Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

They drop down to the pit to see Zack and Billy playing a card game she can't really see the details of. They look completely dry so they've probably been here a while. She remembers that the twins are at Jason's and they don't know how long they'll be so she sends a text to her father letting him know that she might be out late a and the twins are at Jason's house with Pearl. She adds in the address so he can pick them up because she won't be able to. 

Trini feels Kim's eyes on her back, her stare burning holes into her shoulder blades. She's used to the way Kim, and Zack sometimes, look at her. If only they didn't have to worry about the end of the world she would do something about it. She rolls her shoulders then continues on into the ship to get another moment of peace. She takes a deep breath and does a few yoga stretches before she feels eyes on her again. It's Zack, she hasn't looked up yet, she just knows that it's him. She always knows when Zack is by or not far away from her, intuition you can say. He's also the only one who waits for acknowledgement before speaking when it comes to her, he always let's her talk first. 

She stretches as she stands then turns to the boy in black. He motions for her to sit with him and she walks back to a weird high point in the ship and sits, with him following. They're both silent at first, he's good at waiting for her because he is used to it, then finally she speaks.

"I'm scared Zack. The world is depending on the five of us, not just this small town, the whole world. If we fuck up everything is done, do you get that? We don't get a second chance. We lose we die and so does everyone we care about and love. Your mom, my brothers, just gone and we won't get them back. I know what the world is going to look like with Rita in charge, ruins and slaves doing her bidding while she sits on a throne of our broken bodies still in our armor. Alpha is going to end up an end table for her drinks as she uses Zordon to watch tv! This is literally life for death not just for us but for Everyone. That is a lot of pressure for five fuck ups who met less than two weeks ago, and I don't think I can handle it."

She doesn't notice that she's crying but she is and Zack takes her long sleeve and wipes her face gently bringing her attention to the wetness on her face. He doesn't respond right away, he makes sure that she's okay first, then takes a deep breath and speaks.

"If I die tomorrow I think I would be okay. I mean I wouldn't have to watch my mother in pain but fighting it for me. I wouldn't be living paycheck to paycheck, paying back pay from a hospital bill from years ago. I wouldn't have to lie anymore. I have lived everyday of the past three years lying and I'm tired Trini and you are too, because you've been lying for longer than I have. Dying tomorrow wouldn't be so bad for me, because at least I can finally rest."

"I don't like the way you sound right now Zack. You sound like you want to hand Rita your head on a silver platter."

"I don't want to die relax and let me try again. What I'm trying to say is that maybe we've been training the wrong way. The reason Billy was able to morph first was because he's been open to all of this and to all of Us without any hesitation. If you asked him if he loved us right now he would say yes without a question of doubt. He's been an open book with us this whole time and that's why he can morph and the rest of us are struggling. Running away from our truth and lying to each other is going to cost us our lives and the rest of the world. The end of the world caused by Teenage Angst is a terrible way to lose don't you think?"

Trini looks at Zack, really looks at him, and sighs because she knows he's right. Dying at the hand of their own teen angst would be fucking sad, and she's tired too. Tired of letting people control the way she lives her life and how she interacts with people. She just doesn't know if she's more tired or terrified. She lays her head on his shoulder and they sit there for a minute or so longer not speaking.

"I'm tired too hermano. I'm tired too."

He lays his head on top of hers for a moment longer before joining the others for one last training session. No one asks where they went or why and they don't say either. Kim is looking at them, she can feel the eyes on her back like always, but this time when she looks up Kim doesn't look away. She holds her gaze before turning away to finish off the putty in front of her. As they leave for home Zack hangs back and addresses all of them as they're all coming out of the pit.

"I'm planning on hanging up here for a few more hours to give my possible last night alive what it deserves. You guys are welcome to join if you want, we can even make s'mores."

She can see Billy is down to hang out but Jason and Kim look skeptical at Zack's offer to hang out together. He turns to her and gives her a look, knowing that if she agrees to stay Kim will and then Jason will have to stay, so she nods and steps forward.

"Sure, but I'm not helping you start the fire. You two staying?"

Kim responds before Jason and for him, not making him the oddball out so the whole team is here for what is possibly their last night alive. The boys gather firewood together while Kim and Trini find things to sit on for them. As the boys get the fire started Trini runs home and grabs those two beers out of her room that she got from Zack, leaving her window open for a sneaky return because it will probably be after her curfew by the time they get tired enough to go home. Billy saved her a spot in the old arm chair they found next to him right across from Kimberly.

She pops the top of the beer off with her finger using ranger strength and takes a swig as Zack is telling some story that she's heard before. She laughs at the appropiate moments and nods when he tells her to back him up on certain details the others don't really believe. For a moment they feel like a group of regular kids just hanging out before they have to go home before curfew. It feels nice enough that she almost forgets that this is a bonding moment before the end of the world. Zack finishes his story and sits down with a flourish and turns to Jason with a drunken smirk on his face even though he's sober.

"Now what I want to know is why you were up here together? I know why Crazy girl and I were up here but not you three. Spill."

Billy starts to speak but Jason shakes his head at him, and speaks for himself.

"Judgmental stares aren't really my bag, and neither is my parents arguing about me ruining my life loud enough that I can hear them all the way from the kitchen in my room. When Billy gave me a way out of the house, and out of my ankle bracelet after detention I took it no questions asked. It just happened to be up here."

"Billy you have detention? For what?"

"Oh I blew up my locker testing explosives for the mines. I thought everyone knew that."

Kim guffaws and Zack nods, impressed and not expecting that from the intelligent boy in front of him. Trini smirks at everyone's reaction, having already known what he was in detention for because she asked last Saturday during a lull in conversation. 

"Okay so Billy destroyed school property, Jason, well we all know what Jason did. What about you Kimberly?"

"What about you Zack?"

"What about me?"

"Why don't you go to school, you should be a junior if my math is correct?"

He stands and takes a deep breath watching the hot air turn into fog in front of him and smiles sadly at all four of them.

"Because someone has to stay home and take care of my mother. She's sick and I can't afford to put her in a nursing home to take care of her because we live in the trailer park. I quit school to work so she could have all her medicine and pay her hospital bills. I would do anything for that woman, because my mom is the best. MY MOM IS THE BEST! That answer your question Kimmy?"

She nods with a sad look on her face. Trini sighs and drains the last bit of the beer in her hand before pulling out the second one and starting on it so she can feel just a tiny bit of a buzz. The sound of her opening the bottle must have caught Zack's attention because he turns to her, completly forgetting that he was talking to Kim and focusing on her.

"Mother Trini, always the listener never the one to speak. I think the floor is finally your Counselor Cortez!"

"Zack she doesn't have to tell her life story just because you did."

"Oh yes she does, she knows everything about all of us but what do we really know about her? You three didn't even know her last name until I just said it and you share classes with her! No more hiding hermana, not from us."

She can hear Jason arguing on her behalf, but she knows Zack. She needed a push like this, one she can't run from. That she doesn't really want to run from. God she's so tired of running from herself. Maybe it's time she finally stopped. One long swig from the bottle and she starts telling her tale, starting at the very begining.

"Three schools in three years, which started after my aunt died and my attempted suicide. She and my uncle, her husband, are the reason I am who I am today and I took her loss hard. Mother dearest put me in theraphy at my doctor's insistence because I was almost a functioning mute and you know, on suicide watch. I wouldn't talk to anyone but my Uncle Walter or at My Aunt Thuy's grave, and she hoped it would get me to open up. It did but not in the way she wanted. The doctor said that it was the pressure that she was putting on me to be something I'm not that caused my introversion when it came to talking. She didn't like his diagnosis so she stopped paying him, we moved a month after. We normally only moved when my dad got shipped to another base to run basic training, army brat and all that.

My mother then thought it would be a good idea to send me to Texas to live with my grandmother to "fix me" for a few summers. But abulita didn't "help" but she did teach me the family recipies before she passed. After all the constant moving didn't get her the results she wanted she resorted to making my father beg me to be the little girl she always wanted. He didn't care because he just went behind her back to make his only daughter and first born happy. When she bought me things, he made sure I had the gift recipt to return it for something I really wanted, that's how I got my headphones. That's why I asked you to find a resale store but you probably already figured that out.

Whenever I would start to find some semblance of balance or joy in a town we moved again, maybe that's why we haven't moved from here yet. I get racist taunts and have no friends, not to mention I have to save the fucking world so those people can continue to harrass me! The unhappiest I've ever been, congratulations mom you finally did it!"

Another long swig from the bottle in her hand, leaving it half empty and silence follow her speech. She can tell that they all want to say something to her but don't know what until Billy, precious Billy, turns to her with a sad smile and his hand out for a fist bump.

"Well that's not the case anymore right? I mean you have us we're your friends."

"We aren't really friends Billy, we're just making the most out of the horrible fate we've been given. If it wasn't for these golden vibrators in our pockets none of us would have even approached each other."

It hurts to say these things to Billy but she's not holding back anymore. Also she's a little bit drunk so her filter is kind of nonexistent right now.

"That's not true, that day on the roof neither one of us had power coins. You came up to me."

"Yeah of course I did, I didn't want to see anyone attempt suicide while I was just trying to enjoy my lunch. My heart may be cold but I do still have one. Even if you had only just gotten hurt a little bit I know from experience how a failed suicide attempt fucks with your head. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, whether I knew them or not."

Another swig of the beer and she feels the sadness coming from Kim, she must of thought she was special when she talked to her on that roof when really she just has a good heart. Zack snatches the bottle out of her hand and chucks it far across the quarry and squats down to eye level with her. Unfortunately for him the bottle was already empty so it doesn't have as much impact as he hopes it did.

"You can try to push us away, but it's not going to work. Not with me."

Trini smirks drunkenly sneering in Zack's face, not afraid or caring anymore that she's about to break his heart. 

"You think I don't know why you stuck around so long? Why you kept coming around and why you have binoculars in that train car of your's? I knew the whole time that you were into me I just didn't have the heart to tell you that I will never be into you!"

"You didn't have the heart to tell me or were you too scared of talking about your sexuality out loud where someone could hear you?"

"Zack lay off her man!"

Trini chuckles to herself again and stands making Zack take a few steps back to give her the room she needs. Even when they're arguing he's considerate of her space. She looks around at the four of them, all looking at her intently and puts her attention right back on Zack. 

"You think I'm afraid of saying it out loud? I'll say it out loud alright I'll fucking scream it. We're all going to die tomorrow anyway right fuck it. I'm Gay. I'M FUCKING GAY! DID YOU HEAR THAT MOM YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE CAME TRUE! ALL THOSE SUMMERS IN TEXAS DIDN'T FIX ME BECAUSE I CAN'T BE FIXED! I'm gay."

Zack steps back and the other four watch as she slowly comes to terms what she just screamed to the heavens. She feels the tears before they come and she just grab her bag and runs. Runs despite the shouts of her name to come back or at least turn around, runs all the way back to her house and through her open window. She drops everything and sits on the bed, the tears are a constant stream down her face but now she's alone to cry in peace. She takes a silent shower and goes to sleep still with tear tracks littering her face. She's surprised that she doesn't have a Rita nightmare but as her breathing evens out nothing comes. She sleeps soundly and without an inkling of a bad dream thinking maybe, just maybe she has control over her mind again.

After hours of peaceful sleep she starts to feel a presence in the room with her, but chalks it up to her mom checking up on her because she gets in late some nights. She turns in her bed and then she hears the wind blowing through the window she never closed. It seems stronger than when she was out, angrier as it comes through the parted curtains. Annoyed, she gets out of the bed and closes the window, hoping that maybe she can get back to sleep without the sound of the wind blowing. Shivering as she gets out of the bed stomping over to the window to shut and lock it. She probably should have put on a shirt to sleep in as fall is right around the corner but once she got her sports bra on the exhaustion set in from the emotional toll of the night and couldn't be bothered. She all but leaps back under her covers for warmth burrowing until her head is the only visible part of her body and falls back into the peaceful sleep she started. 

Water seems to be dripping on her as she's trying to fall back asleep. She doesn't know what it is, but she knows something is wrong because her roof has never leaked before and it wasn't raining when she closed the window. Ignoring it doesn't seem to work as the droplets seem to follow her as she moves to the far sides of her mattress. Letting out a frustrated sigh Trini turns and opens her eyes to face the mysterious leak. Hovering above her dripping with sea water is Rita Repulsa grinning like a cheshire cat. She shuts her eyes again, hoping and praying for it to not be real but she knows it's real. There are too many things telling her that this is happening, but she's still going to try and wish it away.

"I have been looking for you my love. I tried to find you last night and today but I couldn't reach out to you. It was almost like you were avoiding me. You weren't avoiding me, were you my beloved?"

The rotten stench of Rita's breath hits her nose and she whimpers and subconsciously burrows deeper under her covers. She doesn't respond past that, just keeps her eyes closed and repeats the mantra in her head. You're Not Real. This Isn't Happening. Rita's grin grows impossibly wider at the visible fear that Trini shows, making her infinitely smaller in the ancient's eyes. She dips down close to her neck and sniffs languidly making Trini flinch anf turn her head at the proximity.

"Oh my darling, I haven't smelled fear that strong in some time. It's intoxicating. You think I'm going to hurt you don't you? Well you're not wrong to think that, but I'm not going to hurt you. That is, as long as you give me what I want."

Another long inhale and Trini realizes, that Rita isn't touching her. She can feel the heat and moisture, for some reason, coming off of her but she's not actually touching her. In the dreams Rita never actively hurt her, only the other rangers, unless she attacked first. She could use that to her advantage and get the upper hand in what could possibly be the last thing she does alive.

"You won't hurt me?"

She can feel Rita soften above her and almost sink into her mattress so she's closer to her than before. 

"Of course not my love, I've been waiting to be reunited with you for ten thousand years. I wouldn't do anything to ruin that."

"Except trying to unearth the Zeo crystal, destroying the world. That could ruin our joyus reunion."

The statement that comes out of her mouth is too angry and proud to be her own but she doesn't back peddle on it. Testing the waters with the ancient being lying on top of her. The spikes on her armor dig into her in places that make her uncomfortable but Rita starts speaking so she forgets about if for a moment. 

"That's just business darling, I wouldn't even be able to be here if it wasn't for Zedd and his schemes. I'm really here for you, to get us back!"

Trini pockets the name Zedd to come back to later with Zordon and brings her focus back to Rita. Flirting has never come easy to her but this back and forth between the two of them seems natural. Maybe the former yellow ranger is surfacing and taking over for her as she's speaking to Rita. She sits up and finally looks at her, and god Rita is more horrific up close but she can't think about that right now. Rita is all hard edges and sharp points, probably because she needs to defend her gooey center from getting destroyed. 

"You always seem to be working and forced me to choose between you and the world! I'm not going through that again!"

"You don't have to make that decision anymore, just stand by my side tomorrow and I'll do all the work."

"Do all the work killing my closest friends and family. But like you said it's just business."

"Oh please, those "friends" of yours dont truly care about you Kima, just like how they didn't care about me. They will just toss you aside like they did me because I didn't conform to Zordon's law. You're an outsider just like me, they don't care about you like I do, they don't take your ideas to heart and truly listen to and value you. I will never take you for granted."

"Again."

They're both standing now and Trini has started to reach for a shirt on her dresser when Rita pulls her arm back and makes her face her. Her anger beats out any fear she feels, anger that has been building up for thousands of years worth of rage. Anger that isn't her own but feels like it's a part of her but she can't think about that right now. Her coin burns in her back pocket, fueling the rage of the former yellow ranger inside her. She has no capacity left in her for fear, Kima has completly taken over the fight or fight complex in her brain. Kima, the yellow ranger before her. The name is new but it came to her in a dream a few nights ago like a memory long forgotten. It seems to fit perfectly.

"Why are you here Rita? Are you going to kill me, knock me out, or what? Because I would rather much be sleeping than talking to you."

"Heh sleeping or sneaking behind my back to see your new pink beau?"

"Hey! You leave her out of this! This is between you and me!"

"So you don't deny it?"

"What was I supposed to do?! Wait in your bed while you were out wreaking havoc on the world? She was there for me, when you were too busy with your business to notice I needed you. It's not my fault she did a better job than you holding my attention."

The smack doesn't hurt, but the scratches the nails leave burn. She doesn't flinch when it happens, not giving Rita the satisfaction she wanted. She isn't in control anymore, Kima is. She is having an out of body experience watching someone else speak through her. She still has control over her body so in case Rita starts a fight she can handle it but it's weird being a conduit for someone else's rage. Rita swings again but this time Trini is prepared and moves out of the way in time for her to miss. She can feel Kima smirk under her skin and speak as Trini braces herself for a fight.

"Oh my love, you're going to have quicker than that to get me, or did your nap make you slow?"

She expects another swing, not the lunge that comes that sends them both into the exposed brick wall behind her. The pain is almost diluted, she knows this should hurt more than it is and yet it feels like a sparring session with Zack. Rita's claw like nails dig into her shoulder causing a hiss at the tearing of her skin. Kima laughs and Trini pushes Rita off of her.

"Oh please you used to do that for fun! Don't hold back, you know I can take it."

A sudden backhanded slap sends her face into the brick behind her. She feels the blood drip almost instantly but Kima isn't backing down so neither is she, besides it's her turn. Knocking Rita's hands off her she spins and pushes her into the wall with a forceful shove. Rita down right laughs in her face.

"Oh Kima your human is terribly weak and I thought she was the strong one? I bet she doesn't even know how to access her armor yet." 

"I don't need it to defeat you!"

The smirk vanishes from Rita's face and the fight truly begins. Round and round the room they go, on the floor, to the ceiling and every wall smashing into everything. She's bleeding from at least two places and has some scratches but is otherwise fine. She can't really tell if Rita has taken any damage, but she's certainly surprised her by lasting this long in battle. Kima hasn't said anything during the fight or helped in anyway, content to watch Trini do what she does best. Hand to hand combat is easy to her but when your opponent has super strength and far more years in experience, you struggle a bit. Rita gets her back up against the wall ready for the final blow when a knock sounds on the door.

"Trini I had a bad dream can you check the room for monsters?"

Mateo's voice comes through to her loud and clear causing them both to stop in their tracks. If she doesn't answer he'll open the door and see them and she can't have that. Rita wouldn't hesitate to hurt him if he came in. Dropping her focus off of Rita she turns towards the door so she can speak to him.

"I'll be right there buddy just let me get dressed. Go back to your room and wait for me okay?"

"Okay."

Waiting the the sound of footsteps to retreat from the door is excruciating but she doesn't move until she hears the other door open and close. She turns back to face Rita and she's gone, leaving the window open as a clue that she left. Her room is completely destroyed but she can't think about that right now, she has to check on her brother. She grabs a random shirt to hide the large gashes on her shoulder and neck and walks into his room as if this is just a normal night and the monster he heard wasn't in her room not a minute ago.

Mateo is laying in his bed like she asked him to, because she is his older sister who would never steer him or his twin Miguel in a wrong direction. He knows that she would do anything to protect to him and his twin from harm. She checks the closet and under both of the twins beds before kneeling by Mateo's bed with a small smile. It's dark enough that he doesn't see her bloodied and scarred face and skin, which is good because her eyebrow is still bleeding. 

"Okay, I didn't see any of those monsters you heard so we all can get back to sleep."

"Did you check behind the clothes?"

"I always check behind the clothes, because you always ask me to. There's nothing in there Teo, go back to sleep okay?"

"Are you sure? I heard a noise I'm sure of it!"

Yeah my back being slammed against every wall in my room. I can't tell you that tho.

"It was probably just the big tree outside my window hitting the side of the house. It's really windy out tonight."

"The big tree you love to use to sneak out of the house?"

Trini's eyebrow raises at her smart little brother, but instead of questioning Mateo she just ruffles his curls getting a giggle out if him.

"Yeah that tree, you gonna be okay?"

"Think so, thanks for checking I'm sorry I woke you up."

"It's okay, I couldn't really sleeping either. But now this is actually goodnight so go to sleep."

A kiss on the forehead, and a quiet goodnight is replied and Trini is back in her own room planning what to do next. She has no idea where Rita could be, other than the fact that she smelled like saltwater. Jason is the one who knows about the docks not her. She sits down and runs a hand through her matted wavy locks and tries to figure out her next step.

"You have to tell the others about Rita, you have to tell them everything."

Kima's voice rings out in her mind clear as a bell for only her to hear. It's not the first time she's heard it but it startles her all the same.

"First of all, have you been able to speak with me the whole time like this? Second of all, no I can't do that they wouldn't even believe me."

"Yes I could but not as clearly as I can right now. Some of your thoughts have been my own ideas and influence on things you did. Only small things that you would normally need a push to do. Like talk to Kimberly."

"Ay Dios, my other worldly elder has been matchmaking me."

"And it was working in your kitchen that night when you almost told her about the dreams. Your willpower is stronger than I expected."

"Thanks it's called being stubborn. Anyway what would I even say if I saw them? I'm pretty sure they hate me."

"Or they're lying awake wondering if they pushed you too far at the bonfire and what to say to you. As for what to say to them, how about the truth about the dreams. That would be a good place to start."

"They won't believe me."

"Well you've got the scars and structural damage to back up your story, and besides they've believed weirder things. Make the first move for once, use whatever that rectangle thing is and get them to meet up somewhere. Preferably at the ship so you could maybe heal a bit faster."

She chuckles at the fact that Kima doesn't know what a phone is but does grab it off the nightstand. Opening up the unused group text thread she starts typing, still unsure of what to say but starting with the truth.

Trini: Rita just attacked me in my room meet me at the football field need to talk ASAP

She slips on a random pair of shoes and her gold bomber before jumping out the window heading straight for the school's football field. She's the first one there, then Billy, Kim, Jason, and Zack last but even still she doesn't speak when they all get there. They all look some varying levels of worried about her and can see the cuts littered all over her skin but she still can't come out with it. Not until she sees Kim's eyes almost filled with tears at the idea of her being hurt. She takes in an inhale of cold air and just says it. 

"Rita came into my room tonight. Not even an hour ago. She wanted to make a deal with me to betray you and join her side tomorrow and when I didn't answer the way she wanted she flung me around my own room, calling me weak and nothing like her yellow ranger. She could have killed me but she didn't and I don't know why. Actually I do know why, she needed me to take her to the location of the crystal, which I don't know. She said some things I didn't understand but she is desperate if she's asking one of us to betray the team to help her."

Everyone is focused on her and she can see the different range of emotion on their faces. Zack and Kim have almost matching looks of fury while Jason looks defeated and Billy just looks sad. She still has more to say so with another deep breath she removes her jacket and shows the scars around her shoulder and neck. 

"They were a lot worse, almost to the bone but I healed a bit before you got here. She's weak, but still stronger than us, and has years of training from Zordon himself. There were originally six rangers, us and a green ranger. Rita was that ranger for Zordon's team but she defected and became evil so they cast her out existence. Now she's working for someone that all I got is named Zedd."

"How do you know all this? You can't have found all this out tonight."

"I didn't, some of it is from talking with Zordon but most of it was from Rita herself. She said if I joined her I would be in Zedd's favor and he would spare me when he arrived."

"Arrived? We're dealing with aliens?"

"It seems like it."

"And Rita isn't even the worst of it because she has an evil boss we have to deal with AFTER her. Great just great."

Jason starts to freak out and pull at his hair while Kim focuses on her more. A look of realization coloring her face. 

"This is what the dreams were about weren't they? You were seeing the death and destruction that Rita and this Zedd would cause. We were all dead weren't we?"

"I wasn't, but only because Rita kept me alive to be her personal slave as a slight to Zordon. They would torment me with your broken bodies for all eternity while the world was in ruins."

She hears Kim's broken "Oh my god" before she covered her mouth while Jason continues to pull his hair out. Zack still looks like he could kill the first thing he sees next but Billy's expression has turned curious.

"There's something you aren't telling us isn't there? Because why would Rita come to you out of all of us if Zordon is who she wants revenge on? Wouldn't Jason, the new red ranger, be her target for the ultimate stab in the back? Why would she only go after you?"

Damn Billy and his way to recognize patterns and notice that she was leaving out a pretty big part of the story.

"Because....I've been seeing Rita in my dreams and she's been trying to speak to me."

All of them gasp and Zack almost starts running at her to protect her from something that isn't there.

"How? Do you know where she is, has she found the ship? Why didn’t you tell anyone before now? I knew something was up with you that night!"

"I'm doing that right now, it started happening that night actually and it's why I've been so out of whack since that day. Zordon had told me that because of Rita’s past relationship with the former yellow ranger that she'll try to contact me to flip me to her side and by the way she showed up in my room that was her attempt. Whenever I wasn't with another one of you I could feel her presence in my head and it kept me distracted during the day and up at night with nightmares."

"What type of relationship did they have?"

"They were lovers before Rita got corrupted and tried to take over the world with Zedd."

"Oh my god they were lovers?! So she was trying to get to you because her yellow ranger rejected her? I don't understand why she would attack you if she thinks you are her former lover."

"It's because I have some of the former yellow's essence in my power coin that she thinks I'm her. The morphing grid connects us to all the former rangers before us and they become a part of us. That's why she's been trying to reach out to me. After I rejected her too, she fought me and tried to overpower me. When she realized that I wasn't as weak as she thought I was she ran back to her hideout and I texted you guys."

"So what do we do about this? We were already supposed to fight her in the morning why did she do this to you?"

"Because I was ignoring her, as hard as that was to do. We have to defeat her, it's the only way to get her out of my head."

"Let's go do just that then."

The four of them watch as Jason climbs up to stand next to her on the bleachers. She steps down next to Zack and doesn't even slap his hands away as he takes a closer look at her still-bleeding scars. Small cuts from training took a day or two to heal at the longest so there's no telling when these will disappear. These are deep gashes that almost hit bone and if she was a normal human they would have. The other three continue the conversation Jason is starting about finding Rita and attacking her when she least expects it. It won't work, she has a power coin and it works the same way theirs do whenever they are around one another. No one seems to be thinking clearly about this situation, too many emotions are running high. When Jason asks for a vote, Zack is the first to raise his hand to go fight Rita without any armor. She raises her own hand against her better judgment, but she is only voting because she needs to protect Zack. Kim is almost right after her, and Billy is hesitant but raises his hand and states that it is a terrible idea because they don't even know where she could be.

"Trini do you have any idea where she could be? Did she smell like anything specific?"

"She smelled like and dripped saltwater."

"Most of the homeless people in town set up shelter on the docks under the fishing boats. We'll start there. Come on I know the quickest way."

They all follow Jason to the docks and grab makeshift weapons on the way. They won't work because she knows Rita was still holding back against her despite Kima's goading. Rita is much more powerful than they know. She Wanted Trini alive, the others not so much, and she instinctively moves towards the front of the group, hoping that maybe she'll go easy on them if she's in front. She has no idea what it is that she grabbed but it has a sharp point at the end and she can throw it so she's good with that. Zack is wrapping a chain around his fist, and she can't help but think that he's going to break his hand like that. 

Her coin starts to pulse in her back pocket and she knows they're close. Up ahead she sees a figure sitting in the middle of a space. It's a trap. She's read and seen enough superhero media to know what a trap looks like, and she knows the others are going to want to keep going forward so she lets them and hangs back letting them pass her. Surprisingly Jason speaks out when they get in earshot, but it's the visual an old homeless man in front of them that responds not Rita. Kima tells her to brace herself and not to lower her weapon no matter what so she doesn't. Before she asks why a huge wave or energy blasts all five of them off their feet, sending them all five feet back. She looks over from where she landed and sees Rita where the homeless man stood. Because it was a trap, just like she thought.

"Oh my what a wonderful surprise! I get to kill you now instead of later, I didn't know it was my birthday. Then again it's been a few thousand years so who can remember that far back?"

As soon as she gets to her feet Rita is scrapping her nails along her face gently holding her close to her. She still flinches instinctively but she's not hurting her. She can see the others look as uncomfortable as she feels but she doesn't say anything about it because she doesn't want to make Rita hurt her. Or them.

"You did so well my pet, bringing them right to me just like I thought you would. I knew you were the right choice for my plan."

"Let her go!" 

Her grip tightens as the words leave Kimberly's mouth, almost as if anyone else would have said she would have actually listened. The nails dig into her flesh and straight to her skull, but she isn't stressed. She's strangely the most calm she's been through all of this, almost as if she's at peace with the choices she's made and the one she is about to make.

With a final deep breath Trini kicks Rita's hands off of her and turns to watch her stagger back. All five of them watch as she shakes her hand out and puffs out a breath before charging them. This isn't a fight they can win. Rita isn't holding back now that they've made her angry and she's barely healed from the last fight. One by one they all go down. Zack first, then Kim, Billy, Jason and finally herself after a roundhouse to the face. She's pretty sure a tooth came out with that kick but she doesn't get to check because when they come back to consciousness they're tied to the dock and Rita is mid villain monologue.

"And you know it's really rude for you to be sleeping when I'm talking to you, but no matter I don't need to be awake for this part."

Rita takes a pause to glance at the five of them and grins like a Cheshire cat.

"Ah there are your beautiful shining faces. Did you have a nice nap? I heard that children need rest every so often and you are infants compared to me. Now, you are going to tell me where the Zeo Crystal is or I will kill you, or you don't tell me where it is or I'll kill you. The choice is yours, so don't all speak at once."

"We don't know where it is!"

Jason, ever the leader, speaks first after a long beat of silence. Rita stands in front of him with a dagger to his neck, a scare tactic to see if he changes his answer. He doesn't. 

"Some leader you are! Anyone else?"

"None of us know, Zordon just told us it was somewhere in town not a certain location!"

Rita turns towards Kim so fast she nicks Jason on the cheek with the dagger. Like with Jason, she holds the sharpened weapon up to her neck, only with Kim it's point side up. Trini struggles against her bindings, remembering the vision of Rita slitting Kim's neck wtih that same dagger, haunting her mind for hours that night. She could do it right now if she wanted to, and Trini wouldn't be able to stop her. 

"You are the last one that should be speaking! I should kill you just because, you can't even fight! I would be doing your team a favor, getting rid of the weakest link!"

"I know where it is!"

All five of them turn towards Billy, looking scared yet determined, staring down Rita as she walks towards him.

"You know where it is? How do you know when no one else does?"

"I found it on my own and I didn't tell anyone because the less people that knew the better."

"Well now you're going to tell me."

"Only if you promise to let them go. I don't care what you do to me but you have to let them go!"

"Billy don't, she'll kill you!"

"You'll be able to defeat her without me. Just tell my mom I went to go see my dad."

All four of them are ranged levels of sad but Jason looks devastated. He nods, promising to give his mom that message.

"Well isn't that sweet? Now my information."

"You'll let them go?"

"The binds will come loose when I leave, now boy where is my Crystal?"

"It's under the Krispy Kreme in the center of town. Do whatever you want to me, just let them go."

"Okay!"

The four of them don't even process what Billy told her because suddenly he drops into the water underneath them all. They all struggle under their binds as Rita watches them then leaves while laughing. Zack gets out of his binds first with a rusty pocket knife he keeps on him, then gets Kim out.

"Zack get him out of the water so I can perform CPR. The longer he stays down there I'll less I'll be able to do."

He doesn't even take off his leather jacket, he just jumps in and swims for him. The ropes do loosen up when Rita leaves and Jason also jumps into the water to help Zack as soon as he's free. She sees that they have it covered so Trini runs after Rita or at least in the direction she left in. When she doesn't see her she comes back and helps Kim get the boys out of the water. They watch nervously as Kim performs CPR and breathe a sigh of relief when Billy coughs up the saltwater he inhaled and starts breathing.

"He's alive but we need to get him to the ship so he can heal faster. He's in no shape to fight anyone like this."

"How, he can't even walk?"

Zack says it but Trini agrees instantly.

"We'll carry him, Jason and I will take the torso you two take the legs."

They each pick up a limb and lift him with ease and Jason has one hand on Zack's shoulder so his extended arm can support Billy's head as they walk. Jason also holds Billy when they drop into the pit because he's going in and out of consciousness. He leans Billy against a wall in the ship and the rest of them can hear him talking to Zordon before they even step into the chamber. The three of them watch over Billy and Kim sits and lays her head on his chest to hear his hearbeat. 

"He isn't healing fast enough, he might...He sacrificed his life for me."

"Kim you can't talk like that."

"Like what, realistic? He would have died if he stayed down in that water any longer. Rita has no qualms about killing any of us why should we avoid talking about it? Zack you saved his life"

"He risked his life for all of us."

"Not you, she wouldn't dare kill her beloved yellow."

"Don't say that. You don't know what she would have done."

"You said it yourself, she wants you alive to be her lover/slave. She wouldn't even swing on you unless you swung first!"

"Stop please, we don't need in-fighting. Not now."

Trini looks up at Zack and nods while running a hand through her damp locks. Jason is still arguing with Zordon in the background, about not telling them everything, at least from what she can hear. She can feel how distraught he is, he blames himself for Billy and what happened. She can also feel Billy and how he's fighting to stay alive. She can feel all of them. 

"He blames himself."

"Who?"

"Jason. He's angry and sad and doesn't know what to do."

"Can you feel all of our emotions?"

"Only your strongest ones at any particular time, right now there's just a lot of sadness."

"Will we all be able to do that?"

"I assume so, because it did come in handy during training. Jason is coming back."

About a minute later Jason does walk back towards the four of them. His eyes are solely on Billy, nothing but sadness and love radiating off of him towards the other boy.

"Any change?"

"His heartbeat is steadily getting stronger, now we just have to wait."

"He was the only one of us excited about becoming a superhero for all the right reasons. He...he shouldn't be the first to go."

"It's not your fault."

He turns to her, wondering how she knew he was blaming himself in the first place, but it is fairly obvious to all of them. 

"How can you say that? I'm the leader, it was my decision to go and fight Rita."

"No, you put it to a vote and we All voted to go and fight Rita. This isn't on you."

"If he...if he dies, his death won't be in vain. I would die for any one of you as long as Rita loses. You all have made the last few days livable and I love you guys."

"Me too. It's been nice having real friends again."

Zack doesn't say anything but he sits next to Kim and hugs her tightly and nods in her direction. As if to say to her your turn. 

"If we die tomorrow, know that we die as a family. And I would do anything to protect my family."

Before anyone gets to respond to that statement, the ship seems to come alive. The lights all start flashing and wind seems to come from all over. Alpha runs over from where he was near Zordon and starts yelling about the morphing grid. Apparently when one ranger dies they can be replaced by another person when the morphing grid becomes active. Or at least that's what she thinks Alpha is telling Zordon. 

"So, since Billy is dead, Zordon can try to step through the morphing grid and take his place?"

"Exactly Master Jason, now Master Zordon step through the grid now to save the day!"

The four of them watch as Zordon's face disappears through the wall and the morphing grid seems to power down. They hear an intake of breath as Billy gasps and starts coughing. Everyone but Jason scrambles around him and help him sit up to get more air.

"Did I die?"

"Yes."

"No."

Trini and Kim share a glance between the two of them but Zack just pats him on the back with a small laugh.

"Good to have you back, blue."

Zordon appears back in the wall and says something to Jason that they all can hear but decide to ignore to let them have a moment leader to leader. When he turns back to them they are holding Billy up and he sends them a watery smile before coming over and hugging the other boy. 

"Jason I saw my dad but he told me it wasn't my time yet so he sent me back."

"Your dad is a very smart man. Now, we have a world to save so let's do this."

"Quickly everyone step onto the morphing grid. If Rita knows where the crystal is, you won't have much time when she has such a head start."

All five of them step on a pedestal and the morphing grid becomes active again, wind  whirring around them at such a fast pace even Zack's hair is whipping around. The armor forms around their skin like ice crystals forming on water at freezing point. The process doesn't take long but it feels like it takes longer because it's foreign to them. They all have their eyes closed bracing themselves so they don't fall from the constant wind then suddenly it stops. 

Trini blinks and her vision is met with, what reminds her of the inside of a motorcycle helmet. She lifts her hands into view and sees her hands are covered in gold armor, not unlike the times before but different. She looks up and directly across from her is Kim in her dark pink armor, she can't help but think that she looks beautiful in her armor.

"That isn't me by the way that is all you."

Thanks Kima.

She hears chuckling in her back of her mind and rolls her eyes, glad that they can't read each other's thoughts. As far as she knows anyway. Once the awe fades away out of all of them they quickly leave the pit to take the attack to Rita. Not even out of the pit yet and putties are all over them, falling into the pool of water as they are coming out. Zack and Kim give her a look and she joins them in launching Kim right through three putties and to the surface.

They see the horde of putties before they land and have no time for a cool superhero landing, they just start fighting. They crumble far easier than Alpha's computer program ones so they are standing on a pile of rubble soon enough. They take a minute to breathe, they know that this isn't over but take the small victory. Zack is pretending to throw punches at her, getting a feel for his armor not actually trying, still she dodges and pushes him back playfully. She can hear him laugh in her helmet, which is a little weird at first, but makes sense. They would need a way to communicate with each other and the helmets don't have mouth pieces that move. There is also a lot of room in the helmet that she didn't take into account.

"Uh guys?"

The four of them turn towards Billy's direction and see Rita raising her giant gold monster Goldar. Once fully raised it heads in the direction of the town, or the direction of the crystal more accurately. 

 "How are we going to fight that thing?"

"I know how."

They watch Zack swan dive back down into the pit and come back up with his Zord. Trini can't even see his face but she knows he's smirking dangerously. The rest of them follow suit by grabbing their Zords and heading into town to stop Rita.

"Zack, Billy, Trini and I stop the putties from hurting any people, Kim you start on Goldar."

"On it, guys behind me!"

Trini takes the lead and with her Zord dives head first into twenty or so putties taking them all out in one hit. Together they stop a larger sector of the rock monsters from terrorizing a group of Nuns protecting children. She senses Kim needs help and starts running in her direction. Almost ten seconds later she hears her actually call out over coms.

"I could use a little help here guys. I don't have much muscle power!"

"I got your back Kim!"

With the Zord she full body tackles Goldar and fights it while Kim shoots the putties at her feet trying to pull her off. She always wondered why Kim's Zord was basically a fighter jet painted Pink but while she is used to up close fighting, having range is good too. Goldar, however, is too much for her to handle on her own so after the fifth time it knocks her down she calls for backup. 

"Guys let Kim handle the putties, I need help with Goldar!"

She gets up and resorts to an old trick from fighting with Zack and jumps on it's back, hoping to weigh it down. The other guys grab the other limbs and Kim shoots it until shakes out of the hold they have it in and keeps walking toward the location of the crystal. 

"We can't take him down that way we have to work together."

"Holding him down while Kim shot seemed to work. Everyone with arms grab a limb!"

Zack and Billy grab the legs and her and Jason grab the arms and pull while Kim shoots. The thing about a solid gold monster is, is that they can't tell if they're hurting it or not. The monster isn't the problem, it's only doing what it's told to do. The problem is Rita, as long as she's alive Goldar will continue to go towards to crystal. 

"He won't go down if Rita is still up. She animated him and controls him. We need to take her out."

"Where is she?"

"I'll give you one guess. Where is Goldar heading?"

"I'll help in any way I can but I don't have arms."

"Just keep shooting and dodging! On the count of three! One two three!""

Jason counts off and Zack and Billy hold tight to the legs and push in the opposite direction to hold him back. Trini and Jason go around the torso and they all push together while Kim flies above them in zig-zags shooting him. Goldar still moves towards the krispy kreme but is slowed down tremendously by their efforts. 

"Come on everyone hold the line!"

Kim zigs when she should have zagged and catches one of Goldar's fist flying straight for her. Trini's heart lurches at the impact and it's enough of a distraction for her and Zack that Goldar pushes them off and continues to the giant crater in the ground it created where the beloved donut shop once stood. 

"Kim you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay, this thing is made out of some tough stuff. Let's finish this already I'm in desperate need of a nap."

"The pushing seemed to work, so on three all of us push. United front."

They all gather together in front of Goldar again, Kim included, and hold the construct back as best they can. Their shoving match continues and they scrape against the ground while being pushed towards the crater. The heat from the layers of molten rock burns through their Zords and armor so much that they're all sweating. 

"Can anyone else not breathe? I can't breathe."

"Keep pushing Zack!"

Something in the back of Trini's mind goes off and she turns to see Zack's eyes slip close as he passes out. 

"Zack? ZACK?!"

"Guys we're slipping, we're falling into the crater!"

"Don't give up, we're not going down without a fight!"

"Jason if we keep this up we're going to die!"

"No one is dying alone!"

If Zack was awake he would have made fun of him for saying that, so now that's her job.

"If we die I'm killing you. Some motivational speech there cap!"

"Whatever happens....I love you guys."

One final shove and they all fall, even Kim despite the fact that she can fly. They don't scream, or cry they quietly brace themselves for impact with whatever is below them. A blinding light encompasses them all, like when they first found the power coins and suddenly they are no longer falling to their firery doom. They're floating in the light of the Zeo Crystal and rising back up. The heat from the underground rock combined with the power of the crystal connect the Zords together to form a new creation. A single fighter out of all of them, one with Billy's brain, Trini's skill, Jason's strength, Zack's resilience, and Kimberly's passion.

The five of them rise back to the surface like a phoenix, ready to defend their town and the crystal. Inside the zord however the teens are freaking out about how they didn't die for the fifth or so time since they started hanging out together.

"Are we immortal? Because this is like the third time we should have died-"

"Zack! We can discuss it later, first we have to save the world."

"Okay see what body part you have I'm the head."

"Trini and I are arms."

Trini moves the lever in front of her and sure enough a gold plated hand comes into view and flexes at the push of a button.

"Woah, now this I can work with."

She hits another and she is holding the middle finger out at Goldar. Yeah this she can definitely work with this.

"I'm a leg."

"Oh you're a leg too?! Leg bros!"

Trini is now waving the arm back and forth, middle finger still in the air, smirking to herself. 

"Trini!"

"What? I'm just getting used to the controls. You should do the same because we don't have any weapons. This is going to be a fist fight."

"Man why couldn't I be an arm I want to flip off Rita too!"

She chuckles at Zack's complaint and continues moving the arm around in the air. She can see Rita standing on her gold monstrosity's shoulder and she looks nervous. Her stance is unsure and she's come out of hiding instead of letting her muscle do all the work. 

She's never seen the Zords do this. One thing you have on our team.

Trini's grin becomes almost lecherous at that interesting fact Kima just told her. She knows Rita can't feel her when she's around the others but she can't help but send a little something her way. 

I think we need to see other people. 

"Alright guys are we ready?"

"Ready to end this."

Kim and Zack make the Zord do a ridiculous fighting stance that makes Trini sigh before they charge. Like Trini expected it's a glorified boxing match between the two of them, or a kaiju battle as Zack states when he thinks no one can hear him. Jason is calling out directions for them so they know they're going in the right direction as a group while also dodging Goldar's hits. Jason ducks low at one point and Kim swings for a gut punch while she goes for an uppercut sending Goldar back a few feet. Goldar tries to retaliate against them when they swing Kim catches the punch and holds it there giving Trini plenty of room to wreck shop. 

When Goldar breaks free it tries one more attack that they dodge before they watch as the face melts and Rita comes charging out of  it towards them. She runs up the still extended arm of Goldar and jumps in the air staff in front in a last ditch effort. Trini doesn't even blink she swings the arm back and Rita goes flying high into the sky, separated from her staff, with no signs of stopping.

"Jason did you just slap Rita?"

"Trini did, but yeah.... Weird huh?"

The two of them laugh and by now the rest of them notice the crowd of people with their phones out recording or just watching them in general.

"Looks like we're famous guys."

Trini, still with the arm out, hits a button and waves awkwardly and the townspeople wave back before they feel the Zord move. Zack and Billy are making the hips move so they're dancing in front of the people.

"Really guys we're supposed to be heroes! Be serious!"

"Heroes that just won! We can't celebrate?"

"Not in the giant mechsuit in front of the townspeople!"

"Oh Jason let them relax and let them have this."

So at Trini's seal of approval the leg boys dance while Kim laughs at the cheers the boys make that they all can hear in their helmets. She hears all her friends happy and she just smiles, finally at peace.