Chapter Text
A/N:
And we are back with another volume of my pet project titled The Explicit Power Rangers! Written in collaboration with MarvelMaster616, we'll continue exploring this mature, coming-of-age narrative centered around everyone's favorite heroes, The Power Rangers. If you read the first volume, you'll know where the timeline is: taking place during the 90's show, except this volume, we'll be diving into the story of the Green Ranger arc, the arguably most iconic arc from the television show.
Once more, I need to thank MarvelMaster616 for giving me consistent feedback throughout the writing process. And I would highly appreciate any reviews and kudos you all leave behind, so if you wish, be sure to follow the story, especially if you want more.
Now, keep in mind, this story will be an explicit one, meaning there will be sexual content to it, so if you aren't of age to read this type of material, click that back button on your browser immediately. This is for mature audiences only.
Updates will take place at least once a month.
'This here means inner thoughts and psychic communication.'
I hope you all enjoy part two of this mature new take on Power Rangers!
Excelsior, friends!
Issue 1: Instincts
Angel Grove Youth Center
Dojo
Deep grunts and the sounds of kicks and punches hitting the heavy bag echoed through the dojo of the Youth Center. Tommy Oliver, the recently-transferred sophomore of Angel Grove High School, panted heavily as he aimed another roundhouse kick at the punching bag.
His first three weeks or so in Angel Grove hadn’t been an easy transition. Having transferred so late into the school year, that meant he’d missed the opportunity to try out for the football team, which meant he needed to wait for basketball team tryouts to start up. This, in turn, meant that he didn’t have much of a social life, outside of the Youth Center, that is.
‘At least Ernie’s good about me using the dojo to practice before he opens,’ thought Tommy, aiming a crane kick at the bag. But even as he remained focused and disciplined, his thoughts drifted back to memories from years ago, dating back to when he first taught himself how to fight . . .
Fourteen-year-old Tommy cut through a back alleyway, panting heavily. His backpack slung over his shoulder with the few clothes he’d managed to grab before leaving one of his worst foster homes. Granted, not all the foster homes were awful. In fact, he’d been in some pretty decent ones. Despite that, he never truly felt at home anywhere, no matter how nice the families were. But this time around, this foster home barely lasted a week.
He knew he wasn’t an easy kid, but his foster parents this time around, Kyle and Teresa, weren’t the nicest people, to put it lightly. After just three days of being there, Tommy couldn’t take it.
‘What’s the point anymore?’ he thought as he cut through another alley. ‘All I do is cause trouble everywhere I go.’
Only when he entered this alleyway, he instantly regretted it, because he immediately rammed into a much larger mass. Turning his gaze upward, he noticed exactly whom he slammed into.
‘Shit,’ he thought, feeling his breathing quicken in pace as he took a step back. As he glanced upward, he saw several other people towering over him. They looked significantly older, possibly eighteen by the looks of them. Two of them were massive in size; Tommy barely caught a glimpse of their faces, but he was certain that the biggest of the group looked close to a Pitbull that rammed several times into a tree.
Looking at them, Tommy knew that these were kids that he did not want to be associated with. They reminded him of every bully he’d encountered in foster homes and homeless shelters; the bigger kids that sought out to use those who were weaker as punching bags. And more often than not, Tommy was their favorite; he wasn’t exactly scrawny, but he wasn’t the biggest boy, either, and that meant, kids often took advantage to beat the crap out of him.
Backing away, Tommy just looked the kids dead in the eye as the biggest one – the leader he supposed – spoke up. “Where do you think you’re going, kid?”
The way the boy said the word “kid” enflamed Tommy’s already-bad temper. It sounded so condescending, he could barely stomach it. Nonetheless, he spat right in the kid’s eye and said, “Back off!”
“Hey, I know who you are,” said another one of the boys; a guy that had blonde hair that fell across his fat head making him look like a pig in a wig. “You’re that little shit that got passed to Kyle and Teresa. I see they didn’t straighten you out enough.”
“Looks like the punk needs to learn a lesson,” said another in the group, leering over Tommy snidely.
“Yeah, you’re right, Luke,” said the leader, before turning to Tommy. “Pound him, boys.”
Tommy took that as his warning to run. As he made the break for it, he grabbed a trashcan lid and rammed it directly into the leader’s face. He was certain he left quite a brilliant bruise, but he was far from caring as he bolted out of the alleyway and down the street, hoping that he could find another and at least jump over the fence. He did not intend to allow himself to get beaten up by someone larger and stronger than him, again. Luckily, he was a faster runner.
Cutting through the alleyway, he pushed himself to run faster, hoping he would lose the gang of teenagers behind him. But even as his feet slammed into the pavement, he could hear them right behind him. One of the teens threw a rock at him, which cut across his cheek harshly. But he ignored the stinging pain as he made his way into another abandoned alleyway. Not seeing a fence that he could jump over, he found a fire escape that he could jump up.
Quickly looking behind him, he saw that the older boys were gaining on him. This was his chance; now or never. Closing his eyes and concentrating, he backed up and proceeded to run towards the fire escape, jumping high. His hands caught hold of it, but unfortunately, before he could pull himself up, he felt himself being grabbed by the ankles and pulled down towards the ground.
He hit the ground in a loud thud as the boys began punching him, and he did what he could to try protecting his face and chest. A sharp kick slammed into his nose, causing blood to spill severely as he bit down on his own tongue, desperately trying not to scream. A fierce kick landed on his head, causing Tommy to nearly black out as he kept his eyes wide open, trying to find an opening for an escape. That was when he saw something within his grasp: a metal pipe.
Seeing that as his way out, Tommy tried reaching outward with his arm, only for one of the boys to harshly step on it, right underneath his elbow. He felt the bone harshly snap. Nonetheless, he reached out and grasped the metal pipe tightly, before managing to lift it and, rather painfully, swing it at one of his attackers. He caught one of the boys in the face, and saw he’d managed to leave a bruise. But that was enough for him gain back some leverage.
He just swung the pipe at random, not even caring whether he hit one of these guys or not. He just needed them away from him.
He didn’t know how long he spent swinging at these boys with the pipe, but he heard loud footsteps pounding towards him, and a voice yelling, “Freeze! It’s the police! Drop your weapon!”
Although he’d defended himself, Tommy had still gotten into trouble with the cops, given that he had ran away from home. He’d gotten off with a warning and had to do hours of community service. It was either that, or juvie. That, and he got placed in a homeless shelter when he told the cops about how abusive his foster family had been at the time.
Then, last year, he’d ran away from yet another foster home, which led to the cops ultimately deciding to place him in a private institution for “troubled” kids in northern California. It was there that he learned proper martial arts, and he learned a lot about self-discipline. That was, at least until Venessa and James decided to take him in.
Thinking back on all of that, Tommy slammed his fist into the heavy bag again.
‘Venessa and James must have the patience of saints,’ he thought. ‘Anyone willing to take in a screw-up like me must be something special.’
He was barely aware of his name being called.
“Tommy!”
Turning around, he saw Ernie, the owner of the Youth Center. In his short time in this town, Ernie had practically been a saint to Tommy, allowing him to be in there before and after hours. It allowed him to release so much of the aggression he’d withheld for so long over the years.
Ernie was there, ready with a towel, which Tommy took gratefully.
“Thanks, Ernie,” he said.
“How’re you fitting in here?” Ernie asked. “Kids treating you right?”
Tommy sighed. “I haven’t really interacted with anyone yet, to be honest.”
“Yeah, understandable. In this town the kids are all very tight-knit,” Ernie said. “But, if you want, I can introduce you to someone. Jason Lee Scott; he teaches the junior’s martial arts classes here. A bit temperamental, but a good kid. He’s participating in the upcoming competition we’re holding here to raise money. I’m sure you heard about what happened to the high school’s gym?”
Tommy nodded. He heard of Jason Lee Scott and even had a few classes with him, but hadn’t talked to him. But hearing about the martial arts competition definitely intrigued him.
“I did,” he said. “Did they ever find out who caused it?”
“No,” said Ernie negatively, shaking his head. “But we never thought this would happen. This town never faced anything like that before. It’s one of the safest places in the world.”
“So much for that,” Tommy sighed.
“Yeah, so much for that,” agreed Ernie.
Tommy wiped the rest of the sweat off his face with the towel. “Well, I’m hitting the showers. I’ve gotta get to school.”
“Do I have your name down for the competition?” asked Ernie.
Tommy thought about it for a moment. “You do,” he said, grabbing his school clothes and heading towards the men’s showers.
Scott Household
Guest Room
“Mom . . . Mommy!”
The cries of his little brother woke Billy instantly. Opening his eyes, he turned his head over to face Bryan, who was lying in the full-sized bed next to him. Billy sighed, shaking his brother awake.
“Bryan, Bryan, wake up,” Billy said, watching as his brother’s eyes snapped open.
“Billy,” his brother whispered.
“It’s okay, it was just a dream. Everything’s fine,” Billy soothed, running his hand through Bryan’s hair. He leaned over and kissed Bryan on the forehead, sighing.
Weeks ago, after the incident at the high school, the authorities learned of Billy and Bryan living on their own in the Cranston house, with their dad still in the mental ward of the hospital. They were nearly about to be placed in foster care, when Jason’s father Sam offered the two brothers a space in his home. That was especially since given how close Sam was to David, it was under David’s request that the Scotts be Billy and Bryan’s temporary guardians, should anything ever happen to him. Under different circumstances, Bryan would be sleeping downstairs on the pull-out couch while Billy slept on the bed in the guest bedroom.
But after the incident at the high school, when Lord Zedd set off a bomb that blew off the gymnasium, Bryan began having nightmares almost every night, whether it be about their mother’s death or their father’s mental condition, and insisted on sleeping with Billy every night rather than on the pull-out sofa.
Billy was fine with Bryan sleeping in his bed at night. Though he didn’t know whose sake he was doing it for, his or Bryan’s. Maybe he needed the reassurance that they were both safe just as much as Bryan did.
“Come on, buddy. We’ve got to commence on preparing for school,” said Billy. “Go, get dressed. I’ll be downstairs in just a moment.”
Bryan nodded, pushing the blankets off him and racing off to go and prepare for school. Sighing, Billy ran a hand through his hair and went to get dressed. But before he could pull a blue t-shirt over his head, he heard a knock at his door before Jason walked into the room.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked.
Billy sighed. “Bryan still negates sleeping without me,” he said. “And quite forthrightly? I don’t blame him in the slightest. Given everything that has transpired lately, I say we both need it.”
Jason nodded in agreement. “Hopefully, with the martial arts competition coming up Saturday at the Youth Center, we’ll raise enough money to get the gym rebuilt. Though I personally would like to see the Gavins get off their high horse and contribute financially.”
“Nonetheless, we still have Lord Zedd as an adversary, alongside Rita,” Billy added.
“Don’t remind me.” Jason grimaced. “C’mon, we’ve gotta get to school.”
Billy nodded in agreement, but before Jason could exit his room, he quickly added in, “Jason?”
“Yeah, man?”
“Do you perhaps ever feel any longing to misappropriately make usage of your powers? Even if it means helping a loved one?” Billy inquired.
Jason thought about his answer for a moment, before nodding and whispering, “Yeah, I do.”
“My dad won’t say anything to me, as usual. I just know something’s very wrong; that his tests came back positive for cancer,” Jason said, glancing upward at Zordon.
His mentor heaved a sigh, his eyes filled with compassion and years of wisdom that belied even Trini’s or Billy’s. “You have my utmost sympathies, Jason.”
Jason nodded, feeling his eyes stinging. His dad had gone in for his biopsy to test for potential prostate cancer. Only when he came home from the doctor, he didn’t say a word to his son, retreating into himself and closing himself off from even his own wife. It was killing Jason inside, knowing his dad was potentially so sick, yet there wasn’t anything he could do about it.
“Zordon, we have all this stuff, right? I was wondering if there was something that we could do,” Jason said beseechingly. “I mean, you yourself cheated death.”
“I fear it isn’t that simple, my son,” Zordon said, his voice laced with a stern gentleness that he often used when speaking to his Rangers. “Despite how it appears, my powers have limitations.”
“I know there’s rules,” Jason whispered, his voice threatening to crack. “I know asking you like this is selfish. I’m sorry. My dad, he can be . . . difficult, but . . . he’s still my dad.” Despite trying to fight it, tears filled his eyes and spilled down. “So, seeing as I’ve saved the world about a week ago, can you please make an exception? Just this once? After this I won’t ask again.”
His voice cracked on the last word.
Once again, he was faced with that stern look from Zordon, giving him that quiet reminder to what he swore to when he became a Power Ranger. “I have lived a very long time, Jason,” he said quietly. “I’ve watched many I love pass away. More than I care to count. I’ve seen innocent die and even sent my own charge to their end. So, believe me when I tell you, if I could do everything within my power to help spare you and your family that loss, I would . . .”
“But . . .” Jason began bitterly, wiping his eyes.
“I cannot simply hand over simple solutions to every problem, my boy,” said Zordon regretfully. “Knowledge earned is knowledge respected. I have to protect mankind from not just the evils, but also from themselves. I try to do what is best for you, even if it isn’t the easiest decision.”
Jason just shook his head, moving to sit down. Somehow, he knew that this would be Zordon’s answer.
Hart Household
Amy Hart’s Room
“Mom, while I’m happy you’re excited about going on this date, I don’t wanna see you having too high of expectations,” said Kimberly from where she sat on her mother’s bed, watching as her mother put on her makeup at her vanity.
Watching as her mom prepared for work, Kimberly took note of the happiness in her mother’s eyes. While she was glad that her mother would be going out and having a good time, there was still a part of her that was skeptical.
“Honey, I’m allowed to date,” Amy said. “There is no need to be concerned. It’s just one date. Besides, he seems like a really nice man, and I think you’ll grow to like him.”
“But why not introduce me to him first?” Kimberly asked.
“Can you let me get to know him before I bring him around?” Amy asked, raising an eyebrow as she sprayed herself with perfume.
Kimberly sighed. ‘Typical of Mom,’ she thought.
“I just hope he’s better than the last jerk you dated,” Kimberly said.
“Kimberly, Nick wasn’t that bad,” Amy argued.
“If you call him already having been married at the time not bad,” Kimberly mumbled, playing with the strap on her communicator.
“Okay, so he was dishonest,” Amy agreed. “But I promise, this time around, it’s going to be different.”
“If you say so.” Kimberly just turned her head away and rolled her eyes slightly. She couldn’t help thinking of her mother’s shitty taste in men. Several of her ex-boyfriends had been dishonest cheaters. Another had scammed her over millions of dollars. Somehow, this time around, she wasn’t expecting anything different, even if her mom insisted that it would be different.
“Well, I gotta go to school; I’m walking with Aisha and Tanya,” Kimberly said, grabbing her hot pink backpack and slinging it over her shoulders.
“Alright, I’ll see you later tonight,” Amy said cheerfully.
“Bye, Mom.” Kimberly sighed as she climbed down the stairs, grabbing a protein shake off the kitchen counter and walking out the front door, to see Aisha and Tanya already waiting for her.
“So, your mom’s going on that hot date?” Aisha inquired, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah.” Kimberly nodded glumly. “She’s insisting it’ll be different. I’m not so sure.”
“You’ve got every right to be unsure,” Tanya said. “Her last choices in boyfriends weren’t the best.”
“Thanks for remembering, T,” Kimberly said. “I wanna be happy for her. But I don’t have high hopes.”
“Of course, you’re guarded,” Aisha said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Just take it slow and give this man a chance, especially if he makes your mom happy. If he turns out to be no good, you’ll know. You’ve got good instincts for this.”
Kimberly wanted to laugh, but not in amusement. Her relationship with Hunter Gavin was still fresh in her mind, how he attempted to rape her in his car in broad daylight, so brazenly. And she’d been stupid enough to give him a chance despite his reputation, despite Jason telling her that he was no good.
“Like how I had such good instincts about Hunter Gavin?” Kimberly quirked an eyebrow.
“You made one mistake,” Tanya pointed out. “And you know you’ll never make it again.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Kimberly sighed as they continued walking towards the high school in silence. Somehow, she doubted Tanya’s words. She liked to think she would prevent herself from making the same mistake twice. But she also knew she was more like her mother than most knew. She tended to screw up at least a few more times before she finally got it right.
Five Hours Later
Angel Grove High School
Cafeteria
Lunch couldn’t get there fast enough for the Rangers. After sitting in “Mr. Ed’s” English class and needing to hear Mrs. Applebee lecture them about the importance of their upcoming exam, all five kids were in need of an hour amongst themselves. And as Kimberly, Jason, and Trini walked through the cafeteria, their lunch trays full, the three spoke in quiet tones as they made their way to their usual lunch table they sat at with Billy and Zack.
“So, Jase, you ready for this weekend’s martial arts competition?” Kimberly asked.
“As ready as I can be,” Jason said. “Zordon’s been kicking our asses in training these past few days. I swear, that man’s expecting something worse to happen.”
“Can you blame him for being cynical?” Trini asked. “Just a few weeks ago, Lord Zedd nearly got us blown up and took part of the school. He’s probably blaming himself for that. It’s his survivor’s guilt.”
“I guess,” said Kimberly as they sat down across from Zack and Billy. But even as they sat down, they caught Lord Zedd looking at them from across the room, that same cunning gleam in his eyes.
“When would that dude stop staring at us like that?” Zack whispered.
“Disregard it,” Billy suggested softly. “The more you give in, the worse he’ll get.
“Kinda hard to do that,” Kimberly mumbled around her salad. “I don’t know what’s worse: Lord Zedd looking at us like he’s plotting something, or my mom going on a date tonight with someone she won’t even introduce me to first. After her last few choices, I doubt I’m going to like this guy.”
“You’re overthinking it,” Trini said firmly as she flipped through her science textbook.
“And while I comprehend why, I believe you’re a bit too obsessed,” said Billy, pulling out his history notes. “I’m also willing to bet you forgot we’ve got a history quiz today.”
“How can we forget? You send us push notifications for everything, Main Brain,” Zack said around a roll of his eyes.
“So, therefore, I’ve got the perfect thing to distract you. Quiz me on this material,” Billy suggested.
“Really? More homework?” Kimberly retorted.
“Just because it isn’t Shakespearean poetry or plant biology, doesn’t mean it’s not worth studying, Kimberly,” Billy countered.
“I’ve already got it all memorized,” Jason said, glaring at Billy slightly. “You’ve got a bad habit of sharing historical and scientific facts whenever you sleep at night. Last night I heard, ‘America was founded in 1776’ and ‘Oxidize: combining or chemically combining with oxygen.’ And since we began living under the same roof, this connection between us has grown annoyingly stronger, Billy.”
“What can I say? I find peace in knowing I’m always prepared for every exam we take,” Billy said as he read through his notebook.
“Even if the material is way above your grade level,” Jason sighed.
Billy flashed a slight grin. The fact that Jason and Billy even managed to become such close friends was a surprise to everyone, even their fellow Rangers. The two boys couldn’t be more different from one another. Yet nobody could deny how well they worked together.
But as Billy began combing through his notes for the quiz that day, he peered from the top of his notebook Lord Zedd in his “Mr. Ed” form coming forward, something he did almost regularly, as if he were reminding them that he had a lot to hold over their heads. He didn’t just know their identities. He knew their weaknesses and biggest fears, which left all five of them feeling especially unsettled.
He didn’t say a word. He just simply walked past, giving them an especially dirty look that went completely unnoticed by almost all in the cafeteria. When the Rangers first met Zedd in his “Mr. Ed” form, he’d taken on the appearance of a gangly old man with a bad odor, but eventually switched to a handsome young teacher who made almost all girls in their school drool, and nobody seemed to notice that change at all; they actually thought he’d been a good-looking, early-fifties-old man from the beginning when he’d arrived at their school. If Kimberly had to hear one more time from Kat, Tanya, Aisha, or even Ashley Hammond (her prodigy for the cheerleading squad in the grade below her) or Cassie Chan (Tanya’s replacement for the cheer squad; the best that they could find) about how “hot” “Mr. Ed” was, she was so certain she’d hurl. It was gross enough to think that her own mother thought “Mr. Ed” was good-looking, and that he was finding a way to charm the moms of Angel Grove students.
She could hear Cassie and Ashley giggling fiercely over from the cheerleaders’ table where they sat with the football players and soccer players.
“If only they knew what he really was. Then they wouldn’t be so giddy,” Kimberly mumbled, finding it hard to eat her lunch.
“He wouldn’t blow his cover that easily,” Zack told her quietly. “Not after what happened weeks ago. He’ll be sneakier about it.”
“Which is why we need to be constantly vigilant,” agreed Billy, flipping through his notes.
Three Hours Later
Angel Grove High School
Football Field
“Alright, ladies,” Kimberly said as she gathered up the Angel Grove cheerleaders, who were sat outside on the benches wearing the cheer sweatpants and sweatshirts over their uniforms. The downside of not having a gymnasium to practice in due to it being under construction was needing to practice out in the cold of November. But Kimberly was optimistic that once Angel Grove Weekend was over, they were going to raise enough money to rebuild the gym.
“You know the schedule for this Friday,” Kimberly said. “Friday morning, we have the bake sale. Then that night, we’ve got charity football game, which we’re cheering for. Then, the next day, first thing in the morning is the gymnastics competition. Come that afternoon, there’s the martial arts competition, and –”
She was cut off by Kat, Aisha, and Cassie all giggling together.
“What?” she demanded.
“We heard that new guy – Tommy, is that his name? – will be in the competition, too,” Kat giggled.
“Yeah, he’s the tall, good-looking one, isn’t he?” Aisha laughed.
“Strong and silent,” added Cassie, giggling just as fiercely.
Kimberly rolled her eyes. This was so typical of her friends. It reminded her so much of how she used to be; naïve and willing to fall for the first guy she stumbled upon. And look at where that got her.
“You say that about every new guy that comes through the school,” she told them. “Now stay focused! Please. And as I was saying, after the martial arts competition, there will be a jump-a-thon consisting of sky-diving, and my uncle, who’s a pilot, will be in charge of that event. And then Ernie is hosting a dinner at the Youth Center. Then on Sunday, we’ve got the charity soccer game, that we’ll be cheering for as well. Any questions?”
Receiving silence as her response, she nodded.
“Okay. So, let’s get to practicing,” she ordered. “Everybody up. Let’s stretch and warm up.”
All her cheerleaders, minus Tanya, nodded, and proceeded to take their positions on the football field. Due to Tanya still nursing a broken leg, all she could do was sit there and watch as Cassie took her place on the team. The problem was, Cassie wasn’t the best at following choreography; Tanya, Kat, and Kimberly were definitely the better dancers on the team. But compared to the other girls who showed up, Cassie followed direction the best and showed a willingness to improve.
After they stretched and went through the warm-up routine Kimberly put in place, they proceeded to go through the choreography. But by the time they got to the point where Kimberly needed to be at the top of the pyramid, she heard her communicator buzzing loudly.
‘Really, Zordon? This can’t wait?’ she thought.
‘I fear not, my Pink Ranger,’ she heard him saying.
“Time out!” Kimberly called out to her cheer squad. She proceeded to jump down, backflipping and landing gracefully on her feet, light as a feather. Turning to her cheer squad, she said, “Kat, until I get back, you’re in charge. There’s something I gotta take care of.”
Kat nodded. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. Just give me a moment,” Kimberly said, before rushing off around the corner. Pressing down on her communicator, she said, “What’s up, Zordon?”
“I need you and the other Rangers in the Command Center, immediately. There’s something you must see.”
Kimberly sighed. ‘Duty calls,’ she thought, pressing down on the button on her wristwatch, which allowed her to teleport.
Underwater Command Center
Control Room
She landed in a flash of pink in the middle of the Command Center, right next to Trini and Billy. Jason and Zack followed shortly afterward.
“What is it, Zordon?” Jason asked.
“Rangers, turn your attention to the viewing globe,” Zordon told them. And as they did so, they were confronted with the sight of what looked like a putty attack downtown.
“Really? Can’t these guys give us a break?” demanded Zack.
“I guess not,” Jason said. “You know the drill, Rangers.”
“Right,” said Trini.
“It’s Morphin time!” Jason said, and together, the five of them activated their Zeo crystals, each shouting out the name of the dinosaur they had control over.
“Mastodon!” Zack shouted.
"Pterodactyl!” Kimberly yelled.
“Triceratops!” Billy yelled.
“Sabertoothed Tiger!” Trini yelled.
“Tyrannosaurus!” Jason called out. And with that, they morphed into their armor and teleported towards the downtown area.
Downtown Angel Grove
Touching down on the ground, the five Rangers landed in the downtown, near a construction site. Noticing the putties harassing the construction workers, Jason shook his head. Several of the putties were operating the vehicles, while several others were pounding their stone fists into the faces of several of the construction workers.
“Man, these guys don’t know when to quit,” he said. Turning to his friends, he said, “Divide and conquer. Take two at a time. Clear them away. Get the construction workers to safety! Make sure that no one else gets hurt.”
“We’re on it, Red!” replied Kimberly.
“Affirmative!” Billy said back.
The rest nodded, all following Jason’s command. But little did the five of them realize, they were being watched closely.
Angel Grove Wilderness
Cave
Ragged, weak coughing continued flooding the echoey walls of the cave. Rita Repulsa was still in a harshly weakened state, ill as ever. In the weeks that passed, the witch grew even weaker, and more impatient. Even the sight of her old accomplices, Squat, Baboo, Goldar, and Scorpina didn’t do enough to raise her spirits. In fact, she only grew even more demanding as she lay there, hacking up a lung as she waited for Lord Zedd to return with more people for her to feed upon.
‘Why is it taking so long to find a competent individual to become my Green Ranger?’ she thought bitterly, swallowing down more of the beverage Finster made her drink. It was doing very little to revive her strength, which continued to drain from the green Zeo shard infecting her.
As she heard the echoing of footsteps, she barely had the strength to raise her head as her Lord Zeddy entered, still in his “Mr. Ed” form that he’d been using for the past few weeks.
“Zeddy-boo,” Rita rasped. “I’m so sick of seeing you in that repulsive form. How much longer must you remain like this?”
“Until necessary, my love,” Lord Zedd told her, kneeling down and cradling her face. “I promise, once you are well, I will well make it all up to you.”
“You better,” Rita demanded. “Have you found anyone yet?”
“I have my eyes set on someone . . . perhaps there’s potential. But I still need to see how he does in combat before making the decision,” Zedd said.
That news seemed to bring the life back into Rita. Color returned to her sallow face as she grinned at the thought. “Excellent!” she said. “But until then, what are you doing?”
“Well, you see tonight, I’ve got some plans,” Lord Zedd said around a sick smile.
“Oooh, what are they?” Rita asked eagerly.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” grinned Lord Zedd, leaning down and kissing her on the lips, slipping her a lot of tongue in the process before grasping at her large breasts, squeezing them in his hands, which got her purring in delight. “Until then, just continue to rest, my most vile love.”
Rita nodded weakly before laying back down, watching as her accomplice and lover left the cave.
One Hour Later
Hart Household
Living Room
“Mom?!” Kimberly called out. “Mom, I’m home!”
“I’m upstairs, honey!” Amy Hart called out to her daughter.
Kimberly dropped her backpack down on the floor beside the couch, racing up to her mom’s room, only to see her mom getting ready for her date.
“Good thing you’re home, sweetheart. I was worried when I heard about that attack at the construction site downtown,” Amy said.
“Well, I’m fine,” Kimberly said, sitting on the bed. “So, your mystery man is almost here?”
“Yes,” Amy said, applying lipstick to her lips. “You have plans tonight?”
“I’ll be hanging out with Jason,” Kimberly said, which was partially true. In actuality, she and the other Rangers would be training, and then resting in their quarters in the Command Center. But “hanging out with Jason” was the excuse she gave as a coverup; not that Amy even bothered calling to check, since Jason and Kimberly spent so much time together already as it was, and they were at each other’s houses so frequently.
“Well, have fun tonight,” Amy said, spraying herself with her most favorite perfume – Mademoiselle by Chanel, a luxury that she liked to indulge in from time to time. But as soon as she grabbed her purse, the doorbell downstairs rang. “Oh, that’s him! Do you mind getting the door for me?”
Kimberly nodded, bounding down the stairs to go get the door. Except when she opened it, she did not expect to see what she saw.
There was Lord Zedd in his “Mr. Ed” form, wearing a pressed shirt and dress pants and bearing flowers. Upon seeing him, Kimberly felt her heart stop and her stomach drop as she backed away from the door.
“What are you doing here?” she demanded.
“Now, now, pinkie, is that the proper way to treat your mother’s date?” Lord Zedd asked her, his voice coming off as a sneer.
Kimberly instantly felt sick to her stomach. “Fuck no!” she whispered.
“Quite harsh language, no?” Zedd asked.
“Zedd, I’m warning you,” Kimberly whispered in a deathly quiet voice. “If you so much as touch my mother –”
“What would you do, hmm?” Zedd asked her coldly. “From where I’m standing, there’s nothing you can do. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe my date is waiting.”
“Don’t you have your own whore? Why go after my mother?” spat Kimberly.
“That’s not nice to say, missy,” Lord Zedd whispered. “Now, how’s about showing your mother’s date some respect? Or else, I’ll place you in detention, with me. Your choice.”
Kimberly felt nausea warp her stomach, still hardly able to believe it. Lord Zedd – her fake substitute teacher – was her mother’s date.
‘Well, I am fucked!’ Kimberly thought, feeling very afraid for the first time in a while, especially as she watched her mom greet Zedd and take him by the arm as he led her out the door, like every bit the gentleman.
Up next: Uncertainties