Power Rangers Time Force:
Photographs in Time

Chapter 06

I flinched when I heard an alarm clock went off, grumbling and burying myself under my covers to try and get back to sleep, even when I heard something heavy hitting the floor below. I had stayed up late the previous night doing some work on my weight training and was still slightly sore.

"Woah, that's going to leave a mark." I heard Circuit say.

"Why are you guys up so early?" Wes asked groggily before he yawned.

"It's not early, Wes." Lucas rebuffed.

"Where's Jen and Levi?"

"Levi's still sleeping- or well, trying to. Jen is training as usual." Katie answered him.

"Oh... she really does like to train, huh?"

I took this time to dramatically let out a groan as I sat up, my blanket falling down to pull around my waist, causing the others to look up at me. I grumbled and stood up from my makeshift bed and went down to where they were standing, ignoring the pings of soreness.

"No more weight training in the evening." I huffed to Wes as I grabbed a cup and let Trip pour some orange juice in it and sipped, sitting down at the table. "So damn sore."

"Right, noted." Wes said before he changed into a track outfit and left down the stairs, no doubt to go and bother Jen.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" I asked the remaining three.

"Nothing yet." Trip stated. "Though we could use someone to man the phone?"

"You have a gut feeling that today isn't going to be a 'no monster' day?"

"I have that feeling every day." he chuckled.

"Well, say no more." I changed into my usual attire and walked down the stairs and to the counter and leaned against it, looking over at the cheap radio that Wes and I had bought to not make this place so... silent. So, I switched it on, letting the music filter through the lobby. I hummed along as I opened the door to flip the sign to open and opened the screen door, so the sign wasn't obstructed.

It had only been about two hours when I saw the Rangers rushing out, Trip telling me where they were going, and I knew what was going on. So, I ran up the stairs, grabbed my polaroid camera, rushed back down, turned off the radio, flipped the sign to close and made my own way to the area where I saw that the Rangers were down, and the monster was a... weird fish looking mutant.

"So, Pink Ranger, we meet again." the mutant had stated as it took a few steps forward.

"I remember you." Jen stated as she got to her knee and the others to their feet. "You tried to destroy Alex and me. Didn't you learn your lesson last time, Fatcatfish?"

"Yeah, I learned that you and your boyfriend got lucky then. You won't be so lucky this time around. And what's this, your boyfriend's not here?" Fatcatfish mockingly cried before it laughed. "Yeah, I remember now. Ransik destroyed him. How did THAT feel, pinky?"

"You're going down!" Wes interrupted the mocking as he and the other three stepped up beside Jen. Then, they were rushing in to fight the mutant While Jen stayed where she was.

Lucas got trapped under Fatcatfish's foot before kicking him away and caught Trip with the barrel of his... gun hand thing. He hit Wes with his claws, but Wes stayed on his feet.

"No!" Jen got to her feet. "I won't let his death be in vain!"

Jen charged in, passed Lucas and Trip and slashed at the monster with her Chrono Sabers.

"Whoa, what's gotten into Jen?" Trip asked as they regrouped.

She sent the monster flying into some cones and took out her V-5 and pointed it at Fatcatfish.

"Jen, stop!" Wes ordered as he and the others grabbed onto her. "What are you doing?"

"Let go of me! He deserves this!" Jen growled as she shook the others off and pointed her weapon at Fatcatfish again, who was cowering.

"Jen, stop it!" Lucas snapped as he grabbed onto the weapon.

"Let go!"

Lucas looked down at the blaster before looking back at her. "Your blaster's set on destroy."

"I know!" She shook him off and pointed at Fatcatfish, who was getting up.

"No!" Lucas pushed the blaster up just after she pulled the trigger. The mutant quickly leapt out of the way, hitting a cylinder-shaped pool.

"Come on– give us the blaster." Wes stated as she and the others wrestled with her.

"Jen, you can't do this." Trip pleaded.

"Uh– I think I heard my mother calling." Fatcatfish ran off.

"Wait! He's getting away!"

"What?" Katie looked over. "Oh no."

Jen finally lost her hold on her blaster as she watched the monster run off.

"What do you think you were doing?" Lucas questioned. "You almost destroyed him."

"That's what I wanted." She fell to her knees and slammed her fists into the pavement. "I'll find him again, and then I'll finish him."

I frowned but I knew there was nothing I could say or do and so, I left the area, going back to the clock tower and leaning against the counter not again, not even rotating the sign. I had never seen Jen like that, ever, and I didn't know what to think.

For the remainder of the day, when the others had come back, everyone was subdued, and everyone pretty much went to bed early when evening came. Everyone was sound asleep... or so I thought.

"Guys!" Wes shouted, causing me to jolt awake. "Wake up! Jen's gone!"

That definitely got everyone jumping up out of bed, changing. Wes quickly gave me strict orders to stay, and I felt no disappointment when I agreed. Just like how I never took pictures of the prior fight, I won't go against Wes' orders as I understand this entire thing was personal to Jen and I would not be taking any pictures of it.

I watched as they rushed out, leaving me to start pacing almost immediately with worry.

An hour passed and thank gods that the hour was all it took for them to find Jen and bring her home. I watched as the others patched her up before everyone went to the respective sleeping spots except for Wes and I. Wes sat on a chair, beside Jen's... table side while I sat at a wooden box, monitoring to make sure Fatcatfish wouldn't appear with Circuit next to me.

I glanced over at Wes and saw that he had fallen asleep, head lying next to Jen's arm, no doubt having a hand on hers. I smiled slightly at the sight, knowing that he was already feeling deeply for Jen.

I looked back when Circuit gained my attention again and that's where I stayed until the early morning hours with the sun just clearing the horizon. I heard a noise and looked over, seeing Jen was slowly sitting up and looking down at Wes. She pulled her hand free from his grip and laid hers over his for a moment getting up, carefully as to not wake Wes up.

"You shouldn't be getting up." I murmured to her, causing her head to turn towards me. "You're still pretty injured."

"I'm fine." She grunted quietly as she gingerly walked to the jackets, grabbing her leather one and walked back over to the sleeping red Ranger, draping it over him.

"You're going after the mutant, aren't you."

She stubbornly kept her mouth shut as she headed towards the stairs. I grabbed my two jackets, threw them on and followed after her, making her stop and sent me a look.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm coming with you."

"You are not."

"Oh, yes I am. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed." My tone left no room for arguments, and I watched as she clenched her jaw. She began walking again and I followed after. I watched as she morphed and took off into the air while I followed her trail on foot.

When I had gotten there, Jen was already fighting Fatcatfish and I quickly hid. It doesn't take long for her to get it on the ground, pinned with her V-5 shoved in its face.

"Hold it right there!" Jen growled.

"Please, have mercy, Pink Ranger."

"I'll give you the same mercy Ransik gave Alex."

"Jen, stop!" Wes shouted as he and the others came running towards them, fully morphed.

"Don't fire!" Trip pleaded. "You got to think this through!"

"Save it. This guy deserves whatever I can give him." She told him.

"You'll be the same as them." Lucas tried to reason.

"Come on now, I'd never really do anything to you." sputtered the mutant. "We're buddies, right?"

"We're not even close to buddies, slime." Jen sneered.

"Jen, you're time force." Katie stated. "You're sworn to bring him back alive."

"This time, it is personal." Her finger was pressing against the trigger. "You tried to destroy me and Alex. You're as evil as Ransik, and it's time for you to pay."

"Wait Jen– you're right." Wes took a few steps towards her. "You've got every reason and right to want revenge, but I wonder, what would Alex do?"

Jen paused, tilting her helmet towards Wes before looking back at the mutant. "He'd say... 'Everything by the book'. ...Alright."

She lowered her blaster, finger off the trigger as the rest of us gave a collective sigh of relief.

"You made the right choice, Jen." Wes stated.

"Please do not scare us like that again." Trip all but whined.

"Yeah." agreed Lucas. "It's too much."

Katie sighed. "You could say that again."

Then, Fatcatfish smacked her off and got to his feet before he began to grow, and I knew that was my cue. I scrambled off and away from the battle, going straight to the clock tower.

I was sitting at the table, while Jen was sitting out on the ledge outside of the window and Trip was putting Fatcatfish into the freezer.

"That's one more down." grinned Trip.

"Someday, we'll put Ransik in there, too!" Katie grabbed Trip's shoulders.

"Let's hope it's soon." Lucas sighed.

I shook my head and stood, about to head for the stairs when I heard Wes' voice.

"I know I'm not Alex."

I peered around the corner and watched as Wes helped Jen inside and down from the ledge. I felt the other three around me, doing the same thing.

"But I don't want you to be like him." She told him. I watched as she bit her lip for a moment. "In fact, I like you just the way you are."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do."

"Yes. Yes!"

I held a snort before he hugged her... and we accidently tripped and fell onto the ground, making a sound and causing the two to break the hug and look over. I gave the two a sheepish look before standing with the others.

"I like you just the way you are." Katie stated, looking at Trip, who instantly knew what she was up to and grinned.

"You do?"

"Yes."

Katie threw out her arms dramatically. "Wes!"

"Jen!" Trip did the same before they dramatically hugged. I looked over and saw Jen had her finger up before she began to make her way towards them.

"Run, Run!" Wes advised and the two quickly scampered away with her chasing them. Trip went one way, and Katie went around the pillar. Jen seemed conflicted before deciding to chase Katie.

I just smiled as I watched the scene, shaking my head.