Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. Only my OCs.
Chapter 29: A Test of Trust
Previously:
"Anton!" Tommy reached out to the man. "Are you alright?" He asked, and Doctor Mercer fell to his knees, turning away from them.
"I'm fine…just leave me alone." He pleaded weakly.
Jenna stared, "Uh-oh." She whispered, sharing a look with Andy and Raina.
"We should get you some help." Tommy insisted.
"No!" The older man yelled, and ran off. Tommy, Conner, Ethan and Kira ran after as Jenna grabbed Trent's shoulder, scared.
"Let's go!" She pulled him forward as they chased the others down the hall, Trent calling out pleas for them to leave his dad alone. They followed them to Tommy's classroom, where they found him leaning on one of the tables. He straightened up, breathing hard, and he spun around to face them just as he turned into Mesogog.
"No way!" Conner stared in horror. "Mercer is..."
"Mesogog..." Tommy looked just as horror-stricken.
"Oh, this is one crazy week," Ethan groaned.
"Really glad I didn't take that bet from Zoey." Andy said and Raina nodded.
"This is your big secret?" Kira looked at Trent as she realized why the boy had been so secretive. "You knew this all along?" She asked, hurt in her expression.
"He's my father. How could I tell you?" He asked, helpless to the situation.
"You will pay for betraying me Trent!" Mesogog finally spoke up, angry. "You will pay dearly!"
"I never betrayed you!" Trent insisted.
"He betrayed us if anything!" Conner snarled as his rage replaced his horror.
"Silence!" Mesogog screamed, and reverted back to Doctor Mercer. He fell to his knees, soaked in sweat. "Trent…I'm sorry." He spoke weakly, before disappearing through an Invisiportal, leaving Trent to face the wrath of his team.
Jenna sighed as she saw the look on Tommy's face, "And I'm calling Zoey home." She looked at her two friends as they laid hands of comfort on Trent's shoulder, "We're going to need backup."
1-2-3-4-5
"I always knew Mercer wasn't PTA material, but Mesogog? That's whack." Ethan growled as the teens, minus Trent, stood in Tommy's lab. They were all still reeling over discovering that Doctor Mercer was Mesogog, and worse, that Trent knew and had kept it hidden from them.
"I'll tell you what's whack." Conner stopped his pacing. He looked at his friends, still furious. "Trent not telling us, that's whack!"
"Look, I'm as mad about this as you guys are, but don't you think we still owe Trent the chance to explain?" Kira spoke up softly. "I mean, maybe there's a really good reason he didn't tell us."
"Well I hope there is, cause if not, I've no choice but to ask Trent to surrender his morpher, and give up being a Power Ranger." Tommy spoke gravely, before walking out to go and get the White Ranger.
"He did not just say that." Raina stared as she turned to an equally shocked Andy and Jenna, "Tell me he didn't just say that!"
"Don't tell me you feel bad for Trent." Conner rolled his eyes, "And why are you three so shocked? He lied to us. He doesn't deserve to be here."
"Yeah, I mean you want someone you can't trust running around with those powers?" Ethan demanded.
"The deal was clear from the beginning." Jenna glared, "The only way to get those gems and the power from them, was to destroy the Ranger. To willingly take a morpher is bad. No matter what. It needs to be given freely. The gem's powers, however, will never leave Trent. He's always going to have them."
"He lied because he was protecting his father." Raina joined her, "I don't care that he kept it from us because we might not have fought the same way."
"She's right." Andy nodded, "We had to same issue last year when we realized that Lothor and Sensei Watanabe were twins. Sensei never told us because it didn't matter to him. His brother didn't exist anymore. But he was worried that we might not have fought like we should've, had we known."
"I'd just hate for it to end this way for Trent..." Kira defended herself, looking at the ground. "I mean, if it were me, and I had to give back my powers, I don't know if I could handle it."
"Oh, now that is ironic." Conner gave a small laugh. "I remember when you didn't want it to begin at all!"
"Yeah right!" Kira scoffed loudly.
"None of us did." Andy rolled his eyes. "I had already been through it once before, I didn't feel like doing it again. But the Power chooses you. Not the other way around." He hesitated, "Trent didn't choose his powers either."
"Ok, I admit at first I wasn't so into it," Kira admitted, blushing. "but everything's different now. I've changed. Being a Ranger has changed all of us." She looked around the room. "Look at you, Conner. You are in no way the same dumb jock that you were when we started."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Conner frowned at the girl.
"Well, you know what I mean." Kira rolled her eyes.
"And if he doesn't, I do." Ethan spoke up with a small grin. "You have come a long way bro."
"From the shallow Jock Boy we met in detention," Andy smirked, "to a caring human being who thinks of more things than just soccer, girls and himself."
"Ok, point made." Conner laughed a little as he thought about how much he had changed over the year. "What about you, gamer dude? You're not exactly Mr. Cyber Geek anymore."
Ethan smiled brightly as he thought about it, leaning back in his seat. "Yeah, I am pretty cool, aren't I?"
"Don't get carried away." Conner grinned at him. "But, it's definitely not embarrassing hanging out with you any more."
"Ok, now who needs to learn how to give a compliment?" Kira laughed.
"Ah, it's ok, I speak Conner." Ethan shrugged, not seeming to mind.
"I don't think that's a language you should put on your resume." Raina chuckled.
He smiled in return, "You know what still trips me out? Our teacher is a Power Ranger legend."
"And it was well earned." Jenna crossed her arms, "He went through a lot, including losing his mentor." She frowned, "That doesn't mean I'm going to let him just take Trent's morpher without probable cause. Which," she stared pointedly at the group, "there isn't one."
"We owe Dr. O a lot." Kira spoke softly.
"Yeah, we do." Ethan agreed.
"Are you guys forgetting who almost ended it for good?" Conner asked, looking at Jenna, "You and Zoey should be on the first train to Kicking Trent's Butt."
"So, we should punish Trent for something he did under the Gem's spell?" She asked softly, "So, does that mean Tommy should be punished for the things he did while he was under the spell of Rita Repulsa?"
"No! That's not what I mean!" He snapped, "Spell or no spell, he should've told us about his dad being Mesogog!"
"I made a promise!" They looked around as Trent walked towards them, with Tommy following.
"What about your promise to us?" Conner growled back as they stood up.
"I never let my feelings get in the way of my Ranger duties!" Trent argued back, frowning at the Red Ranger.
"That may be true, Trent, but you've put us in a difficult position." Tommy told him sadly. "Conner may be right. I just don't know how we can ever trust you again."
"Don't make me thump you." Zoey snapped as she came down the stairs, "And as you've neglected to tell anyone what was going on, I made sure to explain the current situation to Jason and Billy so they can spread the news."
He sighed, "There was no need for that. We can handle this fine from here."
"Not if you're planning on taking Trent's morpher. Did you forget that I'm the one who purified the gem? I know he's good. I know we can trust him." She stood on her tiptoes and glared in her brother's face, "And I already knew about his dad."
"What?!" The room exploded. Tommy just sighed as he resigned himself to his sister's tirade. Andy, Jenna and Raina sat on the stairs and smirked.
"Why wouldn't you tell us about this?" Conner glared, "We had a right to know."
"Did you?" She tilted her head, "Well, first of all, it wasn't my secret to spread around. I told them," she gestured to her seated friends, who waved, "but we swore not to say anything. We wanted Trent to tell us."
"You should have."
"No, I shouldn't have. Why? Because you would've jumped the gun and done something rash. How do I know?" She waved around the room, "Look at how all of you are acting. Besides, it's no different than Sensei not telling us about Lothor. Cam only found out because he went into the past. If he had told us, we might not of fought as well as we did, had we known."
"I already said that to them." Andy shook his head, "Nobody listens to me."
"Look, just tell me what I can do to make this right." Trent pleaded with his friends as he stood facing them. "I make no excuses for the harm I've caused, but you know, things haven't been easy for me!" He shook his head.
"I never meant to find the White Dino Gem. It found me." He looked up from his wrist. "I tried to fight it, but the power was too strong. Anton Mercer is the only family I have! I knew I couldn't break my promise to him, so I decided to fight with you guys until he was freed of that mutant freak forever."
Andy got up and patted him on the shoulder, "But first I had to free myself by destroying the evil clone of the White Ranger."
"Do you know how your dad became Mesogog?" Zoey asked, looking in his direction.
"I think of it as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He said he was on this verge of some scientific breakthrough. During an experiment he was doing on the island with dinosaur DNA, he made some sort of serum that he injected into himself."
She nodded, "Which caused him to accidentally transform into Mesogog."
"Yeah. And like before the gem had full control of me, he can't stop it. He's been trying. It's two completely different personalities. I didn't find out until I was evil. I promised him after you cured me that I wouldn't say anything while he tried to figure it out."
"Figure what out?"
"How to separate himself from Mesogog." The room just stared at him, "All of his other experiments have determined that he can't get rid of him while they're still connected. In order to destroy him, for good, they need to separate. He's trying." He sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. My father thought he could handle this on his own, and so did I. I know now that I was wrong."
"We always have a choice." Ethan spoke up. "And I choose that Trent comes with us." He walked over and stood beside the White Ranger.
"Anton Mercer was my friend." Tommy spoke "I understand you're loyalty; the question now is..." he pointed at the other Rangers, "Do they?"
"I trust him." Zoey shrugged, "I have from the beginning. Evil gem or no, again, he couldn't control it."
Jenna, Andy and Raina raised their hands, "We trust him."
The other Rangers exchanged looks as Trent pleaded with them, "Being a Ranger is the best thing that has ever happened to me." He explained "I don't want to lose that, trust me."
Conner scoffed, "Yeah, I've heard that one before"
"So then let me prove it!"
The mainframe beeped, causing every head in the lab to turn to the screens to see that there was a new monster.
"Here's your chance." Tommy said, appearing at Trent's side.
Connor gaped "What? You're not actually gonna trust him?"
"Look at that thing." Kira said, "We have no choice."
"We always have a choice." Ethan shrugged, "And I choose that Trent comes with us." He said as he got up from his seat and stood with Andy.
"Thank you." Trent said to Ethan, "I wont let you down"
Conner shook his head as he fell into formation with the others, "I hope not."
"Ready?" Tommy asked
"Ready!"
"DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!"
"WHITE RANGER, DINO POWER!"
"DINO POWER!"
Zoey sighed as she sat the computers to watch the fight with her girls, "Looks like Tommy's not the only one that I need to thump."
Raina and Jenna just chuckled as they tried to imagine their friend thumping the big, bad Ranger Legend.
1-2-3-4-5
Arriving on scene, the Rangers made it just in time to see the monster laugh before disappearing.
"What the-?" Conner cried out, looking around. "Look out!" He yelled, before the creature's massive hand knocked them all to the ground.
"Oh man!" Andy looked up as the monster loomed over them. They barely managed to dodge as he stomped the ground where they had been lying, before blasting him with their weapons. The monster disappeared, laughing loudly. "Where'd he go?"
The monster reappeared, back to his normal height. "Miss me?" He blasted them again, sending them to the ground as they cried out in pain. Tommy and Trent avoided the blast and ran for the monster, only to be blasted into the water.
"Guys!" Conner yelled as they ran to the edge to check on them, but there was no sign of the other two.
"Two washed up Rangers!" The monster mocked loudly.
"Triassic time?" Ethan suggested to the Red Ranger.
"You know it!" Conner nodded as he held up the shield. The other three passed their power over to power him up. "Time for a little intergalactic action!" He and the monster disappeared and reappeared in space, "Just you an me!"
"You got it!" The monster says and they begin to fight, striking each other with their swords. They continued for a moment, but the creature grabbed Conner's weapon with his hand, "I don't think so!" He taunted just before he sent bolts of electricity down the blade, shocking the Red Ranger.
He fell back to Earth and landed on his back, groaning in pain as he lost his Triassic mode. "That was a long way down!"
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall!" The monster laughed as Conner struggled to stand up.
"Let's finish this!" Andy yelled as he, Ethan, Kira and Tommy, who had come back out of the water, ran towards him. The monster turned and blasted them across their fronts, knocking them back to the ground.
"Leave them alone!" Conner yelled, still trying to get up.
"Very well, I'll destroy you!" The monster announced, shooting his long arm out towards the downed Ranger.
Trent landed in front of the monster at the last minute, grabbing his arm to stop it's momentum forward, "Not so fast!"
"Step side." The monster growled "Its the Red Ranger I want."
Trent shook his head, "The Rangers are a team! If you're gonna destroy somebody, you better start with me!" He threw the monster's arm off him as the others just stared at the White Ranger in shock.
"Trent saved Conner!" Kira smiled under her helmet.
Andy just smiled as the girls started cheering in his ear, "We told you guys he was trustworthy! You really should've listened."
"Now where's all the tough talk?" Trent asked, as Connor got back to his feet.
"I'm through talking!" The monster declared.
"Good. Cause so am I." Trent drew his Drago Sword and attacked the monster several times, knocking him back. "Altogether guys!" He called as the team stood together, combing their weapons.
"Z-Rex Blaster, Super Mode!"
"Oh boy!" The monster gulped, staggering to his feet.
"Ready?"
"Aim!"
"Fire!"
Electrical power ripped through the monster, sending it to the ground, but he didn't explode. He just lay there as the currents ran over his body.
"Energy transmitted..." the monster muttered suddenly, confusing the group.
"What's he doing?" Trent wondered.
"What energy?" Andy asked, staring at the monster nervously.
The ground began to shake, and they looked around as something rose from the water. "Now what?" Conner asked as they rushed to the water.
"Oh, come on!" Andy exclaimed as they watched a copy of their Megazord come out of the water, "Like Zurgane's freaking Zord wasn't bad enough? Why can't the bad guys do anything original?"
"How do we fight that?" Conner groaned.
"Only one way! Brachio!" Tommy called into his morpher, summoning his Zord. "I'll take the Triassic Rover. You man the Megazord."
"You got it!" Conner nodded, handing over his shield. The four teens jumped into the Thundersaurus Megazord and Tommy activated the Rover. The two Megazords started fighting the cloned Zord, but it knocked them backwards.
"Call it guys!" Conner yelled as he struggled to stay on his feet.
"Dino Drill!"
"Engage!" They leapt into the air and shot through the Megazord copy, while the Rover attacked as well. It crashed to the ground, and exploded, but as the Rangers cheered, the explosion rewound itself, and the monster stood up in the copy's place.
"Thanks for the energy boost!"
"Is this a joke?" Conner groaned.
"Not to me, dude." Andy complained, shaking his head.
"This is to me!" the monster then blasted them, and the Rangers cried out as they fell backwards. Trent called on his own Megazord, and faced the monster.
"Leave my friends alone!" The White Ranger yelled.
"Fine, I'll start with you." The monster decided, and blasted the Megazord. However, it leapt into the air, easily avoiding the attack.
"Tail Attack!" the Megazord spun through the air and attacked him several times, "Dino Stegozord Stinger!" He called destroying the monster, "This battle is over!"
"Way to go!" Ethan cheered.
Kira grinned, "Right on!"
"Nice one Trent." Tommy nodded.
"I meant what I said," Trent told them, "You can count on me"
Andy shook his head as his girls cheered the White Ranger on through their comms. "They are so going to make all three of you run the obstacle course later." He smirked as the scared looks he was sent before leaving the Zord.
1-2-3-4-5
"Dude, you rocked!" Kira smiled at Trent as they walked into the lab.
"Bro, you were awesome out there," Ethan nodded at him as the White Ranger smiled bashfully.
"Thanks for the help Trent, it's always a lot easier when the whole team works together." Tommy told him as he sat down.
"Was that a jab at anyone in particular?" Zoey commented from beside.
"Would I do that?" He asked innocently.
She didn't hesitate, "Yes. Yes, you would."
"Thanks, Doctor O." Trent smiled at him, chuckling at the sibling banter, "I meant what I said. I'm in this for good. That is… if you'll have me."
"Well, I vote yes." Kira spoke instantly, smiling at the boy.
"Me too." Ethan nodded.
"You already had mine." Andy smiled, leaning against the column.
"Ours too." Jenna pointed to herself and Zoey, "No question on it."
"Conner?" Tommy glanced to the silent Conner, who had been facing away from the group. Conner sighed as turned around.
"Just one question." Conner looked at Trent. "Are you sure you wanna do this? I mean, there's a very real chance you'll have to face Mesogog one day."
Trent sighed, looking down for a moment, before looking up, "If Mesogog wins, my father is lost forever." Trent told him. "Mesogog has to be defeated, no matter what." Conner nodded, approving of Trent's answer.
1-2-3-4-5
"Still wanna thump me?" Tommy and Zoey were sitting in the living and watching a movie, trying to get some brother/sister time in.
"Always." She smirked, "Still upset I didn't tell you?"
"Slightly. Getting over it."
"Look, I kept it from you because I shouldn't have known." She paused the movie, "I shouldn't have seen it in his head. But I did. And I talked to the first person I always talk to about magic."
"Drina."
"I'm still learning. I just pulled the images out of his head when I cured the gem. It was a complete accident. I debated telling you. I weighed very heavily on it. I spoke to Jenna, who I tell everything to." She eyed him, "You don't count on that front anymore. Big brothers can't handle what their little sisters have to say. And I really don't think you want me telling you everything that goes on in my head."
He winced, "Please don't."
"I tried to put myself in his position. Everything from being possessed by the gem to his father being turned into a creep dinosaur mutant bent on turning the world back to the Triassic Age. It didn't help that you and Anton were friends. He was your mentor and helped you create everything from our Zords to the monsters we face on a day to day basis. After everything that happened when you were released from the Amber, I spoke to Andy and Raina about it. Wanted more open opinions."
She shook her head at him, "There was no way I was going to get anything objective out of the other three. They were too hell bent on destroying him when he was evil and that's not what we do. Not when it comes to evil Rangers."
He sighed, "I know. I tried to break them out of the thoughts."
"I thought we'd have more time to work it out. I know that Mercer has been trying to cure himself, so we were waiting. Sorry."
"It's okay." He hugged her to his side and kissed the top of her head, "Let's make a deal, okay?"
"You know I love our deals."
He chuckled, "No more keeping secrets for the sake of protecting each other."
She thought about it and smiled, "I can live with that."
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