NINJA RANGERS/JAG
SIREN SONG
by Red Falcon
(SEE MAIN PAGE FOR DISCLAIMERS)
************************************************************************
**
THE PAST **
==
IN A DREAM ==
On a clear
sunny day in Falls Church, Virginia a group of teenagers run for
the airfield.
"Whoa,
hold it right there. Just where do you think you're going?"
the security guard asks when he stops them.
"Come
on, sergeant. We're running late. If we miss another flight we're
not gonna qualify for the INTERNATIONALS
next month." the group leader, Alex says.
"You know
this airfield is off limits. You're just going to have to go the
long way around. Go on now." he says.
"Give
me a break. There's nothing going on today. There has never been
a problem with us cutting through here before." Michael complains.
Alex looks
closer at the sergeant then motions for the others to follow her.
"Sorry
we bothered you sir." she says.
When she and
the others are far enough away Alex dashes for a near-by phone.
"Security.
I think there is a problem on the air field. My friends and I
just tried to cross for our flight class and there was an unfamiliar
guy at the gate." she says.
Someone tries
to put her off,
"I know
everyone who has that duty. I'm telling you there is something
wrong. You better send someone to check it out." she says.
"What
was that all about, Lex?" Jonny Miller asks.
"That
guy wasn't supposed to be there. I think someone's on the field
that shouldn't be. Let's get out of here before that creep decides
that we know too much." Lex says.
The teens race
for the other entrance to the military field and to the squad
bay to change.
"You're
late. What happened this time?" Lt. Donavan asks.
"Nothing.
We just couldn't get across the field at our usual spot that's
all." Johnny says.
The lieutenant
runs them through a quick pre-flight and then they race for the
sky. He gives them a little time to horse around then they get
down to business. For the next three hours the teens practice
for the upcoming international combat trials that are to be held
in Washington DC next month. When they finally land they are all
running on adrenaline and bouncing all over the place. None of
them even suspect the danger that they are in. They have been
found out and targeted.
At the INTERNATIONAL
AIR COMBAT TRIALS
the following month the team from Falls Church are still in the
running for the prize.
"This
is great. I can't believe that we just won the semi's. This is
too good to be true." Michael says.
They all laugh.
In the distance two men watch,
"They
will never see the end of this day." the leader says.
"Why kill
them all? Why not just the one they call Alex? She's the only
one that could really cause you trouble." the other one says.
The thought
of killing teenagers sickens him.
"You fool,
if we only took out the one the others would just come after us
and never stop. They all will die and no one will even suspect
that it was murder. A simple accident with the planes and they
all go down in a blaze of glory." he says laughing at his
wit.
They melt into
the crowd as the group walk right by them.
"ALL PILOTS
IN THE FINALS REPORT TO THE FLIGHT LINE FOR FINAL INSTRUCTIONS."
the loud speaker says. Alex and her team race for the flight line.
"Wait
a second !" someone steps in front of Alex and nearly gets
rundown. "SHIT!" Alex exclaims in suprise.
"Sorry,
Lex. I just wanted to wish you guys luck. This is it. You win
this and you win the entire thing." *
Rab says. {author's
note: that's right, Harmon Rab from the series JAG. just thought
I'd throw him in. look for him later in the story.}
" Damn,
you startled me, Harm. Thanks." she says.
She shakes
his hand and continues on. The others follow her as they pass
the JAG lawyer.The last round of combat goes very well for the
Falls Church team and they even win the TRIALS.
It is when
the team is coming in to land that the trouble starts. First Alex,
"Coming
in on final. . . I've got a problem. . . Hydraulics are out. .
. Main systems are shutting down. . . What the hell is going on?
I'm losing it up here."
Then Johnny
"I've lost all my onboards. . . Stick is sluggish. . . Navigation
is not giving me anything. . . What the hell is down there?. .
. Am I near the field?"
The others
are having the same troubles. To make matters worse for the people
on the ground is the fact that the tower left the radios open
so the crowd could hear the excited winners as they came in to
accept the trophy and prize money. Now the crowd hears as the
teens begin to lose control of their planes. Many in the crowd
marvel at the cool level heads they maintain as their planes continue
to lose altitude. For awhile it seems that they may even make
it back and land. That is until the first plane hits the ground
and explodes.
"Oh my
god. MICHAEL
!!!
Answer me, Michael are you all right?" Alex shouts.
"Punch
out ! Everybody bail out. We've got to get out of here."
she says.
Ten 'shoots
blossom in the smoke filled sky. Alex it having trouble getting
out. Almost at the last second she makes it out just as her plane
hits the ground and explodes under her. She catches the worst
of the shrapnel and flames.
**
THE PRESENT **
== ALEX CARPENTER'S
HOUSE ==
"Not again
!" Alex cries out as she wakes up from another nightmare.
She looks around
as the flames and pain disappear back into the darkness of sleep.
"Alex, what's
wrong?" her uncle asks.
"Just another
nightmare. Damn, it's been almost four years and it still hasn't
gone away." she says.
Alex looks at
the clock on her nightstand, it's already 5:00 am.
"You've got
to give yourself time. You only got out of rehab last month. It's
bound to still hurt. Where do you think you're going?" he
asks when he sees her getting dressed.
"To the Youth
Center. I'm never going to get back to sleep before I have to
get up for school. Besides I need a good workout and Ernie has
mats and weight machines. I'll see you later Uncle Peter."
Alex gathers what she needs for both school and to workout in
and goes to her car, a 1991 blood red *VIPER.
She puts in a CD of the TOPGUN soundtrack and puts the roof down.{author's
note: this car has nothing to do with the defender from the series
VIPER. I just like the car. sorry folks}
The wind whips
through her hair as she drives through town. She notices the signs
of reconstruction and wonders at it. There hasn't been a monster
attack since she moved here to join her uncle so she has no idea
about the Power Rangers or Lord Zedd or any of the other weirdness
that goes on in the town of Angel Grove, CA.
**
THE YOUTH CENTER **
She pulls into
a parking spot near the door, gets out, and goes inside. At this
time of morning there is usually very few people inside and Alex
can workout in peace but today her luck has run out. There are
six teenagers inside either studying or doing what she had planned.
She sighs and goes to the locker room to change. If she doesn't
get a tough workout in the morning she is will to be in pain the
entire day. She quickly walks past the table where the girls and
a couple of the guys are sitting. Kat looks up as she goes by.
Alex doesn't even say hello or look at her. Kat notices something
odd on Alex's arm. Jason also notices her but for an entirely
different reason, he thinks she's beautiful and wants to meet
her.
"Did you
see the scar on her arm?" Kat asks, no one has.
**
THE LOCKER ROOM **
It hurts when
Alex takes her shirt off to change into her workout cloths. She
still has the stuff she used when she would train with the Falls
Church Imperials Flight Team. It has Navy all over it and the
team logo, an eagle with a crown on its head. The jersey has the
sleeves cut off and the pants are a little bigger so the fabric
doesn't rub against the still raw wounds on her body. Alex stifles
an outcry when the jersey slides over her back. Tanya is at another
locker and hears her whimper.
"Are you
all right?" she asks as she approaches the new girl.
"Yes, it
still hurts sometimes." Lex says then walks away.
**
THE YOUTH CENTER WORKOUT AREA **
Lex leaves the
locker room and goes over to the mat and begins to stretch. Slowly
at first, having stiffened up during the night, then with increased
mobility she begins a fluid kata that no one has ever seen before.
Jason and Tommy watch as she moves with such grace and perfection.
"Unbelievable.
I've never seen anything like it before."
Tanya rejoins
her friends as she gets a look at Alex. Even Ernie is impressed
and he's seen her doing this before.
"Amazing.
I never would have thought she could move like that." Tanya
says absently.
"Why?"
Jason asks.
"I saw her
in the locker room. She's got scars all over her back and legs.
It looks like it's painful for her to even move." Tanya stops
talking when she sees the other girl looking at her.
Jason goes over
to her.
"Would you
like to spar? I was just going to start working out."
"Sure why
not. I haven't done this for a while though." Lex says.
They both get
into a fighting stance and Lex waits. Jason watches for her first
move. Her head cocks to one side and she strikes with a pilots
reflexes. Jason never sees it coming and hits the ground with
a thud. This sound startles Lex and her mind flashes back to the
crash four years ago and Michael's death. She runs for the locker
room and then runs out of the building before anyone can stop
her.
"What happened?
What did I do, except fall on my ass." he says and laughs
at himself.
Tommy approaches
and helps his friend up,
"I don't
know, man, but she was scared." Tommy says.
"I'm going
to find her." Jason says.
He goes out the
door and finds her sitting under a tree. Her head is buried in
her hands. He can tell she has been crying.
"What's wrong?
Did I do something?" he asks.
"No. It's
me. I just remembered something that I've been trying to forget
for the past three years." Alex says, her voice a bare whisper.
"You know,
I don't even know your name. I'm Jason Lee Scott." he offers
her his hand.
"Alexandra
Carpenter." she says.
She tries to get
up but the pain stops her. Jason reaches out and helps her to
her feet,
"Thanks.
It's hard getting up sometimes."
"What happened?
If you don't mind telling me." he says when he sees the fear
in her eyes.
"Let's go
inside. I don't want to say anything out here, just in case."
"All right
you can join me and my friends." Jason says.
Lex follows behind
him so he doesn't see the sadness in her eyes.
"I found
her outside under a tree. Alexandra these are my friends Tommy
Oliver, Katherin Hilliard, Rocky DeSantos, Adam Parke, and Tanya
Sloane. This is Alexandra Carpenter."
They are all happy
to meet the new girl and she sits down next to Jason.
"Three years
ago, I was in a plane crash. It was bad, really bad. I was in
the burn unit in Falls Church for nearly two years, skin grafts,
bone replacements, the whole nine yards. I guess I freaked when
you hit the ground, Jason. It brought back memories of the crash."
Lex says.
She carefully
avoids any mention of the Imperials and her family and the Navy.
Lex thinks she has gotten away with it when Tanya innocently asks,
"What is
the Imperials Flight Team? I saw it on your shirt."
Blind terror flashes
through her eyes as she remembers.
"The Imperials
don't exist any more. They were whipped out after the TRIALS
three years ago." Lex says.
"That was
the crash you were talking about weren't you?" Adam asks.
She nods and wants
to run away but with Jason on one side and Rocky on the other
she is hemmed in.
"It's all
right, Alexandra. You can talk to us." Jason says.
"You don't
understand. It really wasn't an accident. They wanted us dead.
The others were killed one after the other because I saw them
kill the admiral and some guy that came over for a secrete conference.
We walked right up to the gate and saw them getting ready. My
friends are dead because we were running late and tried to take
a short cut." Lex says.
Finally she bolts
out of the Youth Center, knocking the chair over and nearly squishing
Rocky in her haste to leave. {
author's note: sorry about that, I just thought it sounded funny
and would be perfect right there}
**
ANGEL GROVE PARK **
Jason tries to
find Alex but she manages to avoid him and his friends all day.
Alex heads for the park after the last bell rings. She craves
the solitude. What Alex doesn't know is that someone is watching
her. {NOT
ZEDD OR RITA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT}
A man with a rifle takes aim at Alex's head as she watches the
birds drift on the wind.
**
THE COMMAND CENTER **
* ALPHA, CONTACT THE RANGERS AT ONCE. THERE
IS A PROBLEM IN THE PARK *
"At once
Zordon." Alpha says.
In that instant
six columns of light enter the Power Chamber.
* RANGERS. A YOUNG WOMAN IS IN DANGER IN
THE PARK. SOMEONE IS AIMING A HIGH POWERED RIFLE AT HER HEAD AT
THIS MOMENT. OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE.*
The rangers gasp
in suprise when they see Alex standing there.
"Let's do
it. It's Morphin Time." The rangers morph and teleport to
the park.
**
THE PARK **
The rangers come
in a little distance from Alex so as not to scare her too badly.
"I'll get
Alexandra. You guys take care of the shooter." Jason says.
The others nod
and take off after the shooter. Jason, as the Gold Ranger, approaches
Alex.
"Miss Carpenter.
You've got to come with me. There is someone trying to kill you."
he says.
Alex just looks
at the costume but doesn't take the stranger seriously.
"Who or what
are you? Did I miss Halloween or something?"
"No time
for this. We spotted a shooter in the trees behind you. I've come
here to keep you alive.* MOVE IT OR LOSE IT! " the
Gold Ranger shouts. {author's
note: sorry about that, I just couldn't resist}
Alex hits the
ground just as a bullet wizzes by her head. She reacts instantly.
Alex jumps to her feet and rushes for the shooters location. She
grabs him before the other rangers can stop her. She breaks his
neck and tosses him into the lake, more than three hundred meters
away. She turns on the rangers then runs away. The White Ranger
stops her,
"Hold on.
We're not going to hurt you." he says.
Alex looks around
then passes out.
"What the
hell?" Jason says.
"Let's take
her to Alpha." Kat says.
This time seven
columns of light enter the Command Center.
**
THE COMMAND CENTER **
* WHY DID YOU BRING HER HERE? *
"Something
weird happened when the guy shot at her. We thought maybe Alpha
can tell us why she reacted the way she did." Jason says
worried.
He really likes
this girl. It would be just like Zedd and Rita to find a good
looking girl and program her to be the perfect spy. Alpha runs
a scanner over the unconscious girl.
"She is human
and under no evil spell. However, she has been modified."
Alpha says.
"Modified?
How?" the rangers ask at the same time.
"Because
of the extensive injuries she has suffered, someone went to a
lot of trouble to give her the latest in cybernetic limb replacements
and experimental genetic alteration to compensate for the burn
damage. This must have accelerated her already finely tuned reflexes."
Alpha completes his evaluation.
"Seeing us
couldn't have helped." Adam says.
Jason gathers
Alex up and he and the others teleport back to the park before
she wakes up.
**
THE PARK **
The rangers unMorph
just as Alex starts coming around. Jason smiles when she opens
her eyes,
"Take it
easy. Looks like you ran into trouble." he says, trying to
calm her down.
Alex looks around
but doesn't see the guy in the gold costume.
"Where did
he go?" she asks, badly confused.
"Where did
who go? What did you see?" Tommy asks.
She jumps when
she hears him, "A guy in gold. He was here a second ago.
Oh, man my head hurts." Alex says.
She tries to stand
but something in her head explodes and she pushes Jason out of
the way as a grenade lands where they just were.
"What happened?
What the hell was that?" Kat asks clearly shaken.
"Grenade.
Some idiot is using grenades." Alex gets to her feet and
goes after whoever is throwing the explosives.
She gets away
from them before they can stop her. They try to follow her but
it's no use. The rangers return to the Youth Center and hope that
Alex will come to them.
**
THE WOODS NEAR AND INSIDE THE YOUTH CENTER**
Alex stumbles
into a tree near the Youth Center. She is in pain and disoriented.
Bulk and Skull pick that time to arrive. They hear something strange
in the trees and go to investigate and find Alex, battered and
bloody. At first they think she is dead but she moves when they
approach her.
"What happened?
Who did this to you?" Bulk asks.
"Don't know.
Faces covered, didn't get a good look at them. Help me please."
she says and collapses.
The boys are hesitant
to move her but can't just leave her here. They pick her up and
carry her inside. She cringes in pain at their touch. As they
enter, Jason sees her immediately and knows something's wrong.
He gets Tommy's attention and they go over to her.
"What happened?
Where did you find her?" Jason asks.
"Outside
in the trees. It looks like someone really kicked the shit out
of her. What's going on?" Bulk says.
"Go call
an ambulance she's hurt bad. It looks like some of these burns
have been scraped raw somehow." Adam says after examining
her.
"Is she going
to be all right?" Jason asks.
"In time
I think so, at least physically. Emotionally, I don't know. If
this keeps up, she could end up a basket case." Adam says.
"Call . .
. Admiral . . . JAG . . . they're back. Got to get out."
Alex mumbles.
The gathered teens
look at each other in confusion.
"What or
who is 'JAG'? Admiral who?" Bulk asks.
"I don't
know. Go watch for the ambulance and any more trouble." Jason
tells Bulk and Skull.
They nod and wait
outside. Ernie comes over to them and sees her.
"Ernie do
you know who 'JAG' is?" Kat asks.
"The only
thing I can think of is the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corp.
But what would she have to do with them? This is even stranger
than the Power Rangers. I'll call her uncle, he'll probably know."
Ernie says.
Alex reaches out
for Jason as another wave of pain hits her. She begins to relive
the fiery crash once again and hears a strange kind of music calling
her back to the sky.
"Your
time is coming, Little Eagle. The eternals are waiting for you."
the musical voice keeps repeating.
"NO! I
don't want to die, I want to live!" she shouts at the specter.
The figure just
laughs. The flames reach up to take her again and again. Alex
keeps running away but the flames always find her. She is unaware
of the paramedics as they lift her into the ambulance and race
to the hospital. Peter gets to the Youth Center just as the truck
leaves,
"What happened?
Where is Alex?" he asks the first person he finds.
"They're
taking her to the hospital. Someone hurt her real bad." Jason
says.
"Did she
say anything before they took her?"
"Yes. Something
about an admiral and JAG and someone being back. She's just delirious"
Adam says.
"I'm afraid
not. I've been afraid this would come back to haunt her. They
have to know she is being threatened again. Damn, they told her
she would be safe here. This isn't fair to her, she's been through
too much to have to deal with this again." Peter says and
stalks off to make the call that will no doubt cause more trouble
than it will solve.
**
JAG HEADQUARTERS **
"JAG, can
I help you" Lt. Bud Roberts answers the phone.
"Admiral
Chedwidden please. Cmndr. Donavan calling about the Imperials."
Peter says.
That's right this
is the same Donavan that was the flight trainer for the Imperials
team three years ago, he is not just her trainer, he's her uncle,
really he's married to her mother's sister.
"What about
the Imperials?" the admiral asks when he gets on the line.
"Sorry to
disturb you, sir. Alex was attacked a little while ago and taken
to the local hospital. I'm on my way there now. She said they're
back. If she's right we all could be in real trouble, sir."
Peter says.
"All right.
I'll send you a small security force." Admiral Chedwidden
says.
"Could you
send Harm down here with a TOMCAT? I think she needs to see him."
Peter asks.
"I guess
so. He would enjoy the flight time. He and Major Mackenzie should
be there in a couple of hours and the Marine detail will arrive
tomorrow."
"Thank you
sir."
In minutes Harm
and Mac are in the admiral's office,
"Commander
Rab, you and Major MacKenzie are going out to Angel Grove, CA.
Commander Donavan just called and said that Alex Carpenter is
in trouble. He asked that you fly down there in a TOMCAT."
the admiral fights off a smile when he sees Harm's face light
up.
He gets excited
at the prospect of flying cross country in a fighter once again.
Major Mackenzie is a little worried,
"Do you want
me to go with Cmndr. Rab in the TOMCAT?" she asks.
"Unless you
want to fly out with the security detail leaving this evening.
I hear that landing in Angel Grove is a dicey proposition at night."
Harm needles her.
She is a little
afraid of his flying.
"All right,
all right I get the point." Mac says.
Harm laughs as
they head off to pack.
"Don't worry
so much. I know what I'm doing. It will be good to see Alex again."
Harm says.
"How do you
know her?" Mac asks.
"She used
to be the leader of the Imperials Flight Team. A bunch of pilot's
kids that trained for combat trials and other air events. Her
father was a friend. He was killed five years ago when a van exploded
outside an airline reservations office. She has no family left
except Peter and his wife. I saw her again when they were getting
ready for the INTERNATIONAL AIR COMBAT TRIALS almost four
years ago. She's a beautiful girl. This has got to be a nightmare
for her." Harm says.
"I remember
that one. One kid died on the runway and a girl was badly burned
and mangled when her parachute took her through the flames and
shrapnel." Mac says.
"That was
Alex. She's a brave kid but she can only take so much before even
she breaks." Harm says.
"I'll meet
you in the ready room in twenty minutes." he says when he
drops her off at her apartment. He goes home and packs a few things.
He sees the picture of Alex, Peter, himself and the entire Imperials
team, smiling. He decides to take the picture with him and one
of just her, her father and him.
Twenty minutes
later Harm walks into the ready room and finds Mac waiting.
"You ready?"
he asks.
"As I'll
ever be." Mac says as she picks up her bag.
She and Harm head
out to the flight line. They are airborne in minutes and on their
way west.
**
ANGEL GROVE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL **
"How is she,
doctor?" Jason asks.
"It only
looked bad. She's exhausted and has a bad headache, nothing that
a good night's sleep won't cure. We're going to keep her here
over night just to be safe. Those burns are healing very nicely
and it looks like she's following her rehab instructions to the
letter. I've never seen anyone with that kind of burn damage that
can still move." the doctor says.
Jason and the
other rangers sigh in relief as they sit back.
"When can
we see her?" Tommy asks.
"You can
go up now. Just remember she needs rest, so don't stay too long."
They nod and head
for the elevator and go up to Alex's room. A nurse is just leaving
as they enter. She smiles then continues out of the room. The
rangers gather around Alex's bed and wait for her to open her
eyes.
Jason is the first
to notice a change in her breathing and asks, "Did you catch
him?"
The others are
puzzled, they think she is still asleep.
"No, he got
away. He'll be back though." Alex says, her eyes still closed.
Unknown to even
Jason, Alex has let them in on a secrete. If they watch her closely
they can tell what is going on.
"How did
you know she was awake?" Tommy asks Jason.
"Her breathing
changed. I just happened to notice." he says.
Alex opens her
eyes in time to see her uncle come in.
"I made the
call. The admiral is sending a security detail down, they'll get
here tomorrow. He's even agreed to send Harm down. He should be
here soon." Peter says.
Alex smiles at
the mention of an old friend.
"Is he bringing
a TOMCAT?"
"Yes. He's
got a new partner and they're both coming down."
"I hope he's
better to this one than he was to Meg." she says.
She tries to laugh
but ends up in a coughing fit.
"Take it
easy. That would be ironic for you to choke after all that's happened."
Peter says.
Alex nods and
settles down. Peter leaves her alone with her new friends.
"Who's 'Harm'"
Rocky asks.
"A friend
of my dad's. I haven't seen him since the crash. He's with JAG
but he's also a pilot. He taught me everything I know about combat
aircraft. You'll like him. I did from the beginning." Alex
says.
She yawns and
tries to stretch and is stopped by pain, "Damn."
Jason sits down
on the bed next to her.
He puts his arm
around her, "We'll stay till you fall asleep. I'll come and
get you tomorrow when they let you go." Jason says.
Lex nods as she
struggles to stay awake despite the sedative the nurse gave her.
Her head rolls over onto Jason's chest as she finally drifts off.
He sits there a moment to be sure she is asleep before he tries
to stand. She won't let him go.
"I'll catch
up with you guys later." he says.
Tommy smiles at
his friend as they leave quietly.
Jason watches
her as she sleeps. *
She is so beautiful. Her strength is amazing. I can't imagine
what I would do in her place. I wonder what she is thinking right
now. Man, what am I doing to myself. She's in deep trouble and
all I can think of is spending time with her. She has been through
so much she doesn't need me around hounding her.*
Jason thinks to himself.
Alex begins to
dream.
**THE
DREAM**
An endless,
clear sky. There are no clouds in sight and the sun is bright.
The only sound is that of thousands of fighters warming up and
taking to the sky.An endless line fighters fly by overhead. She
can here the chatter of the men as they call back and forth. After
all the men and machines take to the sky there is one fighter
left. "It's yours, Little Eagle. All you have to do is join
us. Then the squadron will be complete." a voice says from
behind. Alex turns and sees her father. "I can't believe
you want me here now. I thought you told me to live and be happy.
What changed your mind?" she demands. "You should have
joined us years ago. The crash in Virginia should have brought
you home to us. But now it's only a matter of time and you'll
be with us." he says. "Is that what you told Harm when
he crashed. No dad I won't be here for a long time. I'm sorry
but I just got my life back and I want to enjoy it for awhile."
Alex says. She starts to walk away when her father stops her.
"You won't have much choice when your time comes." "We
always have choices and I choose to live my life with my new friends
and even with Jason." Alex says. She jerks away from him
and runs in the opposite direction.
**
THE NEXT MORNING **
Alex jerks awake
and startles Jason. He spent the entire night at her bedside.
Alex opens here eyes when she realizes someone is with her.
"Good morning
Jason." she whispers.
"Morning,
oh man am I stiff. I am gonna get it. I didn't even go home last
night." he says.
"I don't
think your parents will be too upset considering I wouldn't let
you go. Sorry about that." she says.
Jason smiles at
her. The doctor comes in before he can say anything else.
"Good morning
Jason. Did you sleep well?" the doctor teases.
"Alex, Your
uncle has checked you out and you can go as soon as you get dressed.
Your aunt sent some clean cloths for you to change into."
he says.
The doctor hands
her an overnight bag.
"Thanks.
I'll be out in a minute and then we can go." Alex says.
"I called
your family, Jason. They understand why you didn't come home last
night. Did she sleep all right?" the doctor asks.
"Yes. Maybe
it helped, my being here for her." he says.
Just then she
comes out, dressed and ready to go. "You should go home and
rest you've got the entire weekend." the doctor says.
Alex nods absently
as she watches Jason. The doctor sighs and lets the two teenagers
go.
Alex and Jason
leave the hospital and she is in good spirits.
"You want
to go over to the Youth Center and workout?" Alex asks Jason.
She may be in
high spirits but she is stiff and needs to do something physical.
"Shouldn't
you rest, like the doctor said?" Jason says.
"If I don't,
I'll be miserable all day. You wouldn't want that would you? "
she says.
Jason laughs at
her.
"All right,
but instead of the Youth Center why don't we go to the park, its
such a nice say, and play a game or two of volleyball?"
"Even better.
We need a good opponent though. Who would you suggest?" Alex
says.
"I'll call
Tommy and the others and meet you in the park." Jason says.
Alex nods and
heads off toward home.
**
THE DONAVAN RESIDENCE **
Alex walks in
and starts to go upstairs when she hears voices in the kitchen.
She decides to get something to eat before she changes to meet
her friends. As she enters the kitchen she recognizes the tall
man in the beige uniform,
"Harm!"
she shouts.
He turns and is
nearly flattened when Alex throws her arms around his neck, she's
nearly as tall as he is.
"It's good
to see you again." she says after she lets him go.
"I heard
you were having trouble and decided to come and bail you out.
This is my new partner, Major MacKenzie" he says.
She nods at the
woman. Alex smiles, she knows he's kidding. Nothing short of catching
the guys that are after her or her death will help her but she
says nothing. She grabs something to eat from the stove and starts
back up stairs.
"Where are
you going? You should stay out of sight until those maniacs are
caught." Katherin Donavan says.
"I'm going
to the park with Jason and his friends. We're going to play volleyball.
If I stay here I'll just go nuts. Besides if I don't do something
you wouldn't want me around any way. I'll see you later."
Alex says.
"Wait, your
plane came in yesterday don't you want to check it out?"
Peter asks.
"I'll get
Jason to drive me over later after the game." she says.
She goes upstairs
and to her room. Mac follows, she stops at the door when she sees
the girl, her back to the door, with her shirt off. She knocks
before entering.
"Come in."Alex
says.
"Sorry to
bother you. You do realize that they only want to see you safe.
You shouldn't blow them off like that."
"I'm not.
I just can't live all cooped up. I need my freedom. Soon enough
I'll have to follow orders and right now I want to have fun. Besides
with all the marines and the Power Rangers hanging around I'll
be perfectly safe in the park with my friends."
That threw Mac.
"What the
hell are Power Rangers?" she asks.
"I'm not
really sure but I ran into them the other day. It was really weird.
If you're so concerned why don't you and Harm come down and keep
an eye out." Alex says as she finishes putting on a T-shirt
and lycra bicycle shorts.
She digs out a
pair of socks and hi-top sneakers.
"If you do
though, you guys should change into civvies. In those uniforms
you two will stand out worse than a Power Ranger." she dashes
down stairs and out the door.
Mac returns to
the kitchen,
"I told you
she's a handful." Peter says.
"Wonderful.
Should we follow her?" Mac asks.
"Why not.
It should be interesting. Besides the security guys will have
to get used to her schedule and her habits." Harm says.
They change and
follow her to the local park.
**
ANGEL GROVE PARK **
"Jason."
Alex calls out when she sees him.
He turns and smiles.
"What took
you so long?" Tommy asks.
"Harm was
there when I walked in. I had to talk to him. That and his partner
cornered me while I was changing. I think they're going to come
and keep an eye out for the creeps that have been after me. Oh,
before I forget,"
The rangers groan
and look over at Tommy,
"What? What
did I say? I was just going to tell you that the Marine security
unit is here and they will by swarming all over the place. I've
seen these guys at work. They're good but terribly trigger happy
so be careful around them. Can one of you drive me over to the
airport later. My plane came in yesterday and I want to see it."
Alex says.
"You have
your own plane. How?" Kat asks.
"I did a
project for the Navy and ended up with a multi-million dollar
contract. It's nothing fancy, like the TOMCAT Harm brought down.
It's just a modified T-16 Corsair. I redid the engine design and
brought it close to the FALCON specs. I want to see how well it
came out." she is so matter of fact about it, it throws the
others for a loop. "Are we going to play or not?" Alex
asks.
**
ZEDD AND RITA'S LUNAR PALACE **
Rita is looking
down on the Earth as the rangers and their new friend begin to
play their first volleyball game. She doesn't see the marines
or the two JAG lawyers as she plots the rangers latest demise.
"Zedd, the
rangers are in the park again. What are you going to do about
it?" Rita screeches in his ear.
He smacks at her
then gets up to see for himself.
"How about
using the Earthlings combat aircraft. It should make an interesting
monster." Zedd says.
He sends an energy
blast that changes the TOMCAT into a snarling armored lion. The
rangers have no idea what is about to happen.
**
THE PARK **
{A little warning
before you go on. This is where it gets a little silly. America's
finest coming face to face with one of Zedd and Rita's monsters.
Picture this real hard and you will laugh so hard you may choke,
so be careful.}
"Come on,
Alex. This is humiliating. You can't always win." Kat says.
She looks over
and gets Harm's attention.
"Commander,
why don't you join our team?"
"I don't
know. Alex is the best player I've seen." Alex turns red
in embarrassment.
"Go on. We'll
still beat the pants off you." she taunts.
Harm laughs and
joins Kat's side of the net. All of a sudden they feel the ground
shake.
"Earthquake?"
Mac asks.
"No. They're
impact tremors. Could they be from all the construction?"
Harm says.
"Not unless
one of the machines grew legs and is coming this way. Oh hell."
Adam says.
He points to the
oncoming critter.
"Scatter.
Protect Alex and run for it." Jason says.
"Head for
the Youth Center. We'll meet there. Alex knows where it is."
Tommy directs.
They go off in
the opposite direction.
"What the
hell is that?" Mac asks, she points to the oncoming monster.
She's spooked
and a little annoyed with the way the teenagers ordered her around.
"If I didn't
know better I'd say it was a TOMCAT. " one of the marines
says. "I think it is. I heard about this kind of thing happening.
Just never thought I'd see it. Don't take the way they act personally.
They must be used to this kind of thing happening." Alex
says.
"What? What
the hell is going on? What is that thing?" Harm demands.
He's not used
to this kind of thing and it's got him slightly upset. I mean
we're talking monsters and aliens and the modern military, what
do you think.
"Not here. Let's get to the Youth Center and I'll tell you what I heard." Alex says.
They make it to
the Youth Center and Alex finds a table near the door so she can
watch for Jason. The marines take up positions around her. Ritchie
comes over to take their order.
"Anything
that's got sugar in it. Is it on the news yet?" Alex says.
"What?"
Ritchie asks in confusion.
"Another
monster attack. We saw it in the park. Big, mean. It looked like
an armored lion." "No but I'll check. Maybe Ernie will
turn on the TV." he says.
"Do you mind
telling us what is going on?" Harm insists.
"That's the
only problem with this town. The monster attacks. From what I've
heard it happens every now and then and the Power Rangers fight
them off..." She doesn't get a chance to finish.
All of a sudden
they hear screaming and Alex looks up to see a flock of Tengas
rushing in and straight at them.
"Ah hell
! TENGAS ! Get the civilians out of here ! " she says.
The marines respond
instantly and aim their weapons, "No! Too many civilians
around. Take them out hand to hand. Besides I don't think they'd
work." Alex says as a Tenga rushes her.
"Shit ! That
hurt." she hits one of the birds in the beak.
The fight goes
pretty well for the group until the building shakes.
"Let's get
out of here. We can fight better in the open anyway." Alex
says.
She runs passed
the Tengas and heads for the outside. Harm, Mac and the marines
are hard pressed to keep up with her.
"Oh man,
where did that thing come from." Mac says as she pulls up
suprised.
"Damn. It's
either the Tengas or that thing. Frankly, I'd rather deal with
Tengas." Alex says.
From off to the
side the Gold Ranger appears.
"Did everyone
get out?" he asks Alex.
"Yeah, we
were the last. What is that thing?" she asks pointing to
the monster.
"It doesn't
say much, just growls alot. I'll take the Tengas." he says.
"No, we can
handle it, you go help the others. They're gonna need it more
than we do." she tells him.
Gold nods and
teleports out. Harm and the others are dumb founded. That doesn't
last long because more Tengas come at them. One of them has a
weapon of some kind and fires at Harm. Alex sees this and throws
a rock at the creature and hits it in the eye and the shot goes
wild. Unfortunately she doesn't see the other one taking aim at
her. She dives on another Tenga just as the one behind her fires
and grazes her arm. She doesn't notice right away. Soon enough
the Tengas give up and fly away. Alex sits down heavily, the adrenaline
finally wearing off.
"You're hit,
Alex." Harm says.
A marine walks
over to her to check out the injury.
"It's not
bad." he says and patches it up. They return to the Youth
Center to find it in shambles. Alex begins to help clean up.
"Thanks,
Alex. You and your friends did a good job." Ernie says.
He brings all
of them free food and drinks.
Soon the news
reports yet another victory for the Ninja Rangers. Right after
that Jason and the others return. Alex sees Jason and smiles.
Jason sighs in relief when he sees she is unharmed. He goes over
to her, that's when he sees the bandage on her arm.
"What happened?
" he asks.
"A Tenga
fired something at me. It's not bad, just singed, promise."
Then she turns to the others, "Anyone want to give me a ride
to the airport. I need to check out my plane." Alex says.
The teens are
tired but decide to go with her.
**
ANGEL GROVE AIRPORT **
The entire group
arrive at the civilian hangars and see a beautiful blue and silver
T-16 Corsair shining in the sun.
"It's beautiful.
I've never seen anything like it in my life." Tommy says.
Like the others,
he is very impressed.
"You want
to see it up close. I'm going to run a pre-flight then take it
up." Alex says.
They follow her
over to the plane.
They watch as
she does a visual inspection, "Looks like it survived the
trip over here." she mutters to herself. Alex turns to Jason,
"You want to come up with me?" she asks him.
He looks at the
plane then nods. It's a chance to be alone with her with no distractions.
He follows her to the locker room to change into a flight suit.
"Don't worry,
Jason. I know what I'm doing. My team won the INTERNATIONALs
the last time I went up. This is the fun stuff." she says.
She laughs as
she gets ready. Jason smiles to himself as he listens to her.
This is the first time he has ever heard her laugh. He waits for
her at the door. Alex comes around a bank of lockers studying
a weather report not looking up.
"Looks like
good flying weather. Clear skies to 10 thousand and excellent
visibility for 30 miles. Just perfect." she is saying.
Again Jason smiles.
She looks like she's comfortable in her flight suit and she really
looks good in it.
"Ready?"
she asks, then looks up, "Huh, guess you are. Let's go. The
big blue awaits." she says and races for the plane.
Jason follows
close behind. They climb in and Alex does the onboard pre-flight.
She calls the tower for take off instructions. Jason has never
seen her this serious and is impressed. Soon they are racing down
the runway and taking off.
**
OPEN SKY AND BEYOND **
"Sorry for
the rush. Guess I need to remember that this isn't a competition.
We would always get points for everything including how fast we
did the pre-flight and got in the air. I got pretty good at it.
Hold on." she says just before she does a hard right bank.
Jason barely has
time to hear the warning before he ends up looking at the world
upside down. "Oh man, I'm gonna toss my breakfast."
Jason mutters.
Alex hears this
and laughs.
She brings the
plane rightside up, "Better?" she asks.
"Yes, thank
you. I wasn't ready for that one. You got anymore." he says.
She laughs and
puts the plane through its paces. After an hour and a half she
finally lands. Jason is a little green but he enjoyed himself
and tolerates the nausea.
"It's perfect.
They followed the designs exactly and it worked." she announces
happily.
Harm smiles as
he watches Alex and her new friends. He can't shake the feeling
something is going to happen.
"That was
incredible. Can I ask you something?" Rocky speaks up and
asks her.
"Sure, what
is it?"
"What is
it like up there?"
"It's pure
freedom. There's nothing like it except maybe flying the Space
Shuttle or maybe the Falcon Zord I saw in the news." she
says.
Alex doesn't catch
the look that crosses Tommy's face when she mentions his zord.
She looks around
then at her watch, "Let's get something to eat, I'm so hungry
I could eat a horse." This gets everyone going.
"Just like
Rocky, always hungry, imagine that." Tommy teases.
Rocky turns red
and Alex turns away, tears filling her eyes. Jason and Harm notice
this and Jason goes to her first. Harm stands back and watches.
"Are you all right, Alexandra?" he asks.
"It's nothing.
The others would always tease me about that after practices. A
good flight always makes me hungry. I just wasn't expecting to
ever hear that again that's all. Really, Jason, I'm all right."
Alex says. Jason holds her for a moment.
They leave the
airport not knowing that they are being watched.
**
YOUTH CENTER **
Once again the
rangers and Alex return to the Youth Center to relax and enjoy
themselves. They try to ignore the marines that are hanging around
and the two lawyers but it's not easy. Alex and Tommy are jumpy
and decide to spar.
"Come on
Jase. Let's have a little fun." Tommy says.
He looks at Alex
before he decides. She shrugs her shoulders and goes back to the
locker room. Tanya and Kat follow her, they've decided to get
in on the action. Soon enough all the rangers and Alex are in
the middle of a mock battle. Even the marines are impressed as
they watch.
**
THE BATTLE **
In slow motion
they do battle. No one takes sides. It's a free for all. Alex
faces off against Adam and suprises him with a lightening fast
reverse round house to his head. He barely ducks out of the way.
She is gone before he can counter her move. Tommy goes after Rocky
with a front double punch that sends him into Kat. She swings
around with a back hand that flattens him, it takes a few seconds
to regain his senses. Jason lays into Tanya but can't do too much
damage because she never stays in one place very long. Tommy backs
into Jason and gets socked in the kidneys for his troubles. They
turn on each other and battle fiercely until Alex comes in with
a Talon Strike that sends them spinning off in opposite directions.To
the uninformed it looks like they are really trying to kill each
other instead of having fun. She looks so fierce as she battles
each of the rangers in turn. When it's over, Alex is the only
one standing.
**
THE AFTERMATH **
Tommy and the
other rangers are spralled on the ground breathing heavily as
they look up at Alex. She stands over them watching. She knows
that they are in no condition to continue the fight. She isn't
even breathing hard, almost as if taking on the rangers was an
effortless task. At first they are a little *miffed
{author's
note: * you like that word, i did}
but then they remember what Alpha said about her being modified.
They put it off to the fact of what the doctors did to her to
save her life, never suspecting the truth, that she really is
a mutant. One with the strength and physical and mental power
to overcome almost any attacker. Alex smiles and offers them a
hand in getting up. "That was fun." she says. The rangers
laugh as they get to their feet. They all go over to their table
and order something to drink.
"Whatever
possessed us to do that?" Tommy asks.
"I don't
know but we should do it more often." Jason says.
Everyone, Alex
included, laughs themselves silly. The marines think the kids
are nuts but say nothing. Harm smiles as he watches Alex having
fun for the first time in so long. Ritchie brings a large plate
of fries and sets it down in the center of the table.
"Food, good
I'm starved." Rocky says.
First Tommy starts
laughing then it spreads to Kat, then Tanya, then Alex, Adam,
and finally Jason. The entire table is rocked with a fit of hysterical
laughter.
"Oh man,
stop. My sides are hurting. This is too much." Alex says
through the laughter.
No one can stop
to save their lives.
**
IN THE WEEKS TO FOLLOW **
During the weeks
that follow, Alex and the rangers become the bes of friends. She
and Jason become even more than friends. Alex and Jason spend
all their free time together, each learning from the other, loving
each other. Alex is very happy during this time and Jason is amazed
with all the joy he is bringing to her. Zedd and Rita don't bother
them again but the TOMCAT Harm brought with him was trashed in
the battle when they first showed up. Alex and Jason spend a lot
of time alone and even spend time in the air. She almost completely
forgets about the nightmare that awaits her. She even is able
to ignore the siren song that constantly sings its baleful tun
at the back of her mind. Almost but all of a sudden on a beautiful
winter morning she finds a note from Jason asking her to meet
him in the park by the lake. She has no idea that it's a fake
and a trap set by Horton himself.
** THE
TRAP **
** This is
where it gets painful. Take care as you read on. Have plenty of
hankies close at hand.**
Alex is in the
park, alone, waiting for Jason. She hears someone soming up behind
her. She turns, expecting to see Jason, to find a gun barrel in
her face.
"We finally
meet face to face. You have given my associates and myself a lot
of trouble over such a small thing. Now you will join your team
mates in hell." the strange man says.
He doesn't know
her very well or he would have fired before he said anything.
Alex dodges to one side just as he shoots. She rolls to her feet
and runs for the entrance to the park. She hears the shooter following
close behind. She is near the edge of the park when the Ninja
Rangers appear between her and the gunman. The one in Gold goes
to her and stands with her as the others try to discourage the
attacker.
"This isn't
a good idea. You could kill someone." the red ninja says.
"That's the
idea." Horton says.
"NO!!!! Leave
them out of this." Alex shouts and tries to get away from
the gold ninja but he wouldn't let her go.
Harm and the
marines are close behind them, but not close enough to stop events
from unfolding. The rangers have never had to deal with the treachery
of their own kind before and don't know how to handle it. They
think that this guy will behave just like the creatures they have
fought before. Unfortunatly this is not the case. The gunman isn't
alone, a dozen more have arrived to back thier boss up.
"This was
just going to be about you and me, Carpenter. You caused me to
lose all my contacts and clients because of what you did. Now
you involved these freaks and they are going to die with you."
he says.
"Don't be
too sure. They're better than you think. But you're right it is
about you and me." Alex says.
She walks away
form the gold ninja and through the other rangers to face Horton.
"NO!"
the gold ninja shouts.
He is looking
at a sniper in the trees and he races for him. Too late, the shooting
begins. Everyone hits the ground, including the rangers. Horton
staggers through the shooting and grabs hold of the gold ninja.
**
WOUNDED EAGEL **
"That is
QUITE enough !" Horton shouts.
Everyone stops
and looks over at him.
"Very good,
Alexandra. But not good enough. Time for things to come to an
end. Step away from the trees with your hands where I can see
them. Don't do anything funny or this freak will die right here
right now." he threatens.
Alex knows Horton's
serious and does as he says.
"Alex, don't
! Stay where you are!" Harm shouts.
She doesn't hear
him. All she can hear is the siren call from the sky.
"Look only
at me, ranger." Alex tells the gold ranger.
Her voice is strange,
he listens and waits for her to do something. At this range a
gun shot would be fatal to even a ranger.
She looks at Horton,
"All right I'm here. Let him go. He's not part of this and
you know it." Alex says.
"Now, now,
let's not get ahead of ourselves." Horton says, his voice
sickly sweet.
He points the
gun at her. This is what she's been waiting for. A slight nod
and the gold ninja pulls away from Horton and dives off to the
side. It all happens in slow motion as Jason watches his worst
nightmare come to life. Alex draws the gun she has from behind
her back and fires at the same time Horton does. Alex's shot is
better, it hits Horton between the eyes. Alex remains on her feet
even though she is hit in the chest. She doesn't feel it. With
their leader dead the other attackers are rounded up by the marines.
Alex turns to the rangers and looks for the gold one.
"Are you
all right ? Horton didn't hurt you did he ?" she asks him.
"No, I'm
ok, just a little shaken up." he says.
"How did
you know what was going on? I got a note from Jason asking me
to meet him here and Horton shows up." Alex says.
"We saw the
trouble on our monitoring system and got here as soon as we could.
We also called Commander Rab and he brought the marines. Are you
all right ? You look a little pale." the white ninja says.
She smiles, "He's here, I think I heard him before the shooting
started." she says.
Before Alex can
continue she collapses. The white ninja catches her. When he moves
her to check her out he notices the blood on the front of his
tunic.
"OH GOD!!
She's been shot." he calls out to the other rangers. They
disapear and take Alex with them.
**
THE COMMAND CENTER **
The rangers arrive
at the command center and unMorph. Jason is frantic to save Alex,
her blood staining his cloths and hands. He looks around for Alpha.
"Alpha, get
a cot. Alex has been shot, she's bleeding bad." Jason says,
his voice shaking.
He stays with
her as Alpha runs a scanner over her.
"It doesn't
look good, Jason. I can't stop the internal bleeding. What was
she shot with ? She's all messed up inside. There's a lot of internal
damage." Alpha says as he works feverishly to save Alex's
life.
In the end though
it does no good, she's dying. Alex comes to and is frightened
until she sees Jason.
"What is.
. . ?" her voice fails.
"It's all
right. You're safe here. No one can get to you here."
* I AM ZORDON. THIS IS THE HOME OF THE
POWER RANGERS. THEY BROUGHT YOU HERE AFTER YOU WERE SHOT. DO YOU
REMEMBER ? YOU SAVED JASON FROM HORTON *
Zordon says.
Alex looks over
at Jason.
"That was
you out there. You're the Gold Ranger. Oh my god, Jason .......
I never wanted you to get in the middle of that. I'm .........
so ...................... sorry." Alex says, her voice failing
along with her strength.
She tries to sit
up. Jason eases her back down.
"It's all
right. I'm fine all that matters is that you get better and live.
I want you to teach me how to fly. I want to learn from you. I
need you to stay and be with me." he says.
The other rangers
back off and give them some privacy. Tears fill there eyes as
they watch the life drain away from the brave young woman and
Jason as he tries to fight back death.
"I want .........
to stay. I ............ need you ...... Jason. Oh god ..............
it hurts. Hold me. I love you Jason." she whispers.
She shivers as
the cold enters her body, death is near and they know it.
"I love you
too, Alexandra. Please don't go." he pleads.
"I'm so cold.
I'll never leave you again my love." she says.
With her last
bit of strength she lays her hand on his chest and a warm glow
flows into him. She has given him all her memories and what little
power she had as she dies. Just then the viewing globe comes to
life.
**
THE VIEWING GLOBE INTO ETERNITY **
The rangers turn
to see what is going on. They are in no mood to deal with another
monster of any kind. This time, however, the globe doesn't show
an impending attack. The rangers see Alex running across an open
field, laughing. She throws her arms around a man that looks like
her.
"Daddy, I'm
ready. Let's go." she says to the man.
They run to the
last two fighters. Both pilots are dressed for combat. They climb
aboard their fighters and race for the endless sky.
"Aren't you
going to miss your friends back there?" her father asks.
"Yes, but
they aren't alone. I'm still with them, especially Jason. Let's
do it. I've waited my whole life for this." Alex says.
Then the globe
goes dark.
"What was
that?" Jason asks, tears sliding down his face.
* ALEXANDRA PROVIDED YOU WITH A LOOK INTO
THE WORLD BEYOND. I BELIEVE SHE DID THIS SO YOU WOULD NOT WORRY
FOR HER. AS YOU SAW THE MAN SHE MET IS HER DEAD FATHER AND NOW
THEY ARE REUNITED IN A BETTER AND SAFER PLACE AWAY FROM THE HARM
OF THE WORLD OF THE LIVING.*
Zordon explains.
"Oh man,
we've got to go back. They're going to wonder what happened."
Rocky says.
With this the
spell is broken that has fallen over the rangers.
"What are
we going to tell them?" Kat asks.
No one says anything
at first then Jason speaks up.
"We tell
Commander Rab and her family the truth, all of it and hope they
have the sense to keep the details to themselves. I don't think
I could lie to them right now as it is." he says.
Jason stands and
picks Alex up. Even in death she is so beautiful. The other rangers
agree. Zordon takes that moment to speak:
*BRING THEM HERE. THEY SHOULD KNOW THE
SACRIFICE SHE HAS MADE FOR YOU. THE VIEWING GLOBE HAS THE IMAGES
STORED AND I SHALL REPLAY THE MESSAGE FOR THEM*
"If you're
sure. It would make things easier. Jason, why don't you stay with
her and we'll bring her family here." Tommy suggests.
Jason just nods,
his grief to strong. He lays her back down and sits at her side
holding her cooling hand. **She can't be gone. This is a cruel
trick, right. Zedd is playing one of his sick games and
Alex will wake up once we break the spell. Oh, god this can't
be happening.**
"I'll stay
with him. He shouldn't be alone right now." Tanya says.
Rocky and Adam
stay behind as well. Kat and Tommy Morph and go to the Donavon
residence.
"This isn't
going to be easy." Kat mutters.
**
THE DONOVAN RESIDENCE **
The rangers appear
in front of the startled adults.
"What the
hell? How did you get in here?" Commander Donavon says supprised.
"That doesn't
matter right now. We know where your niece is." the white
Ninja says.
"Where did
you take her?" Harm demands.
Mac is at his
side.
"If you'll
come with us, we'll take you to her." the pink Ninja says.
"If you'll
stand close to us we can go" the white Ninja says.
Alex's family
doesn't understand but they obey and they all disappear form the
house.
**
THE COMMAND CENTER **
The Donovan's,
Harm and Mac land hard and on their backsides when the teleport
field lets them go.
"Ow, that
hurt. Where the hell did we end up? And how did we get here?"
Harm asks.
He sums up the
general consensus. They look around for the two that brought them
but only see the little robot, Alpha, and a floating head, Zordon.
* DO NOT FEAR. I AM ZORDON. A FRIEND AND
ADVISOR TO THE POWER RANGERS. THEY DECIDED TO BRING YOU HERE TO
TRY AND HELP YOU DEAL WITH THE DEATH OF ALEXANDRA. AND TO SHOW
YOU HER FINAL MESSAGE. *
Zordon says.
He replays the
images from the viewing globe. during this the rangers gather
around Jason and the body of their fallen friend.
"Where is
she? You said she is here." her aunt asks, her voice choked
with sobs.
"Over here,
Mrs. Donavan. She . . ." Jason tries to say more but his
voice fails him.
"What happened?
It looked like she was fine." Harm asks Tommy.
"She was
shot in the chest. Alpha tried to save her but couldn't. If it
helps, Alexandra didn't die alone. We were with her." Tommy
says.
Harm looks over
at Jason, "He's taking this really hard isn't he?" Harm
asks, not totally understanding the reason why.
"The last
thing she said to him was 'I love you Jason and I'll never leave
you again.' He really fell for her and now this." Tommy says.
Kat walks up to
Tommy and slips her arms around him.
"We had to
watch her die and not be able to do anything to save her. Some
times I really hate this job." she says.
Harm looks at
the teens. He never would have suspected them of being Power Rangers.
The thought of kids fighting the kind of battles that marines
would probably lose really has him shaken up. He sees how the
death of Alex, a girl they hardly knew, has really affected them
deeply.
"Why did
that bastard have to kill her." Jason says.
He has finally
found his voice.
"He was a
killer for hire. Four years ago Alex and the other Imperials saw
them as they set a trap and killed Admiral John Morgan and Senator
James Conroy. The other Imperials were killed one by one never
knowing what was going on. Alex helped us catch the men responsible
for the assassination. Horton was the only one who got away. None
of us ever thought he would find her that's why we sent her here.
Who would ever think a valuable military witness would be in a
town like this. Boy were we wrong. DAMN, DAMN, DAMN !"
Harm says.
**
THE FUNERAL **
"We have
to take her home. Everyone will wonder what has happened."
Jason says. the others agree.
This whole situation
has them so upset it takes a while for things to register in their
minds.
"How are
we going to explain what happened? No one saw us there. They saw
the Ninja Rangers." Tanya says.
Jason turns at
her with a blank look in his eyes. Something is happening to him.
"I say we
morph and take her and her family home, answer any questions,
then come back unmorphed and deal with what ever has to be done."
Tommy suggests.
The others agree
absently.
Tommy turns to
Alex's family, "You do understand that what you have seen
here can't leave this command center. Too many lives depend on
what we do. Our parents don't even know about this." he says.
"All right.
The way things stand no one would believe us even if we did say
anything." Harm says.
Harm is trying to be strong but isn't having much luck. Mac moves closer to him. This is the first time since she has met him that she has seen him break down emotionally.
"It's Morphin
time!" Tommy calls out.
"THE BEAR"
THE FALCON"
"THE APE"
"THE FROG"
"THE CRANE"
"THE COUGAR"
Six rangers morph
into their Ninja gi's. When Tommy looks at Jason he notices something
different about his totem.
"Jase, what
happened? Your totem is split." he says.
Jason opens his
eyes and the others notice the difference is not just in the totem.
"I know.
It was Alexandra. Her spirit guide was the Eagle. When she passed
she gave me her memories and her power. Now I am both the Eagle
and the Cougar." he says.
At that moment
he begins to float and a ghostly voice cries out, "We can
fly free." it was the voice of Alex, she laughs as Jason
flys around the Command Center.
* IT IS HER FINAL GIFT TO YOU JASON. WHEN
THE EAGEL AND THE COUGAR JOINED THEY AWAKENED A LONG DORMANT POWER.
THE GIFT OF FREE FLIGHT. YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WHEN USING IT AND
DO NOT USE IT OFTEN. THE ENERGY TO FLY COMES DIRECTLY FROM YOU
AND WILL DRAIN YOUR STRENGHT. BUT FOR EMERGENCIES IT WILL SERVE
YOU AND THE OTHER RANGERS WELL. *
Zordon says.
Harm goes to pick
up Alex's body when Jason stops him, "Let me do it."
he says.
Harm backs off.
They all return to the park to meet the police and the marine
detachment.
"She's gone.
There was nothing we could do to save her, we tried." the
white Ninja says to the first officer that approaches.
The gold Ninja
lays the body on a gurney near the ambulance the police had ordered,
"She died to save me." he says absently to the cop who
approaches him.
The cop says nothing
as he helps the coroner put the body in the wagon. He can tell
that the rangers are having a difficult time with the death and
doesn't want to do anything to add to their pain. The other officers
know of the sacrifices these young people make for the world and
they are begining to understand how hard it hits them when someone
dies and they can do nothing about it.
A week later Harm,
in dress whites, Mac, in full dress blues, Admiral Chegwidden,
also in whites, the marines who were assigned to Alex, in blues,
the rangers and their families, and Alex's family gather for the
funeral. They have decided to bury her on a high mountain platue,
so she can be close to the sky. The wind blows softly across the
gathered mourners when the silence is broken by the howl of a
squadron of TOMCATS on fly-by. As the squad reaches the place
where she is laid to rest one of the fighters peals off and the
rest continue on toward the horizon. When the sound of the fighters
fades enough the honor guard takes position and fires off several
volleys then stand at a strict attention.
"We gather
today on this beautiful spot to honor Alexandra Carpenter. She
was a brave young woman who's life was taken far too soon. She
served her country and her friends in the most noble tradition.
She gave her life to save someone she didn't even know. Alexandra
Carpenter honored her friends by doing this so no one else would
be hurt. There is nothing more special than a friend or a stranger
who would make that ultimate sacrifice." the priest says.
He stands back
as Admiral Chegwidden stands. This isn't easy for him. He has
sent people to their deaths before but none of them had been so
young and none of them had been a young girl.
"Alexandra
Carpenter was one of a kind. I had never seen anyone with her
knack with aircraft before. She put even some of the most seasoned
pilots to shame but she never let that interfere with what she
knew was right. She would never show off and make anyone look
or feel bad. And when it came to doing what was right she would
never take the easy way and ignore something even if it put her
in harm's way. Alexandra saw someone in trouble that fateful day
four years ago and tried to stop it from happening. For this and
all the other times she has done us proud we honor her this way.
Fly free and proud Eagle, we will miss you." the admiral
says, he salutes her courage and steps back.
Harm approaches
the head of the coffin and looks down at it before he speaks,
"Lex and her father were good friends when I needed it most,
right after I crashed and found out I could no longer fly. She
came and visited me in the hospital and even encouraged me to
go into law. If it wasn't for her I don't know what I would have
done. I am going to miss the way she would always make me laugh.
She always had this unique way of seeing things. Lex would go
to the ends of the earth to fix something or someone if she thought
she could or at least give it one hell of a try. Lex never let
a little thing like pain get in her way. Even when she was a target
she would look out for those around her first then herself. Fly
free and proud, Eagle. I am going to miss you so much." Harm
says, he too snaps her a smart salute.
The rangers wait
to say anything until they hold their private memorial. Jason,
however, stands and takes Harm's place at the casket's head.
"I have never
met anyone like her before and I doubt I ever will again. When
I first met her she was scared and in pain from all her injuries
and over the few weeks I spent with her I saw her change. Now
I don't know what she was like before the accident that brought
her here but the Alexandra that I knew was the sweetest most kind
girl I have ever known. Fly proud, Eagle." then he sits back
down. The honor guard steps up and folds the American Flag that
they had placed over her coffin. Instead of giving the flag to
her uncle one of the marines approaches Jason.
The marine sergeant
hands him the flag, "For bravery and sacrifice above and
beyond anything asked of her. We thank you for her service and
duty." the marine stands back and salutes him.
**
THAT SAME DAY AT SUNSET **
Everyone has gone
and the rangers have returned to honor Alex in their own way.
They arrive separately already morphed. Jason is the first to
arrive. He kneels beside the mound of freshly turned earth.
"I'll live
your dream for you, Alexandra. You have given me your love of
flying and service. I only hope I can live up to your example.
I miss you so much." he whispers.
"I know you
do. You don't have to follow my dreams. You must live your own
life, that's the only way you'll truly be happy. Your happiness
is what I truly want for you." Alex says.
He turns and sees
her shimmering image standing before him, tears fill his eyes.
She is so beautiful standing there with the sun cascading off
her flowing hair. "Nothing else makes me happy anymore. It's
only when I'm doing something that reminds me of you that the
grief goes away. I want to do this, it's the right thing to do
and you know it." Jason says.
"All right,
if that's what you truly want then I won't try and discourage
you anymore. Just don't mourn me too long. There's a whole world
out there waiting for you." she says.
She vanishes before
the others arrive. Jason smiles under his mask as a new warmth
flows through him.
Tommy stands next
to Jason. "Are you all right, bro?" he asks.
"Yeah, I
just miss her that's all. It's hard not having her here. Why did
that bastard have to shoot her. Why did she have to die?"
Jason rages.
His grief finally
breaking through his shields.
"We'll never
know why he had to kill her. I never knew what bravery was until
I met her. She never let the pain get her down. Alexandra never
once thought of herself. It's like the admiral said, she gave
the best of herself so others, you Jase, could live. I don't think
it really mattered that she didn't know it was you. I think she
would have done it for any of us."
"It's not
fair. I was just getting to know her. Just getting to love her
and she died. I want her back, Tommy. I want Alex back."
Jason sobs uncontrollably and sinks to his knees by her grave.
"Fly free and safe, Eagel. I love you."
Tommy holds his
peace and waits. Eventually Jason regains his feet and Tommy can
pay his last respects. "You would have made a good Ranger,
Alex. Maybe one of our best. We never had the chance to really
know you but I know that you have touched my life and changed
me for the better. Thank you, my friend. Fly safe, Eagle, I'll
miss you."
"You showed
all of us so much. I just wish we had more time to know you better.
" Aisha says.
Just as the moon
begins to rise six columns of light race back to town and different
locations.
**
EPILOGUE **
In the months
and years that followed the death of Alexandra Carpenter, Jason
spent many sleepless nights just thinking about her. She gave
him so much of herself. He has a very difficult time coming to
terms with her passing even knowing that she is happy and safe.
When the pain is at its worse a strange but comforting warmth
fills his entire being and he can go on for another day. He finally
learns to fly and earns his wings. As her final wish, Alex has
given Jason her plane. For his first flight, after getting his
wings, he takes the Eagle and flys cross country. He decides to
continue Alex's dream of becoming a Naval Aviator. And on his
graduation from the academy, in front of all his friends and family
he climbs into the cockpit of his TOMCAT and takes his first solo
flight as a Naval Aviator and officer. Just as he is about to
take off he sees Alex in a phantom fighter next to him also reading
to take off.
Harm and Mac have
gone back to Virginia and later attend the trials of the remaining
men belonging to Horton. Harm still has nightmares about Lex's
death. One night when the dreams are particularly bad, Harm sneaks
off to try and take a TOMCAT up. He knows that with night blindness
he would never be able to land.
Just before he
climbs into the cockpit, he feels a hand on his arm, "Let
me go. I know what I'm doing." he says without turning.
"Do you Harm?
You know you'll never be able to take off much less land. Do
you hate your life so much that you are ready to die. Don't do
this. It's not your time. I'll be there when it is, if you like?"
the voice says.
He turns and sees
the shimmering image of Alex in her flight suit.
"How can
this be? We buried you years ago."
"I know but
I felt your pain and had to come back. Don't do this. It's not
your time and it serves no purpose. When I died I did it to save
Jason. This was a good reason and now I'm with my dad and will
see Jason when his time comes. If you do this now, it will be
for nothing and a waste. Go back home. The dreams won't bother
you anymore." she blows him a kiss and vanishes.
Harm feels better
than he has in years and goes home.
Everyone that
ever met Alex has a similar experience when they are at their
lowest point and some how they can go on knowing that she is watching
over them.
The End
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All right, all right so this ended up being more a story from JAG with the Power Rangers thrown in for a twist. So sue me. I love both shows. And yes I purposely set Jason up to fall for Alex only to kill her off. Thems the breaks. HE! HE! HE! HA! HA! HA! That's what happens when you listen to music from a movie about the Navy and love a show about the Navy, with a very good looking guy in the lead role, David James Elliot, and try to write about the Power Rangers. It's still a good story though. Let me know what you think. ******************************************************************
*E-mail me at reddragon@sprintmail.com *
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