Chapter Twenty-Two
"It seems the teams here are essentially complete," Casey stated as he noticed all of the groups of Power Rangers present, as well as the Ronin Warriors and Lady Ronin Guardians all in the room.
"Seems that way," Tommy nodded in agreement, "Myself, Kimberly, Zack, Billy, Minh, Aisha and Jason make the original team."
"Myself, Tanya, Kat, Rocky and Tommy are the Zeo Team while Tommy also has his Turbo Ranger powers," Adam added.
"And myself, Kira, Ethan, Trent and Dr. O make the Dino Thunder Team," Conner stated.
"Then there's the Jungle Fury team," Casey glanced around himself and his teammates, "myself, Lily, Theo, RJ, Dominic and Jillian."
"Not exactly complete with our team," RJ interjected, "Billy and I are fixing Jillian's morpher to where Kartras can't do anything to hurt her or her powers, and as for me, I can't morph."
"Why not?" Conner asked.
"In a nutshell," Tommy explained, "Jillian had a similar backstory that I had as a ranger. She attacked the Jungle Fury team and helped Kartras take their animal spirits. The rangers broke the spell, but Kartras still has RJ's wolf spirit."
"So he can't morph because he lost his wolf spirit?" Trent asked.
"Not until I get my wolf spirit back," RJ answered.
"Odd," Dominic spoke up, "I somehow could morph without my Rhino Spirit."
"RJ," Casey faced his best friend, "remember what you told me the first time I lost my tiger spirit?"
"First time?" Aisha quipped, confused.
"Yeah," RJ answered, "Phantom Beast General Whiger took his tiger spirit during our battles with Dai Shi, when he became the Phantom Beast King."
"I see," Aisha nodded.
"Anyway," Casey told his former mentor, "RJ, your spirit doesn't make you stronger, you make your spirit stronger."
"Even then," RJ stated, "you got to morph by sheer luck when we defeated Whiger."
"Even if you could morph," Master Finn interjected, "you still need to take it easy until you get your wolf spirit back."
"RJ was massively drained during the previous battles," Lily spoke up, "which can contribute to why RJ can't morph right now."
"That also makes sense," Ethan said.
"Whatever the case," Tommy declared, "Once a Ranger..."
"Always a Ranger!" Kimberly added.
"We're working on a plan to retrieve RJ's wolf spirit," James announced.
"What kind of plan?" Rowen asked.
"I am devising a plan to sneak into the Fortress of Despairwhere Kartras is holding RJ's spirit," James answered, "which involves myself and Rekino. Jillian too."
"Jillian?" Kimberly asked, confused.
"Kartras wants revenge on me," Jillian answered, "I asked James to allow me to get involved with the plan."
"Are you sure about this, Jillian?" Kimberly asked.
"It's because of me RJ doesn't have his wolf spirit," Jillian adamantly spoke up, "I have to make things right."
"No sweat there," James replied, "Kartras will probably be attacking again soon enough."
"So, what's the plan?" Tanya asked.
"Yeah," Hayley added, "let us in on it."
"We're going to make Kartras think we are surrendering Jillian to the Dark Elite," Billy answered, "One of RJ's inventions will be involved where a force field will protect Jillian from being captured."
"And if that fails," Rekino added, "James and I will go and rescue Jillian with the plan we had in mind."
"That sounds like a huge risk," Tommy replied, feeling unsure about the outcome of the plan.
"Especially with our daughter involved in the plan," Kimberly added.
"Mom, Dad," Jillian assured her parents, "it's a risk I'm willing to take, especially after everything I put the Jungle Fury team through. I have to set things right."
"Compelling argument there," Kira replied.
"When do we make our move?" Ryo asked.
"If Jillian insists," Tommy answered, "then I say we should make our move in the morning."
"I concur," RJ replied.
"We should prepare ourselves for in the morning," Rekino told the others.
"So JKP will be closed tomorrow?" Fran asked.
"Yes," RJ answered, "but I want you to come in case the others need help."
"Jarrod and I will return to the academy," Camille told the group.
"And I will be returning home," Master Swoop added.
"I, on the other hand," Master Finn told the group, "will be staying here. My oldest son will be coming here at any time now."
"As will our other brother, Eric," Conner replied glancing towards RJ.
"Tori too," Kira smiled, "and the rest of the Ninja Storm Rangers."
"It'll be one hell of a family reunion!" Adam exclaimed with delight.
"So that leaves the Jungle Fury team with the Ronin Warriors, Lady Ronin Guardians, the shark master and the older teams of Power Rangers," Flit stated.
"Is he always like that?" Hana asked.
"Exactamundo," RJ answered, "Flit's a really good friend of mine."
"Yeah, we go way back," Flit explained, "Back when I was a fly, RJ saved my life and in turn, I helped him when he needed it, whether it was getting an evil spirit out of him to regain control of his wolf form, or saving his father when he was trapped in one of the crystal eyes."
"So it was you who helped RJ at that time?" Master Finn glanced at the young man.
"Pretty much," Flit nodded, "I also helped RJ learn the truth when Tiffany was cheating on him."
"I wanted to go after her for that," Dominic stated, "especially where she threatened Fran shortly before that and hit her."
"Just who is this Tiffany anyway?" Conner asked.
"Tiffany is RJ's ex girlfriend," Casey answered.
"A psychotic bitch who is a lying, cheating, abusive girlfriend," Lily added harshly.
The two glanced at RJ, who nervously nodded.
"Lying?" Sage frowned.
"Cheating?" Adam followed suit.
"Abusive?" Minh perked up in shock.
"A psychotic bitch?" Rekino exclaimed, perking up.
RJ nodded as he looked up, still nervous as Tiffany was being brought up.
"Let me at er!" Rekino exclaimed, ready for a fight.
"Rekino!" Amaya exclaimed, grabbing the Wildfire guardian by the arm.
"We should get to the loft and prepare for tomorrow," RJ suggested, trying to change the topic.
"How about some training?" Rekino suggested before facing the legendary ranger standing next to Kimberly, "and I'd like to have a one on one with Tommy."
Tommy chuckled before answering, "Challenge accepted."
"Let's get upstairs," Lily told the group.
Everyone was herded upstairs, where they were brought to the loft where the Jungle Fury Rangers resided.
"Wow!" Aisha exclaimed, looking around her surroundings.
"This place looks amazing!" Minh added.
"Mecasa es su casa," RJ told everyone in the room, "You guys are welcome to make yourselves at home here."
He glanced over as he spotted Kimberly sitting at his chair, "However, that chair is off limits! That's my chair. Got it?"
"Clear and loud," Kimberly stood up from the chair and met back with her husband.
"Now's the time to make ourselves at home," Tommy told the others.
"Just so you know," Ryo announced, "We're all spending the night here at the loft. We'll have to be fully prepared for our battle with the Dark Elite in the morning."
"Works for me," James replied.
"Hey Tommy," Rekino glanced at the legendary ranger, "how about that one on one match?"
"Sure, why not?" Tommy replied.
Everyone was gathered around the loft, while Tommy and Rekino were at the Jungle Fury's training mat, preparing for their match.
"We have a really amazing match!" Flit spoke as the announcer for the match, "the legendary Power Ranger Tommy Oliver versus one of the finest in ninjutsu, and the leader of the Lady Ronin Guardians, Rekino Sanada!"
"Begin!" Adam spoke as the referee of the match.
"The opponents are making an impressive start to this match!" Flit announced as Rekino and Tommy proceeded with their match, "Tommy is pulling out all the stops with his highly trained martial arts skills, but wait, Rekino is pulling out all the stops with her pathway to pain! Oh, that has got to hurt!"
The heroes were watching as Rekino and Tommy were pulling out all the stops with the match. Tommy gotten the upper hand on a couple occassions and Rekino also gotten the upper hand on a couple occasions as well. The match ended in a draw.
"That was a pretty intense match!" Conner exclaimed.
"These are the strongest fighters that one could go up against," Hana stated.
"I kept wondering who was going to come out on top there," Mia glanced at the others.
-Through-Dangerous-Times-
Tommy shook Rekino's hands as she told him, "That was a great match. You kept me going, dude."
"Thanks," the legendary ranger replied, "me too. Reminds me of when I squared off against Jason when I first moved to Angel Grove."
"Cool."
"That fighting skill is incredible."
"Ninjustu – the pathway to pain!" Rekino declared.
"I recognized that," Tommy nodded, "Really cool."
"I didn't use my full strength in the match," Rekino stated, "I don't want to kill you."
"That was really cool!" Minh exclaimed, glancing at the Wildfire Guardian and Legendary Ranger.
Tommy glanced around as the others were talking amongst themselves. He looked to see Kat looking out a nearby window and walked over to her.
"Hey Kat," Tommy gently touched his ex girlfriend's shoulder, "is there something wrong?"
"No, not really," Kat shook her head as she appeared to be hesitant, before she finally spoke again, "well, it's Jason. He seems to be overbearing at times to me and our son. I know he's been doing this ranger business longer than I have, but I know how to handle my own, and so does JJ. He's even been taking karate classes at the young age of five."
"It'll be fine, Kat," Tommy assured the Zeo Pink Ranger, "I'm certain Jason means well and he's looking out for you and JJ."
"Yeah," Kat nodded, "I'm sure you're right."
"Are we done here?" Aisha asked.
Tommy and Kat looked at the former yellow ranger, glancing at her with a smile.
"Yeah," Tommy nodded, "we are."
"We were just talking," Kat added.
"Well," Aisha announced, "Jillian is now about to spar with RJ."
The group of heroes watched as Jillian was now sparring with RJ with a group of songs on the speaker, starting with Aerosmith's "Kings and Queens". Then, the sparring continued with a song from The Transformers Movie soundtrack "The Touch" by Stan Bush.
"She's pretty good," Minh stated as the Pink ranger and Wolf Master were sparring.
"Takes after her Dad," Kimberly noted.
"She has some of your beauty and grace as well, Beautiful," Tommy replied before he and the original pink ranger shared a kiss.
RJ tapped out as he was exhausted from the loss of his wolf spirit.
"I kind of figured that would happen," Master Finn crossed his arms as RJ took a seat at his chair.
Minh took a step forward and faced Jillian.
"Would you like to have a sparring match with me?" Jillian asked.
"Sure," Minh nodded.
"Wow," Billy stated, "this should be interesting to see."
"Trini's daughter facing off against..." Zack started to say.
"Our daughter," Tommy finished the sentence.
The spar began with A – ha's "Take On Me" as Jillian Oliver faced off against Minh Kwan. Both girls got the upper hand against one another at one point or another, but after an intense battle, the sparring match ended in a draw.
"That was really cool," Minh stated, shaking Jillian's hand.
"Yeah," the Jungle Fury Pink Ranger nodded in agreement, "you kept me going."
"Me too."
"Praying Mantis Style."
"It's just like my Mom," Minh replied proudly.
"The Dark Elite have no idea what they are about to be up against," Lily declared seeing the two matches.
-Through-Dangerous-Times-
Kartras looked down, as Keith, Geneva and Nathan knelt before her, preparing to make their next move.
"So what is our next move, Mistress?" Geneva asked.
"We are going to strike these rangers at dawn," Kartras answered, "and we are going to have the rinshi capture Jillian and bring her back here where we will determine what we shall do with her afterwards."
"And what about us?" Nathan asked.
"Well, you three are going to lead the rinshi into the battle at Ocean Bluff at dawn," Kartras answered, "Get yourselves prepared for the next attack on the city."
"We shall do that, Mistress," Keith replied.
"Good," Kartras smiled, "Now we shall begin!"
Auhtor's Note: I know there is a JJ Oliver in Power Rangers canon, Tommy and Kat's son, and I am fully aware of it. For the record, this is the same name, but a totally different JJ. In my case, JJ is short for Jason Junior, also known as JJ Hillard – Scott, and he is the son to Jason and Kat. Now that we got all that cleared, hope to catch you on the next one!