Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Heather Ray [top 20 books to read txt] 📗

The trio worked long into the night, laying out a preliminary design for costumes, as well as identifying individual abilities that were preserved in the gems, that reflected the three dinosaurs to which they were attuned.

They had just completed the Tyrannosaurus morpher for testing when a loud yawn escaped from their youngest member.

Justin blushed. "Sorry... jet lag, I guess. Body's still on Boston time."

Hayley smiled. "And I thought college students were up to all hours of the night partying."

The young man in blue chuckled, sitting up and rubbing some clarity back into his eyes. "Last time I checked, M.I.T. wasn't a party school."

"We should all get some sleep," Tommy decided, turning to his watch. "It's passed three, and you're still recovering from final exams."

The teen pouted. "But we're ready for testing! We can call it quits after."

"We're dealing with powerful, potentially dangerous energy here," Tommy noted. "We should take every precaution, and that includes making sure we're fully alert before we activate that morpher."

Justin blinked, trying to focus on his former leader's face. "'Precaution'? Wow, Tommy, grad-school sure has changed you."

"Among other things," Tommy murmured. He looked up, noticing his friends' curious expressions. Okay, thinking out loud... definitely time to turn in.

"Get moving, kid," Tommy instructed, "You can crash on the couch."

Justin new better than to argue with the "leader voice," and dragged himself toward the stone staircase.

"It's been fun, Tommy," Hayley spoke, pulling on her jacket. "No better way to spend a Saturday night than replicating alien engineering."

Tommy grinned, knowing full well that there wasn't any sarcasm in Hayley's comment. The techno-whiz loved information in all its forms, and being privy to alien technology was a treat she couldn't resist.

"It's really late, Hayley," Tommy noted. "Can I drive you home?"

She smirked, shaking her head. "Forever the knight in shining armor? Don't worry, I'm a big girl. And Reefside isn't exactly downtown Los Angeles. I'll be fine."

Tommy accepted her reasoning, leading her to the front door. "So we'll pick up tomorrow morning?"

"I'll be here," she replied. "But tomorrow we should definitely settle on the team's color scheme. The color scheme balances the team, and complementing colors help the team unify their strength with combination attacks."

"I'll put some thought into it," he assured her. "Good night."

Tommy waited on the porch until Hayley had settled into her car and vanished down the lonely road back toward the populated parts of Reefside. Then, he stepped back into his house, closing the door behind him.

Justin was already out like a light, sprawled out on the couch without even bothering to take off his worn sneakers. Tommy looked down, watching one of his more memorable teammates sleep soundly.

Wow, has he grown

. I've seen him a few times over the past couple months, but it's really something else. He's almost as tall as I am. He's not a kid anymore.

Far from it. He was excelling at the most prestigious engineering school in the nation. He was one of the brightest minds to cross Tommy's path since the legendary Billy Cranston himself. Considering the brilliant scholars Tommy had worked with in his post-graduate studies, as well as the geniuses behind many of the more recent Ranger teams, that was quite a statement.

His help had been critical when Tommy began this project. No one was as familiar with the Turbo Chamber's technology as Justin Stewart, and the brilliant youth was able to replicate many of the scanning systems that were so essential in the fight against Divatox. The simple fact that he'd been willing to help out, balancing a heavy workload at school as well as an internship, gave testimony to his maturity.

Tommy laid a blanket over Justin's sleeping form, and then retreated to his bedroom.

Like most of the house, the bedroom had yet to be properly settled. Which made sense, considering Tommy's full attention had been invested into setting up his subterranean research laboratory since he signed the final papers for the property. The simplicity of the room meant the less he needed to keep track of. A bed, a dresser, and a clock. Everything he needed.

He readied himself for bed efficiently, and climbed into the cool sheets. But despite his exhaustion, he couldn't fall asleep. His mind couldn't relax so long as there was a problem to solve.

What colors should he choose?

His initial response was automatic: Green, White, and Red. They were the colors he was most familiar with, the colors that were closest to his heart. But it would be outright obnoxious for him to continue his personal legacy with the entire Dino Thunder team, and even though that was never his intention, it certainly would've appeared that way to others.

Besides, that wouldn't make a balanced team. This isn't my team. This team will be the defenders of the planet.

So, he was back to square one. Almost.

Every team has a Red Ranger, and I've had the privilege of working with almost every one of them. They really represent the strength and determination of the Ranger team. Plus, there's no better color for the Tyrannosaurus.

The thought made him smile.

Now, the Triceratops.

He shook his head, realizing there was really only one option.

Blue. For Justin, and all the work he put into this project. And for Billy, the first Triceratops Ranger. Wow, this is easier than I thought it would be.

That left one more Dino Gem: the Pterodactyl.

Pink. It should

be Pink.

It was a fitting tribute to two of the dearest women in his life. Both were willing, able, compassionate Rangers. Both dedicated years of service that deserved to be remembered.

Both eventually left him, in pursuit of their own happiness. Kimberly left to Florida, and soon after had unilaterally ended their relationship. Explanations had been given and apologies had been offered, but the distance between them could never be completely bridged.

And then Katherine had left for an even further destination, with no promise to return.

He sighed in the darkness, sitting up on his bed and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You know Oliver, for a man with a terrible memory, you're really good at picking at old wounds."

He tried to force his thoughts off the subject, but his rebellious mind wouldn't let him. When he closed his eyes, he could see her smiling at him, soft blue eyes framed by glasses and locks of silver hair, their brilliance not dimmed in the least by her age. That vision of the future, carved indelibly into his heart.

"And to think, this whole Dino Thunder project, the Red Ranger mission, even restoring the Zeonizers... it all

started with that dream."

It was nearly eight years ago, right after he and the other Zeo Rangers had celebrated the various December holidays. He'd recounted the misadventure with a young child, who turned out to be his grandson. He'd been old and happy, married to Katherine, and living the twilight of his life in peace.

At first, the dream had scared him. He'd only officially been dating Katherine for a few weeks... far

too soon to be thinking about marriage! And he couldn't just shrug it off as an overactive imagination. It felt so real, and his last vivid dream helped him find David, the brother he never knew he had.

But as the months passed, he began to take solace in the dream. If it was more than some unconscious wish, then it was almost a guarantee. He'd marry Katherine, and together they'd live happily ever after. He'd grown to love his beautiful, caring teammate, and the promise of a family was heartwarming. They'd live at least long enough to see their grandsons grow to maturity. He would be a proud, healthy, content patriarch.

What more could any man want?

Only, the more Tommy thought about it, the more he realized that it was almost perfect. One tiny element, almost insignificant in the dream, began to concern him.

His grandson would be a Power Ranger.

The first emotion that evoked was pride, knowing that his legacy would be carried on by his bloodline. But what kind of legacy was it truly? Was it something he wanted his family to carry generation after generation?

The most memorable years of his youth had been spent living a double life, balancing mundane teenage responsibilities with the weight of the entire world. Thanks to the Green Coin, he'd met his first love and his best friend, and he'd learned how much difference one man could make. With the White Coin, he discovered his true strength, the weight of leadership, and that the mistakes of his past didn't have to scar him for life. The Red Zeonizers brought new challenges, new responsibilities, a better understanding of his past, and the true power of teamwork. And finally, his experiences with the Red Turbo Morpher taught flexibility, maturity, and the satisfaction of being a mentor.

But the dangers couldn't be glossed over. He'd almost died on numerous occasions. He'd almost killed Jason in Rita's Dark Dimension, and later Katherine in Prince Gasket's stadium. He watched Kimberly wither away as Lord Zedd drained her powers. He bid Billy farewell as the original Blue Ranger left Earth for treatment to save his life, after absorbing the negative protons that hastened the aging process exponentially. And that didn't even take into account all the times someone close to the Rangers had been put in danger. The original team's parents, held hostage by Rita. Kimberly's cousin Kelly and uncle Steve. Trini's cousin Silvia, uncle Howard, and neighbor Haley. Rocky's uncle Joe. Tommy's own brother.

He'd come so close to failure on so many occasions. Only a hair's breadth separated victory and defeat time and again. If even one of those battles had gone the slightest bit differently, mankind could've been enslaved, or even wiped out of existence.

Was that the kind of burden he wanted his grandson to bear? Could he possibly spare the next generation?

He found his answer on the day of the Countdown, when the blue skies of Angel Grove were darkened with countless Velocifighters and the shadow of Astronema's Dark Fortress.

It wasn't that he didn't have faith in the existing Ranger team. He knew they were capable fighters; he'd even chosen T.J. personally. But he recognized a role he could play. He saw that the Rangers could use help. And even though evil had been beaten for the time being, he knew better than to assume the battle was over for good.

So he found Andros, and the pair of hardened warriors formed an alliance. The next time evil would strike Earth, they'd be ready for it.

That decision had molded the rest of Tommy's life. He wouldn't rest until the Earth was truly free from alien threats. He wanted to leave his children and grandchildren a world in which they