Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie by Heather Ray (beach read book .TXT) 📕

It was half-past six when the steady silence of the bedroom was jarred by the grating alarm clock...but the young man wrapped within the knot of blanket and sheets was far from asleep.

Tommy freed himself from the tangle created from eight hours of tossing and turning, and managed to reach his arm far enough to turn off the loud noise.

His shoulders slumped, the exhausted young man somehow found the strength to drag himself from the small comfort of his bed, and carefully stretched out on the plush carpeting, pulling every muscle loose.

Thankfully, he'd managed to make a near-miraculous recovery from the wounds he endured during the last firefight. The numerous cuts and bruises on his body were mostly superficial, and sealed cleanly after a few minutes under the warm blue light of Alpha's dermal re-generator. As for the most serious wounds- the fractured jaw, split cheek, and bruised kidney- he had to endure hours of more extensive treatment, as well as copious scanning to make sure there weren't any other less prominent injuries.

Frankly, he was lucky. During the confrontation, he was too emotionally driven to even feel much physical pain. That, as well as the warm blanket of energy the Power afforded, made it possible for him to walk and talk after the spawn of evil unleashed her bitterest wrath. Even after he'd removed his helmet, the Power protected his skull enough to keep his jaw attached to his body.

His injuries were substantial, but nowhere near as critical as Justin's. The youngest of the Ranger suffered three broken ribs, one fragment even nicking a lung, broken wrist, torn ligament in his right leg, and even a concussion. And that didn't include the blood loss he suffered at the cuts inflicted along his entire body.

Tommy scowled, increasing the speed of his push-ups as his mind once again listed his friend's wounds. If not for the Turbo Chamber's advanced regenerative technology, Justin would've been laid up for months. It had taken five hours of fastidious care before he regained consciousness again. He was still visiting the Chamber daily for further restorative treatment...Zordon had predicted two more days before the Blue Ranger could throw a proper punch or walk without a slight limp.

To put it bluntly, Kimberly tore a Power Ranger to shreds. True, Justin was the least-experienced of the team, both in the intricacies of the Power and in physical combat, but his strength and speed should

have kept him one step ahead of the spellbound former Ranger.

Despite himself, a familiar shudder twitched the Red Ranger's skin. Kimberly was more than merely spellbound...if that was all, then the spell should've faded when Maligore had been destroyed. Instead, she'd emerged from her month-long retreat stronger than before. Before, in the volcano on Muiranthias, she was just barely a match for a Ranger. If they hadn't been so distracted by the sudden change in her personality, she probably wouldn't have been a match. But this time...she was utterly ferocious. Stronger, faster, and even sporting a new weapon that maximized the damage she could inflict.

How could she grow more powerful when the being that exerted its power over her was dead and gone? It just didn't make sense.

And nothing

, save absolute insanity

, could account for her leaving with Lord Zedd

, of all people.

Tommy couldn't simply swallow his anger, and a grunt of frustration escaped as his elbows touched his knees in a sit-up. Out of nowhere, Lord Zedd

had appeared, and whisked Kimberly away of her own free will

...right when they were so close

to saving her.

The leader of the Power Rangers blinked against the dry discomfort in his eyes. Why was it that every time he got close, she was just wrenched right away from him? What did he do to deserve this kind of torment, trying again and again to save her soul, only for his offered hand to be viciously slapped away? To what lengths would she go to in the pursuit of vengeance?

Tommy paused his workout, resting his forehead against his knees. The heartbreaking last-moment defeat in the power plant wasn't mere bad luck; no, the timing of Lord Zedd's appearance was more than merely suspicious. He had to have planned his grand entrance, bursting onto the scene in a bolt of lightning seconds before Kim was finally subdued. After months of inactivity, the Emperor of Evil had revived his war against the Power Rangers, and bizarrely decided to strike by kidnapping Kim.

The Red Ranger squeezed his eyes closed at the image of his former girlfriend nestled in the Emperor's arms almost...gently

. Like he'd come to her rescue

, like some twisted knight in shining armor.

Why the hell

is he sticking his oar in now?

Tommy wondered, a red haze suffusing his mind in anger. I thought he'd high-tailed it when the Machine Empire took over his castle...

That had been Zordon's hypothesis...the Emperor of Phlegethon simply didn't have the raw power to take out the absurdly-efficient, potentially endless Machine forces. Even if he were backed by his full armies, that were scattered throughout his expansive territory, Zedd would be hard-pressed to muster a decent counterattack against the Machines.

And whatever happened

to the Machines, anyway?

A scowl hardening his features, Tommy abruptly rose from the floor. His muscles still tense, despite his workout, he snatched the first pair of shorts and shirt that caught his eye, and made his way to the bathroom.

There was no point in idly wondering why his world seemed to be crumbling to dust at his feet. If he wanted to help Kimberly, he needed to get back to the Turbo Chamber, and get back to work.

"...three Boston Creams, one Strawberry Frosted, and, um...two French Crullers."

The server nodded, sliding the final selections into the collapsible pink and white box. After taping the box shut, she placed it in a large plastic bag, arranging it beside the other smaller paper bags of assorted carbohydrates. Then, she slid the bag on the counter, beside the two trays of Styrofoam cups. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that does it."

"Then the total comes to...eighteen forty-two."

Tanya managed to dig out exact change, and grabbed the two trays of beverages. "Kat? Lend a hand?"

The Pink Ranger blinked, pulled from her own thoughts by her friend's request. "Sure. I'll get the food."

She lifted the plastic bag full of doughnuts and bagels, and followed Tanya through the crowded eatery.

The Yellow Ranger heaved a weary sigh, holding the outer door open with her foot long enough for Kat to pass through. "Well, not exactly the most healthful breakfast in the world, but sugar really helps me think when I'm stuck in a rut."

Kat responded with a wry grin. "All these pastries will get me

stuck in these jeans permanently."

Tanya stopped walking, keeping her observant brown eyes on her best friend. To just about anyone else, Katherine's soft-spoken joke would've sounded completely normal. Yet Tanya had lived with the Pink Ranger... had been privy to the secret fears and dreams no one else even fathomed. She'd seen the reserved dancer through all her moods, and had developed a keen understanding of her behaviors. She knew when humor came naturally, and when it was forced.

Katherine was putting on a convincing show...but Tanya wasn't fooled for a moment.

Belatedly, Kat realized her companion was no longer beside her. She stopped halfway to the alley, and glanced behind her. "Tanya? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," she responded pointedly, "but not with me."

A slender blonde eyebrow rose. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Kat, do you want to...talk about it?"

The dancer opened her mouth to protest, but something in her friend's gimlet gaze stopped the lie right on her tongue. Instead, she sighed. "I'm just frustrated. It's been a rough few days."

A humorless smirk pulled Tanya's full lips. "Yeah, that's the understatement of the century."

Katherine stayed silent, absently gnawing her thumbnail. Tanya blinked, watching the tension crease her friend's features so blatantly.

"Kat?"

The Pink Ranger kept her eyes to the ground, as if watching the grass grow between cracks in the sidewalk. "Tanya...you know I didn't mean to hurt Kim...right?"

"Of course you didn't!" her friend affirmed, suddenly vehement. "We all know you were trying to help Tommy. I admit I was a bit surprised, at first- but there wasn't really another option. If we tried to distract Kim, she might have just killed him. Someone needed to do something gutsy...something decisive. And you came through."

Finally, ocean-blue eyes rose, taking in Tanya's peeved expression. "I didn't really think about it," she murmured, "I just knew I had to do something. I'm not proud of it...but...then he started yelling

at me, and...I had

to defend myself..."

"Hold up," Tanya interrupted, her brow creasing, "Tommy didn't apologize yet?"

Kat solemnly shook her head. "He's been distracted --"

"Don't

make excuses for him. He was way

out of line back there."

Tanya hadn't been in earshot when the anger erupted between the Pink and Red Rangers shortly after Kim's injury, but Adam had filled her in afterward. The words that were exchanged...the fury

their leader exhibited...was utterly outrageous.

The strain of months of anguish and uncertainty had taken their toll, and after months of bottling their insecurities, two kind-hearted people simply exploded.

Still...it's not like Tommy not to fess-up when he makes a mistake. Can't he see she took his attack personally?

Ever since Divatox had the nerve to place the Power Rangers' closest friends in mortal danger, a sullen cloud had hung over all the heroes' heads. Still, while Adam, Tanya, and Justin were sore from the loss, the pain endured by Kat and Tommy was far more intimate.

How the hell can we expect to deal with Lord Zedd and an evil Kimberly if Kat and Tommy can't deal with each other? What is that old saying about a house divided...?

Tanya shook her head, releasing a huff. "Come on," he urged, nodding to the narrow alley beside the doughnut shop. "You know Tommy's already at the Turbo Chamber. I'll sit you two down-"

"No!" Kat protested, her eyes narrowing, "This is between me and Tommy. If I mean anything

to him --"

The Pink Ranger bit her tongue, forcing herself to swallow the wave of anger that had broken through the