A Darker Shade of Red (Time Force/Power Rangers, T, Chapter 9: Memories)
Finally, I can post more of this! -Still growling at LiveJournal- Now I just need to get off my butt and actually watch Reinforcements from the Future, so I can theorize it to pieces and work it into this story. ^_^V
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: Another chapter that's changed a bit from the original, and is now much improved.
More of my attempts at creating the Xybrian Language:
Aio ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah - I am Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah
Na'rae gis aeo rusolu teo pu - What are you asking of me
Once he might have said that a week without the Rangers hovering around him would have been heaven. No Katie babbling through his lunches, no Lucas showing up to escort him places like he needed someone to hold his hand. No Jen trying to talk to him. No Trip trying to pretend that everything was okay or guilt trip him over things that they did to *him*.
But now it was just lonely. Spending New Year's Eve alone in his apartment with something carbonated, staring at his television, just made him feel like even more of a jerk. He hadn't realized that was possible.
He also hadn't realized how much he was actually starting to appreciate their presence in such a short period of time. Which was strange, being that he'd never had ... 'friends' before. He wasn't sure he could ever have called them his friends to begin with. Jen had always been more than a friend in his eyes, and Trip was ... well, that was different. The idea that he'd become so attached to the idea of having them around was more than slightly troubling, and he found himself trying to fall back into old habits of being cold and uncaring of anyone or anything. It was harder than it should have been.
Ranger Drills were more of a form of torture than any sort of team building exercise, and Logan was appalled at their lack of progress. More than once he'd lectured them, tried to demand answers as to what just was going on. Jen only said "Nothing, Sir. We'll try harder tomorrow. Is that all?" every time he asked.
Alex chose not to speak at all.
While the team training was pathetic, Alex had developed his own personal regimen based off the exercises that had been used to test his personal and morphed capabilities from the beginning of the Morpher Project. Between his usual paperwork and his training, he had barely anytime to talk to anyone, and practically collapsed on his couch the moment he got home, too exhausted to make it to his bedroom. His nights were filled with dreams of his childhood, of trauma and failed experiments, but his skills and physical ability were quickly becoming honed to perfection.
The only upside of the whole mess was Blakemore's apparent happiness with the development. He still paused in hallways to greet Alex, smiling with calculated poison and telling him what a good boy he was, but his interest in the other Rangers had disappeared as quickly as it began. He had Alex in the palm of his hand, and as long as his pet obeyed, everyone else remained safe.
That was all that mattered.
"The lack of progress you've made in working as a team is ridiculous and pathetic," Logan lectured as he paced the line they'd made once again. "I don't know what the problem is between you all, but it's going to stop." He paused, eyeing them, but no one so much as twitched.
"To try yet again to change this," he continued at last, "We've come up with a new exercise for you. An emergency signal has been placed somewhere in the building, along with specific instructions on how to deactivate it. You may use any strategy or equipment you like to get you there, as long as the mission is completed. Good luck."
Jen saluted. "Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed."
There was silence as they took the elevator up to 'Ranger Tower' as Trip and Kate had dubbed it - the area set aside specifically for the Rangers to house their equipment for monitoring the city. After a few minutes Alex finally realized why, and held in the sigh that threatened to escape. Instead he looked at Jen. "What's the plan?"
She looked startled for barely a moment before her eyes narrowed in determination. "Trip, I want you to download the information on deactivating the signal, and track it down. Once we know where it is, we'll split up - "She paused, frowning, then abruptly shook her head. "No. It's better if we move in as a team."
"Won't that take longer?" Lucas spoke up, giving her an odd look.
"We can't guarantee there won't be any traps along the way. We have a better chance if we work together," she told him. She shook her head again. "It's not a good idea for any of us to be alone right now."
She was right, but Alex was slightly surprised when she eyed him. He raised his eyebrows. "What?"
She started to shake her head once again, then seemed to stop herself. "You're okay with this?" she asked after a moment.
"With what?"
She hesitated. "This. Me."
He frowned for a moment, then sighed as he finally caught on. "Your team. Your call," he informed her. "I'm only here because I have to be."
Her eyes narrowed again, but the door opened on their floor before she could say anything, and he was already following Trip.
As expected, Trip took hardly any time at all to find what they were looking for. He was already telling them all what it looked like and how to deactivate it when they saw it when he suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, staring at the readout in front of him in horror.
"Trip?" Katie broke in, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
He jumped, whirling to stare at her with wide eyes. "I ... I - "
"What is it?" Lucas demanded.
Alex leaned around to check the screen and felt chills run down his spine as he saw the location. Darn him. Couldn't resist the opportunity, could he? He was actually going to make them - make *Trip* ...
"Change in plans," he said abruptly, heading for the door. "You four stay here. I'll find the signal."
"What do you think you're doing?" Jen demanded, grabbing his arm. "My team, my call, remember?"
He shook his head, jerking his arm free. "Not anymore," he told her flatly. "This is my territory."
"Alex ... "
He looked up at Trip, and found himself offering a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Trip," he said softly. "I can handle this. Just stay here, all right?"
Trip looked torn, despite the obvious fear in his eyes. "But Alex - "
He shook his head. "Stay here, Trip. You can keep an eye out for me."
"I'm coming with you," Jen growled as she marched after him.
He turned to scowl at her. "No, you're not. This has nothing to do with you. Blakemore meant this exercise for me."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she demanded incredulously. "I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't want anyone to be alone right now!"
"I'm *always* alone!" he snapped back.
There was an ugly pause, and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'm doing this, and you're not coming with me."
"And what makes you think you have the right to - "
"Stop it!"
They both froze, looking at Trip in shock. He was shaking as Katie tried to calm him, whether in fear or anger even Alex couldn't say. He glared at them both, but the tears he was fighting ruined the effect. "Alex, please," he begged. "Don't you see this is exactly what he wanted? He's trying to separate you from us!"
He swallowed without meaning to, and felt Jen's eyes on him.
"You knew," she whispered, staring at him. "You ... Blakemore's been trying to get you away from us all this time, and you knew!"
He looked away, trying not to fidget. "Of course I did," he muttered finally.
"Then why?" Jen shouted at him. "Why won't you let us help you?!" She drew in a ragged breath, blinking hard.
"It's us." Lucas' words were soft, but his penetrating stare was discerning. "When Blakemore first came up to you while I was there, you said I was putting myself at risk." He paused, and his eyes narrowed when Alex said nothing. "That's it, isn't it? You think he's threatening us."
"I don't *think*," he returned coldly. He forced himself to look Lucas in the eye. "You have a sister to worry about, Lucas. My problems are none of your business."
"And what about *my* brother, Alex?" Trip demanded. He was in front of him before Alex had a chance to move away, glaring up at him. "Don't I have a right to protect him?"
He grit his teeth. If they thought they were going to get through to him like this, they were wasting their time. "Your brother," he said carefully, "Is already protecting *you*." He hesitated, and his voice dropped down to a whisper before he could stop himself. "Don't take that away from him, Trip."
Trip shook his head, still glaring. "So I'm supposed to let them take you away from me instead?"
"This is because you think you're Wes' replacement, isn't it?"
He started at Katie's words, turning to look at her as she frowned at him. "What?"
"When you threw your morpher at Lucas, you called yourself Wesley Collins' replacement," she told him. "And when you told us - " She hesitated. "When you told us about ... how you grew up, you said that Time Force wanted you to be Wes, but you weren't." Her eyes narrowed again. "Who were you trying to convince, Alex? Us, or *yourself*?"
He shook his head slowly. He could feel himself starting to tremble, and fought to keep it under control. "We don't have time for this. I need to go take care of that signal."
Katie snorted, but something in her eyes was sad. "You mean yes."
He pinched his nose in frustration. "I *mean*, I'm going to take care of the signal before Logan starts calling to ask what's taking us so long."
"You can't go alone!" Trip burst out. "That's - Alex, it's in the labs!"
He took a calming breath, fighting the shudder that threatened to run through him as the other three started. "I know that, Trip," he said quietly. "That's why you're not going."
"He's right," Jen said abruptly. "Trip, I want you to stay here and monitor our progress. Katie, you stay with him, just in case. Lucas, you and I are going with Alex."
"Right," Lucas and Katie agreed.
Alex clenched his fists to keep from throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Fine!" he snarled at last. "Let's just get this over with."
He felt Jen's hand on his arm again as he headed for the door. "This conversation isn't over with, Alex," she warned softly. "Once we're done with this, we *will* be finishing it."
"Fine," he said shortly. Not if I see you coming.
There was a pause. "Let's go," she said finally.
****
He barely registered the startled gasp from Pink Ranger as they passed through the Hall of Remembrance. He'd walked the hall too many times to care, and his eyes were still on the door at the end. The door that was getting closer, no matter how much he wanted it to go away.
"This is sick," Blue Ranger muttered, glancing around them. "This is really sick."
The door opened to the old passcode he entered, which didn't surprise him somehow. Blakemore and his twisted sense of humor. Probably thought Alex would 'appreciate' the reminder.
The lab was cleaner than he remembered. A lot of the old equipment was missing, but the tables, the larger medical tools, and the test areas were still there. He approached the main test area, staring through the window. The scorch marks still seemed to be there, and his mind quickly filled in the details as he lifted a hand, pressing it against the glass.
-- He squeezed off another shot, watching impassively as more blasts streaked toward the Quantum Ranger. He thought he cared about this once. Didn't like it even. It was life, but the only reason it bothered him now was that he knew what would happen when it was over. Not that *he* cared - he had the Power again, and that was all he cared about.
There was the tell-tale flash of red as the Quantum Ranger disappeared, and Ben crumpled to the floor. He holstered his Chrono Morpher and powered down himself. The test was over when one of them fell. He wasn't sure which test was next, but it didn't really matter.
Then the silence reached his ears.
He turned slowly to stare at his brother. He wasn't moving, but that was nothing new. The closed eyes weren't unusual, either. It was the silence that vaguely bothered him. Ben was never silent when he failed a test. He yelled, complained, demanded, argued. He was never ... quiet.
"Oh, for Christ's sake." Dr. Lindon muttered.
He approached Ben cautiously, crouching beside him. He checked his pulse as they'd taught him, only to find it slow and weak. It was there, but ... Ben was still unconscious.
He stared down at him. This wasn't part of training. He wasn't supposed to just stop.
"Someone get him out of there!" Blakemore snapped.
Someone was pulling Ben away, and a hand slapped him when he tried to protest, tried to hold onto him. Ben just need a moment, that was all. He'd be up any second now. Couldn't they see that? Why were they dragging him away like that? If they just gave him a moment ...
"Stupid brat."
"Trying to get out of training."
"Physical compensation lasts three months."
"I was sure we'd get more of out of him than that."
He stayed where he was, staring at where Ben's body had been dragged limply along. This wasn't part of training. He wasn't supposed to stop. The doctors didn't say they could go yet. He was going to wake up as soon as they let him have a few minutes to recover, right?
"Jesus, Subject A's going into shock."
"Someone write this down!" --
"Alex!"
His mind slowly drew back into the present. Pink Ranger was standing beside him, her hand on his arm. Every line of her body radiated tension. "I'm all right," he muttered. "I'm ... I'm fine."
She was saying something else, but he'd already turned to look over the rest of the room. He wandered away from her, watching one of the tables that rested innocently in the middle of the room. The tray of surgical instruments was gone, but the bright overhead light was still there.
Another memory swelled in his mind.
-- He couldn't really see the other boy from his side of the room, but he could definitely hear him.
"Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah! Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah! Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah!"
Somewhere, part of his mind acknowledged that the boy was trying to tell them his name. He thought they were torturing him. He wasn't sure why, though. They wanted to know how he worked. Names didn't have anything to do with that.
He wished there was something he could do. The boy had seemed so sweet, so shy when they'd met. He was just a little kid - practically a baby. He'd wanted to protect him, but he couldn't hide him fast enough. They found him almost the moment they realized the big box thingy he came in was open.
Tonight , he decided. Tonight I'll show him how to hide, and where the best painkillers are. That'll make him feel better. Right?
Maybe then he'll like me.
"Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah!" The boy was sobbing now. "Na'rae gis aeo rusolu teo pu?!"
"For crying out loud, someone shut him up." Dr. Harper grumbled.
"Why the hell does he keep singing?" Dr. Jamison wondered. --
A hand was pulling hard on his arm again, and he glanced at over Pink Ranger. "Alex!" she shouted, tears audible in her voice. "Alex, *please*!"
"Please what?" he asked, blinking down at her.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Her arms were around him before he realized it, and she was squeezing tight. "Alex, stay with me, okay? Just ... just focus on me right now. Don't worry about anything else, okay?"
He smiled a little behind his helmet. "Okay," he agreed, leaning his head against her shoulder. It wasn't comfortable on his back, but he liked the way her arms came up around him. It was nice. Soothing.
"Got it!" Blue Ranger shouted from somewhere. "Mission complete!"
Pink Ranger breathed out another prayer of thanks, her hand rubbing against his back. "Alex? It's time to go, okay?" she said softly. "Let's go home."
He wanted to laugh. Home. What home? He didn't have one of those. "Sure, Jen," he murmured, letting her take his hand.
Jen knew what to do. Jen always knew. She was really an amazing woman.
Too bad she didn't love him.
But that was okay. As long as he could love her, at least he knew he wasn't completely gone. Because experiments couldn't love, right?
****
He wasn't sure why the sight of Jen practically throwing the signal device at Logan's desk was funny, but it was.
"If you ever," she snarled, "Allow Commander Blakemore to be involved in another one of these of 'team exercises' again, I swear I'll leave Time Force for good. And if I go, my team is going with me."
Logan stared at her. "You - you can't - "
"Watch me," she growled. "I don't know who's side you're on, Captain, but I can tell you right now: this is *my* team, *my* squad, and *my* Rangers. And I'll *never* let Time Force hurt any of them again. Do you understand me?"
"Quite frankly, no," Logan snapped back. "And I don't take kindly to threats, either."
"It's not a threat, *Sir*. It's a promise." Her eyes narrowed. "If Blakemore or any of his people come near my team again, we're gone. No second chances. He's hurt them enough."
Logan's eyes snapped to him, and he felt Lucas shift slightly beside him, moving to a more protective stance. "Don't you have anything to say about this, Collins?"
He shrugged. "This is Jen's team. We follow her orders."
Logan's eyebrows shot up. "We?"
"That's right," Lucas put in. "*We*."
Logan stared at them for a long moment before shaking his head. "I can't help any of you if I don't know what's going on," he said at last, his voice quiet again.
Jen's stare was cold. "With all do respect, maybe you should find out for yourself. Sir."
His stare turned to stunned disbelief. "You really don't trust me, do you?"
She never hesitated, and Alex had never been more proud of her. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. A Ranger's duty is to the team first - I won't let my teammates be hurt again."
He wondered absently if clenching one's jaw that tightly was damaging.
"Fine. Dismissed." Logan managed at last.
Jen took Alex's arm as they left, gently pulling him along with her. Lucas followed, keeping a suspicious eye out for anyone watching them. In a blatant disregard of protocol, none of them bothered to salute as they left.
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: Another chapter that's changed a bit from the original, and is now much improved.
More of my attempts at creating the Xybrian Language:
Aio ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah - I am Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah
Na'rae gis aeo rusolu teo pu - What are you asking of me
Once he might have said that a week without the Rangers hovering around him would have been heaven. No Katie babbling through his lunches, no Lucas showing up to escort him places like he needed someone to hold his hand. No Jen trying to talk to him. No Trip trying to pretend that everything was okay or guilt trip him over things that they did to *him*.
But now it was just lonely. Spending New Year's Eve alone in his apartment with something carbonated, staring at his television, just made him feel like even more of a jerk. He hadn't realized that was possible.
He also hadn't realized how much he was actually starting to appreciate their presence in such a short period of time. Which was strange, being that he'd never had ... 'friends' before. He wasn't sure he could ever have called them his friends to begin with. Jen had always been more than a friend in his eyes, and Trip was ... well, that was different. The idea that he'd become so attached to the idea of having them around was more than slightly troubling, and he found himself trying to fall back into old habits of being cold and uncaring of anyone or anything. It was harder than it should have been.
Ranger Drills were more of a form of torture than any sort of team building exercise, and Logan was appalled at their lack of progress. More than once he'd lectured them, tried to demand answers as to what just was going on. Jen only said "Nothing, Sir. We'll try harder tomorrow. Is that all?" every time he asked.
Alex chose not to speak at all.
While the team training was pathetic, Alex had developed his own personal regimen based off the exercises that had been used to test his personal and morphed capabilities from the beginning of the Morpher Project. Between his usual paperwork and his training, he had barely anytime to talk to anyone, and practically collapsed on his couch the moment he got home, too exhausted to make it to his bedroom. His nights were filled with dreams of his childhood, of trauma and failed experiments, but his skills and physical ability were quickly becoming honed to perfection.
The only upside of the whole mess was Blakemore's apparent happiness with the development. He still paused in hallways to greet Alex, smiling with calculated poison and telling him what a good boy he was, but his interest in the other Rangers had disappeared as quickly as it began. He had Alex in the palm of his hand, and as long as his pet obeyed, everyone else remained safe.
That was all that mattered.
"The lack of progress you've made in working as a team is ridiculous and pathetic," Logan lectured as he paced the line they'd made once again. "I don't know what the problem is between you all, but it's going to stop." He paused, eyeing them, but no one so much as twitched.
"To try yet again to change this," he continued at last, "We've come up with a new exercise for you. An emergency signal has been placed somewhere in the building, along with specific instructions on how to deactivate it. You may use any strategy or equipment you like to get you there, as long as the mission is completed. Good luck."
Jen saluted. "Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed."
There was silence as they took the elevator up to 'Ranger Tower' as Trip and Kate had dubbed it - the area set aside specifically for the Rangers to house their equipment for monitoring the city. After a few minutes Alex finally realized why, and held in the sigh that threatened to escape. Instead he looked at Jen. "What's the plan?"
She looked startled for barely a moment before her eyes narrowed in determination. "Trip, I want you to download the information on deactivating the signal, and track it down. Once we know where it is, we'll split up - "She paused, frowning, then abruptly shook her head. "No. It's better if we move in as a team."
"Won't that take longer?" Lucas spoke up, giving her an odd look.
"We can't guarantee there won't be any traps along the way. We have a better chance if we work together," she told him. She shook her head again. "It's not a good idea for any of us to be alone right now."
She was right, but Alex was slightly surprised when she eyed him. He raised his eyebrows. "What?"
She started to shake her head once again, then seemed to stop herself. "You're okay with this?" she asked after a moment.
"With what?"
She hesitated. "This. Me."
He frowned for a moment, then sighed as he finally caught on. "Your team. Your call," he informed her. "I'm only here because I have to be."
Her eyes narrowed again, but the door opened on their floor before she could say anything, and he was already following Trip.
As expected, Trip took hardly any time at all to find what they were looking for. He was already telling them all what it looked like and how to deactivate it when they saw it when he suddenly stopped in mid-sentence, staring at the readout in front of him in horror.
"Trip?" Katie broke in, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
He jumped, whirling to stare at her with wide eyes. "I ... I - "
"What is it?" Lucas demanded.
Alex leaned around to check the screen and felt chills run down his spine as he saw the location. Darn him. Couldn't resist the opportunity, could he? He was actually going to make them - make *Trip* ...
"Change in plans," he said abruptly, heading for the door. "You four stay here. I'll find the signal."
"What do you think you're doing?" Jen demanded, grabbing his arm. "My team, my call, remember?"
He shook his head, jerking his arm free. "Not anymore," he told her flatly. "This is my territory."
"Alex ... "
He looked up at Trip, and found himself offering a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Trip," he said softly. "I can handle this. Just stay here, all right?"
Trip looked torn, despite the obvious fear in his eyes. "But Alex - "
He shook his head. "Stay here, Trip. You can keep an eye out for me."
"I'm coming with you," Jen growled as she marched after him.
He turned to scowl at her. "No, you're not. This has nothing to do with you. Blakemore meant this exercise for me."
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" she demanded incredulously. "I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't want anyone to be alone right now!"
"I'm *always* alone!" he snapped back.
There was an ugly pause, and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I'm doing this, and you're not coming with me."
"And what makes you think you have the right to - "
"Stop it!"
They both froze, looking at Trip in shock. He was shaking as Katie tried to calm him, whether in fear or anger even Alex couldn't say. He glared at them both, but the tears he was fighting ruined the effect. "Alex, please," he begged. "Don't you see this is exactly what he wanted? He's trying to separate you from us!"
He swallowed without meaning to, and felt Jen's eyes on him.
"You knew," she whispered, staring at him. "You ... Blakemore's been trying to get you away from us all this time, and you knew!"
He looked away, trying not to fidget. "Of course I did," he muttered finally.
"Then why?" Jen shouted at him. "Why won't you let us help you?!" She drew in a ragged breath, blinking hard.
"It's us." Lucas' words were soft, but his penetrating stare was discerning. "When Blakemore first came up to you while I was there, you said I was putting myself at risk." He paused, and his eyes narrowed when Alex said nothing. "That's it, isn't it? You think he's threatening us."
"I don't *think*," he returned coldly. He forced himself to look Lucas in the eye. "You have a sister to worry about, Lucas. My problems are none of your business."
"And what about *my* brother, Alex?" Trip demanded. He was in front of him before Alex had a chance to move away, glaring up at him. "Don't I have a right to protect him?"
He grit his teeth. If they thought they were going to get through to him like this, they were wasting their time. "Your brother," he said carefully, "Is already protecting *you*." He hesitated, and his voice dropped down to a whisper before he could stop himself. "Don't take that away from him, Trip."
Trip shook his head, still glaring. "So I'm supposed to let them take you away from me instead?"
"This is because you think you're Wes' replacement, isn't it?"
He started at Katie's words, turning to look at her as she frowned at him. "What?"
"When you threw your morpher at Lucas, you called yourself Wesley Collins' replacement," she told him. "And when you told us - " She hesitated. "When you told us about ... how you grew up, you said that Time Force wanted you to be Wes, but you weren't." Her eyes narrowed again. "Who were you trying to convince, Alex? Us, or *yourself*?"
He shook his head slowly. He could feel himself starting to tremble, and fought to keep it under control. "We don't have time for this. I need to go take care of that signal."
Katie snorted, but something in her eyes was sad. "You mean yes."
He pinched his nose in frustration. "I *mean*, I'm going to take care of the signal before Logan starts calling to ask what's taking us so long."
"You can't go alone!" Trip burst out. "That's - Alex, it's in the labs!"
He took a calming breath, fighting the shudder that threatened to run through him as the other three started. "I know that, Trip," he said quietly. "That's why you're not going."
"He's right," Jen said abruptly. "Trip, I want you to stay here and monitor our progress. Katie, you stay with him, just in case. Lucas, you and I are going with Alex."
"Right," Lucas and Katie agreed.
Alex clenched his fists to keep from throwing his hands up in exasperation. "Fine!" he snarled at last. "Let's just get this over with."
He felt Jen's hand on his arm again as he headed for the door. "This conversation isn't over with, Alex," she warned softly. "Once we're done with this, we *will* be finishing it."
"Fine," he said shortly. Not if I see you coming.
There was a pause. "Let's go," she said finally.
****
He barely registered the startled gasp from Pink Ranger as they passed through the Hall of Remembrance. He'd walked the hall too many times to care, and his eyes were still on the door at the end. The door that was getting closer, no matter how much he wanted it to go away.
"This is sick," Blue Ranger muttered, glancing around them. "This is really sick."
The door opened to the old passcode he entered, which didn't surprise him somehow. Blakemore and his twisted sense of humor. Probably thought Alex would 'appreciate' the reminder.
The lab was cleaner than he remembered. A lot of the old equipment was missing, but the tables, the larger medical tools, and the test areas were still there. He approached the main test area, staring through the window. The scorch marks still seemed to be there, and his mind quickly filled in the details as he lifted a hand, pressing it against the glass.
-- He squeezed off another shot, watching impassively as more blasts streaked toward the Quantum Ranger. He thought he cared about this once. Didn't like it even. It was life, but the only reason it bothered him now was that he knew what would happen when it was over. Not that *he* cared - he had the Power again, and that was all he cared about.
There was the tell-tale flash of red as the Quantum Ranger disappeared, and Ben crumpled to the floor. He holstered his Chrono Morpher and powered down himself. The test was over when one of them fell. He wasn't sure which test was next, but it didn't really matter.
Then the silence reached his ears.
He turned slowly to stare at his brother. He wasn't moving, but that was nothing new. The closed eyes weren't unusual, either. It was the silence that vaguely bothered him. Ben was never silent when he failed a test. He yelled, complained, demanded, argued. He was never ... quiet.
"Oh, for Christ's sake." Dr. Lindon muttered.
He approached Ben cautiously, crouching beside him. He checked his pulse as they'd taught him, only to find it slow and weak. It was there, but ... Ben was still unconscious.
He stared down at him. This wasn't part of training. He wasn't supposed to just stop.
"Someone get him out of there!" Blakemore snapped.
Someone was pulling Ben away, and a hand slapped him when he tried to protest, tried to hold onto him. Ben just need a moment, that was all. He'd be up any second now. Couldn't they see that? Why were they dragging him away like that? If they just gave him a moment ...
"Stupid brat."
"Trying to get out of training."
"Physical compensation lasts three months."
"I was sure we'd get more of out of him than that."
He stayed where he was, staring at where Ben's body had been dragged limply along. This wasn't part of training. He wasn't supposed to stop. The doctors didn't say they could go yet. He was going to wake up as soon as they let him have a few minutes to recover, right?
"Jesus, Subject A's going into shock."
"Someone write this down!" --
"Alex!"
His mind slowly drew back into the present. Pink Ranger was standing beside him, her hand on his arm. Every line of her body radiated tension. "I'm all right," he muttered. "I'm ... I'm fine."
She was saying something else, but he'd already turned to look over the rest of the room. He wandered away from her, watching one of the tables that rested innocently in the middle of the room. The tray of surgical instruments was gone, but the bright overhead light was still there.
Another memory swelled in his mind.
-- He couldn't really see the other boy from his side of the room, but he could definitely hear him.
"Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah! Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah! Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah!"
Somewhere, part of his mind acknowledged that the boy was trying to tell them his name. He thought they were torturing him. He wasn't sure why, though. They wanted to know how he worked. Names didn't have anything to do with that.
He wished there was something he could do. The boy had seemed so sweet, so shy when they'd met. He was just a little kid - practically a baby. He'd wanted to protect him, but he couldn't hide him fast enough. They found him almost the moment they realized the big box thingy he came in was open.
Tonight , he decided. Tonight I'll show him how to hide, and where the best painkillers are. That'll make him feel better. Right?
Maybe then he'll like me.
"Aeo ii Ha'lisha'na'ca't'arr'ah!" The boy was sobbing now. "Na'rae gis aeo rusolu teo pu?!"
"For crying out loud, someone shut him up." Dr. Harper grumbled.
"Why the hell does he keep singing?" Dr. Jamison wondered. --
A hand was pulling hard on his arm again, and he glanced at over Pink Ranger. "Alex!" she shouted, tears audible in her voice. "Alex, *please*!"
"Please what?" he asked, blinking down at her.
"Oh, thank goodness!" Her arms were around him before he realized it, and she was squeezing tight. "Alex, stay with me, okay? Just ... just focus on me right now. Don't worry about anything else, okay?"
He smiled a little behind his helmet. "Okay," he agreed, leaning his head against her shoulder. It wasn't comfortable on his back, but he liked the way her arms came up around him. It was nice. Soothing.
"Got it!" Blue Ranger shouted from somewhere. "Mission complete!"
Pink Ranger breathed out another prayer of thanks, her hand rubbing against his back. "Alex? It's time to go, okay?" she said softly. "Let's go home."
He wanted to laugh. Home. What home? He didn't have one of those. "Sure, Jen," he murmured, letting her take his hand.
Jen knew what to do. Jen always knew. She was really an amazing woman.
Too bad she didn't love him.
But that was okay. As long as he could love her, at least he knew he wasn't completely gone. Because experiments couldn't love, right?
****
He wasn't sure why the sight of Jen practically throwing the signal device at Logan's desk was funny, but it was.
"If you ever," she snarled, "Allow Commander Blakemore to be involved in another one of these of 'team exercises' again, I swear I'll leave Time Force for good. And if I go, my team is going with me."
Logan stared at her. "You - you can't - "
"Watch me," she growled. "I don't know who's side you're on, Captain, but I can tell you right now: this is *my* team, *my* squad, and *my* Rangers. And I'll *never* let Time Force hurt any of them again. Do you understand me?"
"Quite frankly, no," Logan snapped back. "And I don't take kindly to threats, either."
"It's not a threat, *Sir*. It's a promise." Her eyes narrowed. "If Blakemore or any of his people come near my team again, we're gone. No second chances. He's hurt them enough."
Logan's eyes snapped to him, and he felt Lucas shift slightly beside him, moving to a more protective stance. "Don't you have anything to say about this, Collins?"
He shrugged. "This is Jen's team. We follow her orders."
Logan's eyebrows shot up. "We?"
"That's right," Lucas put in. "*We*."
Logan stared at them for a long moment before shaking his head. "I can't help any of you if I don't know what's going on," he said at last, his voice quiet again.
Jen's stare was cold. "With all do respect, maybe you should find out for yourself. Sir."
His stare turned to stunned disbelief. "You really don't trust me, do you?"
She never hesitated, and Alex had never been more proud of her. "I don't know who I can trust anymore. A Ranger's duty is to the team first - I won't let my teammates be hurt again."
He wondered absently if clenching one's jaw that tightly was damaging.
"Fine. Dismissed." Logan managed at last.
Jen took Alex's arm as they left, gently pulling him along with her. Lucas followed, keeping a suspicious eye out for anyone watching them. In a blatant disregard of protocol, none of them bothered to salute as they left.