Reefside - The Warehouse District
It was supposed to be a simple mission to go retrieve the fossil finder, after which Tommy had planned to return home, have a hot shower while pondering what to do next, and perhaps ask for more of Jason's advice. No, he certainly didn't see what's currently happening, coming. But past experience whispers in his ear that perhaps he should have. After all, the person the bad guy ends up being is never the guy you expect, at least where Rangers are concerned. The original team had learned that when Rita had placed Tommy under her spell and made him her personal warrior, her evil Green Ranger.
But Trent? The first team had told Tommy, years ago, that his entire personality had changed when he was under Rita's control. He'd been cruel and evil all the time, not just when he had been morphed. Trent's seemed more or less normal, though Hayley had mentioned that he'd seemed a bit out of it lately. They'd all more or less dismissed it as regular fatigue from work and school, and told Trent to take care of himself and get some rest. If Tommy had been astonished when Trent came staggering through the warehouse, it was nothing compared to his surprise when a power surge from the boy's morpher had sent him flying across the room. That look of shock has yet to leave his face.
For Trent to be an evil Power Ranger is almost beyond belief.
"Fight or perish, Black Ranger."
It's a challenge that Tommy can't back down from, and the shocked expression shifts to a look of displeasure and determination. Tommy pulls himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pains in his back. -Guess I hit those barrels harder than I realised...-
"This is not gonna be pretty..." It's almost like facing off against himself, Tommy realises as his morpher materializes. Or at least a younger version of himself. But that doesn't mean he's going to go easy on the guy.
"DinoThunder, Power Up! HA!"
He wastes no time in attacking, but no matter what he does, Trent seems to stay one step ahead of him. It's rare that Tommy finds himself on the defensive, but right now it's all he can do to block the White Ranger's blows and attempt to get a few of his own in as he's bullied backward across their impromptu arena.
"C'mon!" It's a mocking remark, White goading Black into fighting harder. Tommy finds himself being forced backward up the stairs by the incessant attacks, half blinded by the white hot sparks showering him.
"No! I can help you!"
Was this, he wonders, what it had been like for Jason when they'd fought one-on-one? After Rita's spell was broken they had been an even match, though each had their own strengths. But during his possession, Tommy's strength had been drastically increased. Jason's offers of assistance had also gone unheard, or at least been dismissed.
Tommy flips over the railing of the stairway and lands on his feet, but before he can spin to face Trent again the boy kicks him hard in the back, sending the other Ranger flying into another cluster of barrels. Tommy has to grab them for support as he turns around again, and finds that his adversary is fiddling with the strange contraption that Tommy had noticed just prior to Trent's unexpected arrival.
"You're the one who needs help," the White Ranger says scornfully.
Tommy scrabbles to gain a bit of balance. "Hayley," he yells into his morpher, "listen! The White Ranger is-" He gives an exclamation of surprise as the other Ranger's machine makes an alarming screech, before trying again. "It's-!"
The first globs of molten amber hit his feet and begin to harden instantly. Trent's attack hits hard and fast, and the Black Ranger yells unintelligibly, mostly in pain but also in defiance. This is not, cannot, be happening. The searing pain of every single muscle tightening and locking up is traveling up his body entirely too quickly, and he brings his morpher up in a desperate attempt to get his message across; it's too late. The yell suddenly stops as the amber finally encases Tommy's neck and head.
"Tommy? Come in, Tommy!" Hayley's voice sounds muffled, as if Tommy's ears were stuffed with cotton. But the panic is evident.
"Hayley!" he shouts, or at least tries to. His vocal cords are paralyzed, he realises, and several inches of solid amber lie between his mouth and his morpher, anyway. His vision is as distorted as his hearing, the darkness of his visor and the warped gold surface of the amber that he's encased in combining to create a headache-inducing view of the world. But it's not enough to prevent him from recognizing the White Ranger, Trent, his student, coming to stand triumphantly in front of him.
"Let's keep this our little secret." The laugh that follows doesn't need to be crystal clear to be understood. Tommy's been well and truly defeated, and they both know it. The Black Ranger doesn't even bother trying to struggle against the material imprisoning him, now. His muscles won't respond to his commands, and the knowledge that there is absolutely nothing he can do now, for himself or for the team, hurts worse than the fossilization process.
-Fuck.- It's the last coherent thought Tommy has before he lets himself succumb to the pain and exhaustion, and slips into unconsciousness.
But Trent? The first team had told Tommy, years ago, that his entire personality had changed when he was under Rita's control. He'd been cruel and evil all the time, not just when he had been morphed. Trent's seemed more or less normal, though Hayley had mentioned that he'd seemed a bit out of it lately. They'd all more or less dismissed it as regular fatigue from work and school, and told Trent to take care of himself and get some rest. If Tommy had been astonished when Trent came staggering through the warehouse, it was nothing compared to his surprise when a power surge from the boy's morpher had sent him flying across the room. That look of shock has yet to leave his face.
For Trent to be an evil Power Ranger is almost beyond belief.
"Fight or perish, Black Ranger."
It's a challenge that Tommy can't back down from, and the shocked expression shifts to a look of displeasure and determination. Tommy pulls himself to his feet, ignoring the sharp pains in his back. -Guess I hit those barrels harder than I realised...-
"This is not gonna be pretty..." It's almost like facing off against himself, Tommy realises as his morpher materializes. Or at least a younger version of himself. But that doesn't mean he's going to go easy on the guy.
"DinoThunder, Power Up! HA!"
He wastes no time in attacking, but no matter what he does, Trent seems to stay one step ahead of him. It's rare that Tommy finds himself on the defensive, but right now it's all he can do to block the White Ranger's blows and attempt to get a few of his own in as he's bullied backward across their impromptu arena.
"C'mon!" It's a mocking remark, White goading Black into fighting harder. Tommy finds himself being forced backward up the stairs by the incessant attacks, half blinded by the white hot sparks showering him.
"No! I can help you!"
Was this, he wonders, what it had been like for Jason when they'd fought one-on-one? After Rita's spell was broken they had been an even match, though each had their own strengths. But during his possession, Tommy's strength had been drastically increased. Jason's offers of assistance had also gone unheard, or at least been dismissed.
Tommy flips over the railing of the stairway and lands on his feet, but before he can spin to face Trent again the boy kicks him hard in the back, sending the other Ranger flying into another cluster of barrels. Tommy has to grab them for support as he turns around again, and finds that his adversary is fiddling with the strange contraption that Tommy had noticed just prior to Trent's unexpected arrival.
"You're the one who needs help," the White Ranger says scornfully.
Tommy scrabbles to gain a bit of balance. "Hayley," he yells into his morpher, "listen! The White Ranger is-" He gives an exclamation of surprise as the other Ranger's machine makes an alarming screech, before trying again. "It's-!"
The first globs of molten amber hit his feet and begin to harden instantly. Trent's attack hits hard and fast, and the Black Ranger yells unintelligibly, mostly in pain but also in defiance. This is not, cannot, be happening. The searing pain of every single muscle tightening and locking up is traveling up his body entirely too quickly, and he brings his morpher up in a desperate attempt to get his message across; it's too late. The yell suddenly stops as the amber finally encases Tommy's neck and head.
"Tommy? Come in, Tommy!" Hayley's voice sounds muffled, as if Tommy's ears were stuffed with cotton. But the panic is evident.
"Hayley!" he shouts, or at least tries to. His vocal cords are paralyzed, he realises, and several inches of solid amber lie between his mouth and his morpher, anyway. His vision is as distorted as his hearing, the darkness of his visor and the warped gold surface of the amber that he's encased in combining to create a headache-inducing view of the world. But it's not enough to prevent him from recognizing the White Ranger, Trent, his student, coming to stand triumphantly in front of him.
"Let's keep this our little secret." The laugh that follows doesn't need to be crystal clear to be understood. Tommy's been well and truly defeated, and they both know it. The Black Ranger doesn't even bother trying to struggle against the material imprisoning him, now. His muscles won't respond to his commands, and the knowledge that there is absolutely nothing he can do now, for himself or for the team, hurts worse than the fossilization process.
-Fuck.- It's the last coherent thought Tommy has before he lets himself succumb to the pain and exhaustion, and slips into unconsciousness.