical?" Billy asked.

"I don't know what that means, Billy! I'm just – We finally got him back. But did we really get him back?" Kimberly sounded frantic, working herself up.

"I – I don't know what you…"

"It's just he was there one minute. And then he was gone. And we didn't know if he was going to come back at all. And the last thing I said to him – I. I mean, probably small in comparison to what he's been through. It's probably very selfish of me to even think that I'm on his radar right now given what he's just went through, right? I mean – gosh, probably very selfish of me. But I can't help how I feel, and I'm not some kind of narcissist that only thinks about herself in these situations."

"Oh…uhh, well. No, I wouldn't describe you as a narcissist, but…" Billy felt uncomfortable.

"But what, Billy? You have all the answers? It's confusing. Have you ever been confused about someone, Billy?" Kimberly was now gesticulating, battling with herself. Billy swallowed a lump in his throat. "I don't know how I feel," she admitted.

"I thought you wanted to know if he's okay?" Billy asked.

"Well, duh, Billy, of course I do. But what about me? He's not asking about me either," she blurted out, then covered her mouth, wincing at her own words. "Damn it, I heard it and I regret it, and I'm a horrible person…" she leaned against one of the monitors. "And then Tommy," she said under her breath. "It's like I'm not even there."

"Kimberly – I – uh –" Billy scratched the back of his head. "I don't know what you're trying to say here, but if you're concerned about Jason, just tell him. Ask him how he is. And then…tell him how…you are doing?" he suggested, shaking his head.

"I just feel like our problems are so much bigger than how I feel right now," she confessed. Billy empathized with Kimberly, even though he couldn't fully understand her struggle.

Thinking about Brent, he realized he had been avoiding him since Trent and Skarlet returned. There was always so much to do – finding Jason, dealing with Scorpina, the Green Ranger, and Zordon's absence. He didn't have time for…Brent. And that didn't feel right. Even today – on his Saturday – he couldn't be in his lab testing his experiments. Or at Brent's swim competition. He tried to push that thought aside.

"We're teenagers first, Power Rangers second," Billy said, echoing Trini's sentiment from weeks ago when he was struggling with Brent. Kimberly looked at him curiously.

"What?" she asked.

"Kimberly, you have feelings that…are taking over you. That's normal. We have to hide so much of our lives because of our Ranger duties. But Jason is one of us. We don't have to keep things from each other in the same way. Teenagers are biologically unstable and," he trailed off, Kimberly's eyes widened.

"Unstable?" she repeated, almost offended. Billy shook his head.

"Sorry – what I mean is complex. Anyway. We're human, Kimberly. We're going to feel things. It's okay. We were humans before we were Rangers. We are still human before we are heroes. Let yourself be human, and just talk to the guy," Billy advised.

"Wow, Billy," Kimberly remarked. "You sound like you've had this talk before," her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And how are you letting your human side manifest?" If he wasn't feeling uncomfortable before, he definitely was now.

"Ayi-yi-yii!" Alpha yelled, running down the hallway.

"Thank god," Billy said under his breath. "What's wrong, Alpha?" Just as he said that the alarms of the command center began blaring.

"The back censors picked up something! Now it looks like local censors finally caught up," Alpha approached one of the computers and began inputting data. Billy walked over to assist, turning some knobs.

"It should read on the viewing globe now," Billy said, turning around and stepping forward next to Kimberly, who was anxiously biting her nails. The viewing globe revealed Scorpina and she was approaching the city with what looked like a small army of Putty Patrol.

"Rita doesn't waste any time," Kimberly said, disgusted. "And look – there so many of them," she said of the golems.

"I know. This is a lot – even for Rita. She must be planning something bigger here," Billy said.

"Ayi-yi-yi!" Alpha was again in hysterics. "Another reading," he said, rerouting the viewing globe. Goldar was leading another patrol of golems, but he was outside Angel Grove High School.

"Oh no – isn't there a swim competition there this weekend? Students – Parents?" She said, shaking her head, hands on her cheeks.

"Yes, they're facing Stone Canyon…or something," Billy said, his knowledge of the competition schedule was fortunately lost on Kimberly. Billy returned to the monitor and began entering some data. They would need their zords, he could feel it. Hopefully they'd be ready.

"Alpha, we need to contact Jason and the others. We're going to have divide and conquer this one. Oh my gosh," Kimberly said, a shared sense of dread filling both of them.