Two Days Later

A cinderblock ceiling greeted Tommy as he opened his eyes and quickly realized that he was laying on something very hard, almost as hard as a rock. He tried to lift his arms, but they wouldn't budge and suddenly, thoughts of a destroyed world filled his mind and caused him to moan.

"Ah Tommy, I see that you're finally awake," Prince Gasket said as he hovered over the table where Tommy was completely restrained.

Tommy blinked and gazed up at the robotic creature that hovered over him, "Is my name Tommy?" he asked weakly. "Who are you?"

Prince Gasket was silent for a moment, silently gleeful that knocking Tommy unconscious after the capture seemed to damage the young man's memory to the point of not knowing his own name, "I am Prince Gasket," he replied in a smooth voice. "I rule the Machine Empire, Tommy."

Tommy was silent for a moment and then struggled against his bindings, "Let me out of here!" he said anxiously. "I'm not an animal!"

Prince Gasket was quiet for a moment and then sighed, "You're a slave who needs conditioning," he replied in a commanding tone.

The bindings suddenly disappeared and Tommy quickly sat up and looked down at the white gloves that resembled hands, "You are ready for your training," Prince Gasket said as he looked at the teen clad entirely in white with a silver star covering his entire white helmet. "As a slave, you will be expected to entertain my beautiful bride, Archerina. She enjoys seeing combat, so you will be placed in the arena…"

Suddenly, Tommy found himself in an arena surrounded by three Cogs, "You will fight for as long as Archerina needs to be entertained," Prince Gasket said from the balcony where he, Archerina, and Klank stood. "I expect a good show, slave; do not fail to entertain my Archerina."

As Tommy engaged in combat with the Cogs, Prince Gasket cackled, "When Tommy's Zeo Star Power is depleted, he'll be nothing but a shell of who he once was and then we can kill him," he said in an amused voice as he looked at Archerina. "I love how this plan came together!"

A tear fell down Jason's cheek as he stretched in the grass near the edge of Angel Grove Park, clad in gold shorts, white shoes, and a blue tank top that he had borrowed from Malcolm's closet.

The sun nearly blinded Jason as he gazed upward at the pink sky that had taken the place of the storm clouds that had inhabited the sky the night before; he had spent time with his parents at their home during the storm last night.

Now, while his parents slept, Jason had found himself jogging across Angel Grove Park in clothes that didn't serve much in the way of keeping his overexhausted body warm, but they helped him to be outdoors legally. He had left a note in the kitchen saying that he was going to go jogging and then go to school from the park; he had likewise brought his backpack and a poorly made bag lunch with him to the park.

Unfortunately, Jason found himself unable to start jogging and remained on the grass crying his eyes out about his missing cousin. He was so focused on crying that he didn't hear a vehicle park beside the curb closest to where he was sitting. Tears rolled down his face and he found himself drying his face on the grass as doors suddenly slammed and footsteps hurried across the grass. Hands suddenly touched his shoulders.

"Jason, sit up and look at me," Jason suddenly heard his father say. "I know you're upset, but just breathe and relax. You're not alone…"

Jason swallowed hard and sat up, "There we go," Thomas said in a soothing voice as he gently removed Jason's bag from Jason's shoulders and quickly replaced it with a warm jacket. "Your mom woke up this morning and found that you left without eating breakfast again. She found your note and immediately called the station Captain, who immediately radioed me and my partner. I hurried home and got you some warm sweats, a jacket, and I also brought you a couple of your mom's homemade muffins, a banana, a cup of yogurt, and a bottle of juice so you can eat."

"I haven't felt like doing much since my friends went missing," Jason replied as he looked at his father. "I just feel worse every day that passes."

Thomas nodded and sighed as he passed Jason the bag full of food, "Self-destructive behavior isn't the way to go about missing your friends and brother, Jason," he said in a concerned voice. "Your mother and I talked last night after you went to bed and you need counseling…"

"I was planning to chat with Doctor Oliver before school," Jason replied tonelessly. "He said that he'll listen to whoever wants to talk to him…"

Before Thomas could reply, the ground suddenly shook and there was a flash of light, "Thomas, there's something underneath that tree over there!" Jarrod Henry, who had worked with Thomas for 10 years, shouted as he hurried across the grass towards a tree across the area from where Jason and Thomas were sitting. Jason and Thomas turned and saw that there was a very still form lying at the base of an aged tree.

Jason didn't wait for instruction from his dad; he was up and running to the spot before anyone could stop him. As he neared the form, Jason suddenly recognized the very pale face and weathered form dressed in a tattered and bloodstained suit as Malcolm's. Malcolm had escaped…

"Dad, it's Malcolm!" Jason shouted, unaware that his father was coming up behind him. "He looks really bad; I dunno how he escaped…"

Thomas quickly knelt down beside Malcolm and Jarrod hurried back to the ambulance to get the appropriate supplies, "Malcolm's in the beginning stages of shock, isn't he Dad?" Jason asked, seeing how pale, yet very sweaty Malcolm seemed to be. "Will Malcolm be okay?"

Trying not to show how horrified he was as he touched Malcolm's battered face, Thomas sighed, "Pray," he whispered. "Pray very hard."

Chills shot down Laura's spine as she moved away from the window in her bedroom after watching the sun rise and quickly disappear behind the same storm clouds that had blanketed Angel Grove the night before. She had been up since before dawn and feeling immense guilt.

Even though her bedroom door had been closed the whole night, Laura had taken great care to be quiet to make the others in the house think that she had been sleeping the whole night; if Ashley or Adam had heard her, they would have figured she was having trouble sleeping and would have immediately told Dr. Oliver about it. Truth be told, Laura had been experiencing insomnia since Tommy had been captured.

Nobody knew about the guilt or the insomnia, Laura thought as she moved over to her closet and began thinking about what she wanted to wear to school that day. Although Kimberly and Billy were aware of everything that had happened, they were still currently recovering from their time serving evil and Zordon had immediately sent Billy back to his father's place in Angel Grove and ordered him to get some rest.

Kimberly, however, had thanked Zordon for his help and left the Command Center to spend time alone. She hadn't bothered to speak with Jason, Katherine, Tanya, Adam, or Rocky like she had promised, but Laura hadn't faulted her for that. Kimberly did, however, send a letter…

Swallowing hard, Laura quickly moved over to her desk and picked up the letter that Kimberly had sent that had not yet been opened; it terrified her to think of what Kimberly had to say to her of all people. Laura had been just getting used to the fact that she was no longer a Power Ranger and she was refocusing her attention on keeping as busy as possible. The letter, however, had made her feel unsettled.

Realizing that she still had to wake Ashley and help her get ready for school, Laura tossed the letter on the table and quickly changed out of her pajamas into a pair of denim jeans, knee socks, a long t-shirt, and a warm sweatshirt. She then quickly combed her long blonde hair and put it into a loose ponytail with an elastic band from her desk. As she grabbed the letter from her desk, a blast of nausea suddenly hit her hard.

Pieces of the vision quest had remained embedded in her memory and Laura hadn't even mentioned it to David, which she now regretted deeply. Letting out a deep sigh, Laura grabbed the plastic bag she had been using as a backpack until she could afford a new one and slowly left her bedroom. She heard noises coming from the kitchen and immediately assumed that Adam and Dr. Oliver were having breakfast.

When Laura walked into the kitchen, however, she was surprised to see Adam at the stove making a pan full of scrambled eggs while a stack of toast sat on a plate on the counter. Ashley was sitting at the kitchen table wearing boots, blue overalls, and a yellow t-shirt with a cream colored pullover overtop of the shirt. Her hair was in pigtails and she was eating a small bowl of Cheerios while reading the comics page.

Neither of them seemed to take notice of her, so Laura quietly slipped out of the kitchen and moved down the hallway towards the front door to leave for school. As she passed by Dr. Oliver's office, however, Laura suddenly felt an urge to tell her mentor about her strange vision quest.

Laura sighed and quietly knocked on the door, which immediately opened. Dr. Oliver was sitting at his desk working on some paperwork and immediately smiled at seeing Laura standing there, "Hello Laura," he said in a gentle voice, quickly setting the paperwork aside. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that vision quest thing I did with David two days ago," Laura replied nervously as she moved into the office and slowly took a seat in a visitor's chair. "I found myself in a room and Kimberly was there; we talked and I ended up bringing her back home…"

Dr. Oliver's eyes widened, "You put yourself at risk to rescue Kimberly?" he asked in a very concerned voice. "Did you intend on doing that?"

Laura nodded, "I thought if I could find Kimberly, she could help me find Tommy," she replied nervously. "It's my fault he was taken…"

Dr. Oliver suddenly became very quiet and looked very heartsick, "I'm sorry to tell you this, Laura, but not everything bad that happens in life is your fault," he said in a very calm, yet very serious tone. "You have gotten a very raw deal out of life, as has Ashley; however, you nor your sister are to blame for the poor choices that others make. Prince Gasket and Rita made a choice to capture Tommy and you aren't…"

"Kimberly gave me a letter a few days ago," Laura confessed, cutting Dr. Oliver off as she held out the letter. "I haven't read it yet and I…"

Dr. Oliver carefully took the letter, but didn't open it, "Have you shared this with Zordon?" he asked quietly. "It seems to have affected you."

"No," Laura replied softly, deeply embarrassed that she didn't feel right about seeing Zordon again. "I'm not a Ranger anymore."

Dr. Oliver sighed, "That doesn't mean that Zordon doesn't care about you, Laura," he replied. "He'd want to know what you did…"

"Zordon knows about the vision quest and so does Alpha," Laura confessed softly. "I haven't felt well since I went on it…"

Dr. Oliver set the letter down on the desk and gave her a concerned look, "I assume David doesn't know that the vision quest made you feel this way otherwise he would have told me," he replied in a concerned voice. "For the time being, I have to forbid you from anything like that."

Laura nodded and sighed, "Where is Kimberly now?" Dr. Oliver asked in a quieter voice. "I want to talk to both her and Billy…"

"You'll have to ask Zordon," Laura replied as she slowly stood up and immediately wavered because she felt so weak. "I'm gonna be late."

"School doesn't start for another hour," Dr. Oliver replied, having seen her waver. "Please go eat something substantial and I'll talk David into giving you, Ashley, and Adam a ride to school this morning. He offered to give me a ride this morning, so he'll be coming by anyway."

Swallowing hard, Laura nodded and slowly moved out of the office. Dr. Oliver sighed and leaned back in his chair to think about what Laura had just told him. He wouldn't open the letter, as it was a gift for Laura from Kimberly; he would, however, make an effort to talk to Billy very soon.

I hope I'm doing the right thing. Kimberly thought as she walked through the canyon towards the cave where she knew Rita, Zedd, Goldar, Scorpina, and Zedison were currently hiding. During her time at the Command Center, she had written several letters to her former friends and had told Zordon of her plan to seek Rita's help in finding and rescuing Tommy. It would take a deal with the devil to rescue Tommy now.

"…That stupid metal-head Gasket!" Kimberly heard Rita screech. "He couldn't keep Kimberly from defecting because she loves Tommy…"

Tommy, I can't ever love you like I did before, but I can save you. Kimberly thought sadly as she neared the cave entrance and carefully peeled back the netting that separated Rita and her allies from the outside world, "…Empress, maybe love is what Prince Zedison needs to survive," Kimberly heard Goldar say as she crept through the cave. "Love is what helped Malcolm to escape your grasp, so maybe it is what's needed.."

"…Where am I going to find someone who will love Zedison and be willing to stay by his side for eternity without the aid of magic?" Rita screeched angrily. "If you're right, Goldar, then magic cannot interfere. We need to find someone who will willingly stay with him…"

If I freely give of myself, I can save Kat's brother and Tommy. Kimberly thought, realizing that Mark Hillard and Zedison were the same person.

There was a faint moan and Kimberly quickly moved into the next cavern just in time to see Rita and Zedd lay Zedison, who looked very pale and almost immobile, on a cot-shaped rock to rest, "Rita, we need to talk," Kimberly said in a firm voice. "I have a proposal for you."

"As I suspected you would," Rita replied, turning to face Kimberly. "I assume it has something to do with you wanting to save Tommy?"

Swallowing hard, Kimberly nodded, "I overheard what you were saying about Mark and how he needs love to survive," she replied in an anxious voice, silently praying that Tommy would someday find someone he could love freely. "If you grant me a favor, I'll help you and your son."

"You want to rescue Tommy from the Machine Empire, right?" Rita asked, an evil grin on her face. "As you may or may not have already guessed, that tin-head Gasket has very little use for Tommy except to make him fight as a slave until his Zeo Star power is completely gone."

Kimberly remained silent as Goldar and Scorpina moved to stand on either side of her, "I consider that a deal worth making," Zedd grunted as he gently stroked Zedison's pale face to keep the trembling young man in a relaxed state. "Zedison does not seem to have much time, Rita."

"You have a deal, Kimberly," Rita said as she offered her hand, which Kimberly took and shook. "You must tell the other Rangers, though."

Goldar chuckled and took Kimberly by the arm, "I will escort Kimberly to where she can meet up with the others," he replied.

As Goldar and Kimberly left, Zedison, who had overheard the entire conversation, groaned softly and promptly passed into a deep sleep.

"Save your strength," Zedd grunted, knowing that he would need all his strength for what was ahead. "You will need it very soon."

Rita scowled as she turned back to Zedd and Zedison, "I didn't want my baby boy to be married so young and without his sight, but you know how Divatox gets when she doesn't get her way," she snapped at Zedd while Zedison slept. "She had better have gotten that little wizard to pull off this trip. I hope once Zedison and Kimberly are married, we can forget about trying to conquer Earth and just go on a vacation for once!"

Zedd sighed and gently stroked Zedison's head, "Are you still planning to prepare that surprise for Zordon?" he asked in an annoyed tone.

"The Zeo Star will not be able to help them soon enough," Rita replied in an amused voice. "I doubt they're going to create new powers. When their Zeo Powers do fail, we can then rule Earth!"

Knock, knock, knock.

Exhausted from the lack of sleep he had had the night before, Billy quietly hurried down the stairs and to the front door. His father had left for work hours ago and, since he had graduated from high school and was currently recovering from Rita's spell, he mostly stayed in the house.

"Doctor Oliver?" Billy asked as he opened the door and saw Dr. Oliver standing on the front step, leaning heavily on his crutches. Behind him, Billy saw a truck parked at the curb and he saw that David and Adam were sitting inside the truck. "What are you doing here this morning?"

Dr. Oliver sighed and immediately held a set of keys out to Billy, "I stopped by to ask if you wouldn't mind going out to my cabin and seeing if anything needs to be taken care of out there?" he asked in a gentle voice. "You can take whatever projects you're working on with you."

Billy was silent for a moment and then frowned, "Wouldn't it be better if I worked on my projects at the Command Center?" he asked softly.

"Are you willing to trust me, Billy?" Dr. Oliver asked in an unusually serious tone. "I'd feel better if you could take care of my cabin for me."

Billy nodded, "How long would you like me to take care of it for?" he asked in a curious voice. "My dad's been pushing me to get a job…"

"I'll be willing to speak to your father and to pay you if you do this for me," Dr. Oliver replied calmly. "You'll be perfectly safe out there."

Swallowing hard, Billy took the keys, "Okay," he replied nervously. "I've just been worried about Rita coming after me since I broke free."

"You need to pack your things, go out to my cabin today, and not waste a moment in working on your projects," Dr. Oliver explained in a grave voice, deeply worried that Billy's freedom would soon be taken away not by Rita, but by someone worse. "Keep in contact with me, all right?"

A horn sounded and Dr. Oliver sighed, "I have to get going now or David and Adam will be late for school," he continued. "We were going to also take Ashley and Laura, but they left on their own after promising to hurry. Call me tonight and tell me you got out there safely, okay?"

As Dr. Oliver turned and slowly hobbled down the steps, Billy quickly closed the door and hurried upstairs to pack; he hadn't felt anything from Rita in the last couple of days and obviously, the mental connection was fading. However, Dr. Oliver's warning meant that he wasn't yet safe.

Rocky quietly walked into the main area of Angel Grove Hospital and immediately walked over to the desk to check in. He had been called last night and told that his test results were back; he had then asked his parents for a note to excuse him from his first few classes that day.

While Rocky lingered at the desk waiting for the clerk to return, he failed to notice Jason, who had left his father and Jarrod to stay with Malcolm while the doctors helped him, come down the hallway from the emergency room with the bag of food in one hand. Jason had told his father that he would sit in the cafeteria and eat breakfast before heading to school, but seeing Rocky there made Jason suddenly worry.

"Rocky?" Jason asked as he approached his friend from behind. He frowned when Rocky sighed and turned around, deeply embarrassed.

Rocky's eyes suddenly narrowed, "Jason, what are you doing here?" he asked in a nervous voice. "Was…was Malcolm found?"

"Yes," Jason replied, concerned by why Rocky was acting so uncomfortable about being seen. "He's being treated in the emergency room."

Rocky nodded, but said nothing, "Anyway, what are you doing here?" Jason asked in a worried voice. "You're gonna be late for school…"

"It's personal," Rocky replied softly, quickly turning away so that Jason wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. "You should get to school."

Jason frowned and put a hand on Rocky's shoulder, but Rocky immediately jerked away, "Back off, Jason," Rocky snapped anxiously.

"What's gotten into you, Rocky?" Jason asked, surprised that Rocky was suddenly acting so angry. "Are you feeling all right today?"

Before Rocky could reply, the desk clerk returned and smiled at Rocky, "You'd better go," Rocky said as he turned to face the clerk.

Jason didn't leave, however, "I've got an appointment with Doctor Ramirez," he heard Rocky say in a soft voice. "About my tests."

Not wanting to disrespect Rocky's privacy even though he obviously needed support of friends, Jason quietly hurried out of the hospital to get to school on time; why would Rocky have undergone tests? Why would Rocky hide his tests unless there was something really wrong with him?

"…Ashley, why didn't you tell Doctor Oliver about that this morning?" Laura asked as she walked alongside her sister down the sidewalk towards Angel Grove Elementary school. "If your teacher and the principal want to speak with your legal guardian, it's a serious issue."

Ashley scoffed, but handed over the unopened letter that her teacher had given her yesterday after school, "The teacher and principal want to speak with my parent or parents," she replied in an upset voice. "Mom and Dad are dead and Doctor Oliver is only my legal guardian…"

"You know that the school won't talk to me because I'm not your legal guardian," Laura replied, tucking the letter in her jacket pocket. "I'll give this to Doctor Oliver for you, but you have to learn to trust him enough to ask for his help when you need it. He does care about you, honey."

Ashley's eyes widened and she suddenly stopped in her tracks, "Don't you ever get scared, though?" she asked in a soft voice. "I mean, aren't you ever scared that things are gonna go bad again? I was so scared when we came to Angel Grove for that Halloween thing that we'd get into trouble, but we didn't. I know you're scared too, but you've never told anyone about how you got hit a lot. At least I told Doctor Oliver…"

"I told Tommy," Laura replied softly, abruptly cutting her off. "You're right, though, I never went to counseling for it and that's wrong."

Ashley sighed and nodded, "I almost forgot; Doctor Oliver thinks I should do something after school and after homework," she said as they continued walking towards the elementary school. "He said that Jason teaches a karate class at the Youth Center and maybe I should…"

"You could ask Jason if you could join his class," Laura replied softly, pleased at her sister's interest. "It'll be good for you to try it."

Before Ashley could reply, Goldar and a nervous looking Kimberly appeared in front of them, effectively blocking them from reaching the elementary school that was on the next block. Ashley screamed and Laura immediately pulled Ashley behind her to keep her safe from Goldar.

"Relax, Laura, Goldar's not going to hurt you or Ashley," Kimberly said in a calm voice. "He brought me here so I could talk to you."

Laura nodded, but kept Ashley behind her, "Why do you want to talk to me, Kim?" she asked nervously. "I'm not a Ranger anymore."

"If you don't listen, I'll make sure you're even less than you are now," Goldar said in a threatening tone. "Do you want to suffer?"

Laura trembled, but sighed, "Let me get Ashley to school first," she replied anxiously, silently wishing that someone would help her.

Goldar immediately moved aside, "Ashley, go to school and go right to your class," Laura insisted anxiously. "I'll see you later."

Tears formed in Ashley's eyes and she quickly hurried past Laura, Goldar, and Kimberly towards the elementary school, "I'll be back when you are done," Goldar said in a menacing voice. "You had better act quickly, Kimberly, and then be prepared to live up to your end of the deal."

Kimberly nodded and Goldar vanished, "Kimberly, I don't hang out with Jason and the others anymore," Laura replied in an upset voice. "I was the reason that Tommy was taken and I'm no longer a Ranger; I don't have anything valuable to offer as a friend or even as a person."

"If you have the time, I need your help to talk to the others," Kimberly replied softly. "I want to tell them of the deal and say goodbye."

Suddenly, Laura was very scared and felt like she was a helpless fly in a spider's web. She felt her chest become tight and was trying to think of how to reply when Jason came jogging up to them with a half-eaten muffin in hand, "Jason, I need to talk to you," Kimberly said anxiously.

"I can't right now," Jason replied in a slightly stiff tone. "I have to get to school and tell Mister Caplan that Malcolm's at the hospital…"

Laura's eyes widened, "Malcolm's at the hospital now?" she asked in a shocked voice. "So that means he got Zordon's message…"

"I wanted to stay at the hospital, but my dad told me to go to school," Jason replied in a less terse voice. "Are you okay, Laura? You look sick."

Laura nodded and took a deep breath to relax, "I'm fine," she replied anxiously. "We should probably get to school so we won't be late."

"You promised to help me find the others," Kimberly replied, giving Laura a worried look. "I don't really have a lot of time, Laura."

A feeling of uneasiness filled Jason's heart as he watched Laura struggle with the decision of whether or not to help Kimberly, "Look Kimberly, I think you'll find Katherine, Tanya, and Adam at school," he cut in in a suspicious tone. "If you need to talk to them, you can do it there."

"Jason, I made a deal with Rita," Kimberly replied, not surprised that Jason didn't trust her. "Zedison didn't receive Malcolm's energy as well as Rita and Zedd hoped he would and they determined that he needs willing love in order to survive. I told Rita that I would willingly love and marry Zedison if she helped me to rescue Tommy. She told me that I'm supposed to gather all of the Rangers and she'll show us where he is."

Jason nodded, "I think we should talk to Katherine, Tanya, Adam, and Rocky at school," he stated. "We can talk to Malcolm later on..."

"We'd better hurry if we want to get to school on time," Laura said, taking off at a walk before Jason or Kimberly could stop her.

As Laura walked past the elementary school and towards the high school that was two blocks away, she replayed Jason's words in her mind and had noticed that he was referring to himself and Kimberly as 'we'; she didn't expect to be included in any sort of friendly discussions anyway.

Jason, however, merely gave Kim a long look that made it clear that he didn't trust her before hurrying to catch up with Laura. Even though Laura hadn't been a Ranger for a while now, he trusted her more than he trusted Kimberly; obviously meeting Kimberly had drained Laura and he felt it was up to him to gather the other Rangers, Laura, and Billy to do whatever they could to rescue Tommy, even if it meant trusting Kim.

A wall clock caught Rocky's eye as he cut through the emergency room to leave. It was nine and school had already started, but he had a note from his parents that would help him escape detention. However, none of that mattered to him at the moment because he was healthy.

Even though another blood test had been ordered initially, Rocky had just been told to eat more foods that contained iron and had been told that he was still cancer-free. He was so relieved at the results and now planned to do his best to stay healthy for the rest of his long life.

"…Easy kiddo, you've given all of Angel Grove quite a scare," Rocky suddenly heard Thomas Lee Scott say in a gentle, yet firm voice.

Rocky frowned and moved towards the sound; he froze outside of a large curtained area when he saw Thomas Lee Scott sitting on a stool beside a bed where a battered, very battered Malcolm was laying with a hospital gown and blanket covering his body. One nurse was busy putting IV's in Malcolm's arms and legs while another nurse was wrapping bandages around Malcolm's forearms and shins to protect cuts and burns that had been carefully treated. Malcolm was awake and looked very much like he wanted to be sound asleep, but he then saw Rocky.

"Rocky, what are you doing here?" Malcolm asked in a voice that was barely audible. Rocky sighed and slowly moved closer to the bed.

Immediately recognizing Rocky as one of Jason and Malcolm's friends, Thomas smiled, "Hello Rocky," he said in a kind voice. "How are you?"

"I'm feeling great," Rocky replied, frowning when Malcolm sighed and suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit. "Is Malcolm sick?"

A nurse quickly slipped a small pair of oxygen tubes into Malcolm's nose, "I just feel so weak," he replied in a faint whisper. "My ribs hurt."

"Malcolm, that's exactly why you're going to be in the hospital for a few days," Thomas said in a gentle voice. "You need rest and time."

Malcolm sighed and winced, "Maybe you'd better sleep for a while," Rocky suggested, horrified at the damage that Rita had inflicted.

"Maybe Malcolm will feel up to visitors after school," Thomas said as Malcolm quickly drifted off to sleep. "Thanks for stopping by."

Rocky nodded and, silently vowing to do whatever he could to help in the fight against Rita and other evils, he silently walked off alone.

It was noon before Katherine caught sight of Laura and she immediately frowned; Laura looked tired and like she didn't even want to be at school that day. Had Jason been right in that Kimberly's presence and dependence on Laura had physically and emotionally drained her?

"Laura?" Katherine asked, walking over to the small crowd waiting outside the cafeteria for it to open. "Laura, are you okay?"

Laura sighed, "Katherine, I assume Jason already told you what happened this morning?" she asked in a faint voice.

"Yes, Jason told me about how Malcolm's in the hospital and how Kimberly was bothering you," Katherine whispered. "Are you okay?"

As Tanya joined the line, Laura scowled, "I'm not someone you need to worry about anymore, Katherine," she replied coolly.

"We're friends, Laura," Katherine replied softly as the cafeteria doors opened and the line surged forward. "I really care about you."

Laura sighed, "After I was responsible for Tommy getting kidnapped, I don't deserve care," she replied softly. "Please excuse me, Kat."

"What did she mean by that?" Tanya asked in a concerned voice as Laura left the cafeteria. "She wasn't responsible for that happening."

Before Katherine could reply, Jason and Adam joined the cafeteria line, "We just saw Laura leave the cafeteria and she looked upset…"

"Laura told us that she feels responsible for Tommy being kidnapped," Tanya stated, cutting Jason off. "She's scared and angry about it."

Realizing that Laura was on the verge of self-destructive behavior because she felt guilty over something that wasn't even her fault, Jason frowned, "Adam, grab me the daily special," he said as he moved out of the line. "I'm gonna go and find Laura and talk to her about this."

"I'm coming with you, Jason," Katherine replied in a determined voice. "Mark was kidnapped by Rita, so I understand a little bit…"

Jason nodded and he and Katherine quickly left the cafeteria. Tanya and Adam were silent for a moment and then quickly followed them.

"Bulkie, not so rough, okay?" Skull asked, pulling away from Bulk patting his shoulder as they walked down the hall. "I'm kinda frail."

Bulk nodded apologetically and grinned at the badge on Skull's jacket, "So your mom let you join the Junior Police Force, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, she said that it will be good for me and look good when I apply for college next year," Skull replied cheerfully. "What about you?"

Bulk suddenly froze and winced, "I have to pass a reading test before I can join, but I'm getting tutored," he replied. "Hopefully, I can…"

Suddenly, a manic yell filtered into the hallway from the gym. Exchanging a confused look, Bulk and Skull hurried into the gym and were both shocked and horrified to see Laura growling and viciously attacking a punching bag by alternating punches and wild kicking maneuvers. Sweat was pouring down her face and her ponytail had come undone, but Laura seemed not to take notice of anything or anyone around her.

"Bulkie, do you think Laura's okay?" Skull asked nervously as they walked closer to her. "I mean, maybe we should go get a teacher…"

Before Bulk could reply, Jason, Katherine, Tanya, and Adam came running into the gym, "Laura, let's go get some lunch," Katherine said softly.

Laura didn't reply and promptly stopped attacking the bag, instead slumping against it while remaining on her feet, "Laura?" Katherine asked in a concerned voice, frowning when Laura didn't respond and closed her eyes. "Guys, what do we do? Laura's not responding at all."

"Let's lay her in the recovery position first," Jason said, quickly remembering his Emergency First Aid training. "Kat, can you help me?"

Katherine nodded and Jason gently took Laura in his arms and eased her away from the bag. Katherine carefully grabbed her legs and helped Jason gently lay her down on a pile of mats that were for a class later that day, "Adam, go to the office and tell Mister Caplan to call 9-1-1 right now," he said in a firm voice as he checked Laura's pulse and noticed that her breathing was slow. "Bulk, give me your leather jacket."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Bulk asked in a worried voice as he quickly removed his jacket and handed it to Jason. "What's wrong with her?"

Jason sighed, but said nothing as he covered Laura with Bulk's jacket; he suddenly remembered what his father had said about some parents taking their frustration out on their children in the form of physical abuse and now wondered if Ashley and Laura had actually been abused.

"I told Mister Caplan what happened and he's calling 9-1-1," Jason suddenly heard Adam say as footsteps re-entered the gym.

Jason nodded, "Bulk and I will guard the gym doors to keep others from entering," Skull said nervously as he edged towards the door.

"I hope Laura's gonna be okay," Bulk muttered as he hurried to join Skull in guarding the doors; he felt bad that she had to struggle like she did.

Katherine sighed and knelt down next to Jason, "Back when I was under Rita's spell and I first met Laura, I saw some bruises on her chest while we were on Phaedos," she whispered in a concerned voice. "Do you think her getting sick today had something to do with those bruises?"

"Guys, what's going on?" Rocky, who had been told by Bulk and Skull that the gym was off limits, asked as he forced his way into the gym.

Laura suddenly groaned and moved her head, but didn't wake up, "It's my fault," she moaned quietly. "My parents, Tommy; all of it…"

Before anyone could reply, Laura suddenly went rigid and began to convulse, "What do we do?" Katherine asked in a scared voice.

"I had one of these once when I was doing cancer treatments as a kid and just make sure that she doesn't hurt herself," Rocky cut in as the wail of loud sirens permeated the quiet air. "Ambulance must be pulling up outside. I'll go tell the paramedics and Mister Caplan what's happening."

As Rocky ran out of the gym, Laura stopped seizing and lay very still. The gym doors suddenly banged open and Jason was surprised to see his father and his father's work partner rush into the gym with their medical bag on top of a gurney. Thomas frowned when he saw Laura.

"Jason, why don't you and your friends go back to class now?" Thomas asked in a concerned voice. "If you see Doctor Oliver on your way…"

Jason nodded and quickly stood up, "Oh Katherine, if you wanted to drop by and visit with Malcolm after school, I'm sure he'd appreciate that," Thomas said in a gentle voice as Jason, Katherine, Tanya, and Adam moved towards the door. "He's really weak right now, but still…"

Katherine merely nodded before leaving with the others, as Thomas and Jarrod were busy tending to Laura and didn't have time to talk.

The bell rang and as Ashley came out of her classroom, she was surprised to see Dr. Oliver standing in the hallway on his crutches with David, who was carrying his bag and his uncle's satchel, standing next to him, "Hey Doctor Oliver, hi David," she said in a nervous voice. "Where's Laura at? She said she was gonna pick me up after school today and take me to the Youth Center so I could take Jason's karate class."

"Laura got sick at school today and had to go to the hospital, Ashley," Dr. Oliver replied gently. "I got the letter from your teacher, though, and I left the high school early to talk to your principal. David was done class early today, so he offered to give me a ride here."

Ashley suddenly looked nervous, "I haven't been skipping any classes and I've done all of my homework," she replied in a worried voice.

"Both your teacher and the principal say that you've been doing very well," Dr. Oliver replied in a reassuring voice. "They're very pleased."

Ashley nodded, but frowned, "Can I go visit Laura at the hospital?" she asked in a worried voice. "I can take Jason's class another time."

"I want you to get your homework done first," Dr. Oliver replied in a firm voice. "After that's done, we'll go see if Laura wants visitors, okay?"

David smiled as Ashley nodded, "Can I at least do my homework at the Youth Center?" she asked eagerly. "I'm kinda hungry…"

"Sure," Dr. Oliver, who wanted to do whatever he could to keep Ashley healthy and happy, replied. "Let's get out of here now, shall we?"

The sun was beginning to slowly descend from the sky as the RADBUG pulled into the parking area that was next to Dr. Oliver's cabin. After turning off the engine and unbuckling his seatbelt, Billy gathered his things and got out of the car. An unusually cold wind was enough to make him hurry up the steps, quickly unlock the door, and shut himself up inside the house. It was very neat, yet very quiet in the house.

A quick walking tour told Billy that the house had recently been stocked with food and other emergency supplies; it was almost as if Dr. Oliver knew that someone would be coming out to the house and staying there for an indefinite period of time. Billy wasted no time in setting up his portable design table and the computer he had brought with him; his projects and ideas for projects were all safely stored on data disks.

Suddenly, as Billy was contemplating whether or not to make himself something to eat, a door that led to a broom closet suddenly slid open and Billy felt like he should explore the house. Carefully gathering up his papers and data disks, he went through the door and found himself walking down a spiral staircase into a dark basement like room. The air wasn't cold, which Billy thought very strange but felt no fear about.

As Billy's feet stepped off the last step, the upstairs door suddenly slammed shut and light filled the room; he saw a mini apartment in front of him with all the furnishings and extraordinary technology as well as a map on the wall showing a passage to the Power Chamber. Billy's eyes went wide; had Dr. Oliver insisted he come here to create backup assistance to give to the Rangers in case there was ever a time when the Zeo Star's power failed?

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