trans_9 | The monster ain't gonna shrink [Open!]

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The monster ain't gonna shrink [Open!]

How could he sleep with all of this on his plate?

Billy was really beginning to feel the weight of everything on his shoulders. He'd lost a friend, was now facing the possibility of losing another, and felt hopeless to stop any of it. Every waking second was spent on these thoughts, and they were starting to leak into his dreams as well. He needed to get away.

So he sought the refuge of the Command Center late one night, feeling quite protected despite the loneliness of the empty halls. Some unknown urge carried him down to one of the basement levels. It was difficult to see here, but there was a faint blue light coming from what must have been a room. Ever-curious, he entered and found cabinets lining the walls along with a central operating table.

Above him, faint light filtered through a grate---the same grate, he realized, through which he had watched Zordon and Alpha create Tommy's White Ranger powers. That had occurred in this room, but those events felt like they had taken place a lifetime ago to him. A lifetime before Ohm, death, and new friends from beyond the stars.

In this unexplored room, there was only one option: explore it! No cabinet was left unopened, no loose tile unturned, not even the one that hid a key. That fit a keyhole on the far wall, as he found out. And that keyhole opened a door, revealing a digital screen of blueprints glowing brightly.

They weren't just any blueprints, though. They were blueprints, he realized after a moment of study, for a new set of Power Morphers. Most of the key raw materials were here in the cabinets, but a few small pieces would have to be collected outside if he was to build them.

Could he really build morphers and distribute them? With his original friends absent and increasingly unlikely to be released by Stacy, that meant creating a new team from the crew members here. It was a thought that had a list of implications increasing every second. Clearly, this fledgling idea in the back of his mind would require some careful consideration before he acted.

This thought process, he believed, would be a little easier away from this place that contained so many memories. After copying the blueprints to his omnicom and gathering the raw materials he found, he exited the Command Center and made his way up to the observation deck. It was late at night, and therefore unlikely to be very crowded. That was a good sign, he thought, but late night conversation wouldn't exactly hurt him either.

Billy found a comfortable meat-couch and started tinkering with this first Green morpher, allowing his worries to sink to the back of his mind. From what he had seen on the blueprint, this Power granted weaponry far more versatile than his own. There would not be arsenal envy with the new Green Ranger if he went through with this, Billy told himself.

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Alex continued smiling, "She really likes people, and is a decent judge of character. If she l-likes someone, then th-they're usually good people. S-so far, she hasn't been wrong, o-on the good people side at least. I think she might be w-wrong about Dr. Henderson, b-but she might jus' be scared of him 'c-cause he's a vampire an' all." Of course, in a rather round about way Alex was saying that Billy was a good person.

Patting Billy's back he said, "I-I'm sure that y-you'll pick the right people. An' I'm sure you must know people who are good judges of character." People being the operative word there. As much as Alex trusted Alice's judge of character, he didn't expect anyone else to.

"Dr. Henderson? Hmm, I can see how the scent might worry her." He tilted a hand back over his shoulder for her to sniff, hoping that she'd let him pet her.

"I'm considering asking for help on that front, actually. I have friends that I trust, yes, but I think I should spread the Power further than that. If anyone wants to help fight but isn't able to right now, this will help them."

He turned toward Alex with a small smile, somewhat surprised that he's even safe enough to touch now. "Do you know anyone like that?"

Alex considered for a minute. The first person who came to mind was Renne, but he honestly didn't know enough about Renne to know if he could fight or not. He was definitely alien, and for all Alex knew, had all sorts of amazing fighting powers. Luna had magic, Katara had water-bending, The Doctor was... The Doctor, Beastboy could shape-shift, Starfire could, well, she had alien-stuff, and then Kogasa was a demon. Surprise spread across his face as he realised he didn't know anyone without powers, not to mention the number of people he had become acquainted with.

"W-well, R-Renne seems like he c-could use help, b-but I dunno him well enough ta say if he does or doesn'. Everyone else I've met an' talked to for a while has magic powers of some sort, but you sh-should talk ta the Outsiders. I haven't met anyone there I wouldn't trust, an' we all r-really wanna help in some way. I don' know many people, r-really, so, well, I c-can't help too much... Sorry."

Billy nods, leaning over and planting his chin in his hand. "I don't think they would work very well with Renne. He prefers his own powers. But that's all right, I'll talk to the Outsiders and see if they know anyone---or if they want the people we find to become part of their group."

He shakes his head. "I just don't know how Command is going to react. They seem to be uncomfortable with young heroes, and I don't think they'll want me to make more."

Alex set his jaw, "Forget Command!" There was that rebellious streak that got him into hacking and got him to help Loretta with their revolt. "If C-Command has issues, then t-too bad!" He folded his arms and sat back in his seat, "We need whoever we c-can ta help us, however old they are. If you were brought on the ship, a-and you know howta make these, then I wouldn't be surprised if she expected you to. I don' trust her, but she seems like she knows a lot- o-or at least useta, an' at least she has it right, ta be taking whoever c-can help. C-Command's p-probably just upset that there are some k-kids on board that c-can fight as well as they c-can, even though they're so much older."

That spark of rebellion lit a smile on his face. "Yes, the morphers were probably left intact for a reason---but we still have a legal system, and this is something that definitely needs to go through the proper channels first. I don't want to start another fight."

He sighs. "The problem isn't that we're good fighters, it's that we're good fighters who are perceived as lacking the sound judgment of older adults."

Alex made a tisking noise, "we never said we wouldn't listen ta them an' their sound judgements, besides, most of the people I've met have had as much if not more experience than the adults. Why don' they make decisions c-case by c-case, rather than jus' making a generalization? A lot of us have needed ta get mature fast ta just survive in our worlds."

"I wish I knew. But it's becoming clearer to me that regardless of what happens, I have to try to make the case to them. They have a responsibility to know that these morphers exist."

Billy crossed his fingers, just hoping that everything would work out. He had his doubts.

"Wouldn't it be n-nice if there was a k-kid or teen, like, o-one of the outsiders on the C-Command staff? I mean, I hear the Doctor- the Fifth one- is on C-Command. He'll at least be reasonable, b-but it'd be nice ta have someone who c-could represent the y-younger people on board."

Alex sighed, shaking his head. The majority of the ship was comprised of adults. it would be nice but he doubted it would happen.

"It would, but the only one who tried to run lost," he muttered, thinking of how upset Sasami had been that day. "I think we may have some sympathetic ears on the council, but the ones who will be hardest to convince are the highest on the chain."

Why did it always have to be complicated? He exhaled his frustration.

Alex frowned- more at the shadow than at Billy, and at himself for not knowing what to say. "W-well, maybe we c-can make some changes over time... I don' think things are so c-corrupted here that any extreme action needs ta be taken, n-not like back home, b-but I'd like the ship ta be a place where we don' haveta worry about our ideas being rejected c-cause of something as s-small as age."

"I'd like it too," he said quietly. "And I don't advocate a revolution. I'm hoping that we can change the adults' minds with time."

Maybe then they'll see how useful the younger ones can be.

Alex shook his head again, "We don' need that kinda fighting o-on the ship, I know. I-I'm tryin' ta say the same. We jus' need ta talk. Ta change a few minds. You c-can't do that by f-force. That's what's gotta be done by talkin' things out. I wonder... Katara s-speaks well, and she's already leading the Outsiders."

"Katara's incredible," he agreed. "I'll have to make my own case, but if she and the other Outsiders can testify that their presence hasn't hurt anyone, maybe we'll have a better chance."

"I'm s-sure that y-you'll do w-well. Y-you're n-not bad at speaking yourself. B-better than me, at least." Alex pushed a supportive smile. He really hoped that things worked out, but he carefully avoided offering himself up for testifying. He wouldn't decline if asked, but he wasn't big on talking in front of people unless he felt like he really had to.

"You know? I'm starting to think we might have a shot at this," Billy said with a smile. "I'll talk to her and see if we can build a case."

He was trying not to single Alex out either way, knowing full well that he was uncomfortable with socializing for a very good reason.

Alex smiled back encouragingly, "I-I'm sure that you'll do f-fantastic!" His smiled faded slightly. He wished he could do something to help out- short of needing to actually talk to Command. Just smiling and rooting off to the side always made him feel like he was useless. He was always the secondary character, giving tech support to the hero so that they could go off and save the world.

"Thanks Alex," he said in a much lighter tone than earlier, patting his back and giving Alice a little nudge. "I'll send you an update if this keeps moving forward."

Alice leaned into Billy, seeming to enjoy the attention. Alex, as usual, jumped at the touch, but he didn't seem to let it bother him past that. He smiled as if nothing had happened and said, "Th-thanks! B-best of luck!"

He stood and stretched with a yawn, "I should g-get back ta sleep. I-I'll see ya 'round."

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The monster ain't gonna shrink [Open!]

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