The Tale of The Dragon and The Tiger

Chapter Eight: Quinn

Chapter eight:
Quinn:
   I balled my fists and sputtered curses. Something I wouldn't normally do in the presence of strangers but it felt like the right thing to do at the moment.
  Just release all of my bottle up emotions.
  "That stubborn asshole!" I screamed at the closed door. I knew he couldn't hear me but it felt good. I wiped my tears off on the sleeve of my grey hoodie and stunted back to Zordon. "I'm sorry. I couldn't change his mind."
   "It is not your fault Quinn. This is what I expected for him. The power of the Dragon Coin makes one easier to upset than is normal. I didn't think he would join right away. You will just have to watch him closely from now on."
   I nodded. "So what happens now?"
  "Now," Zordon jerked his chin toward the Power Rangers. "You will train."

  Training wasn't what I had expected. It wasn't basic martial arts forms or fighting techniques.
  No. It was spur of the moment decision making against holographic rock monsters.
  And let's just say, spur of the moment isn't my strong suit.
  I sat on the hard stone floor of the make shift arena. My breath was ragged and sweat poured off my brow.
   "Alpha... how much more of this... is there?" I huffed. It was getting hard to even suck in air let alone breathe. "I still have homework to finish."
   The Rangers laughed. "Homework?" Jason was the first one to speak. His curly dirty blonde hair was caked with dust and sweat from a sparring match with me. "You do realize it's Sunday right?"
   "Exactly, I have a projected due next week and I want a head start on it." I said clutching my chest as Zak, a tall Chinese boy, helped me to my feet. "Unlike you guys, I'm not in detention and actually have work to do for my internship, and my summer college classes."
  "Wow, and we thought Billy was an over achiever." Zak snorted. The rest of the Rangers laughed and billy just chuckled nervously.
   "I guess you guys could go." Alpha muttered. As the Rangers turned to leave, and I dusted myself off he walked over to me in his clunky robotic gate. "But Quinn, Zordon wants to have a word with you."
   Alpha walked back to the ship and I felt a breath on my shoulder. I turned around, only to smack my temple into Billy. We both staggered back, obviously caught off guard and in pain.
  "I thought you could use this." He held out a bottle of water.
   I stroked the side of my head gingerly and took the bottle from his hands. "Thanks."
  I gulped down the bottle with a vigor I hadn't previously had.
  "My name's Billy Cranston. But the kids in kindergarten used to call me Billy Crams tons of-"
   "Billy. We've met before." I chuckled. "My name's Quinn." I shook his hand and turned back to the ship.
  "Oh right." He laughed slightly, trying to easy the tension. "You see I'm on the spectrum. I don't think the same way other people do."
  "Well, that doesn't matter." I rubbed his shoulder. "Everyone's different." I felt my gaze fall as memories flooded my mind. "Some people just have a hard time realizing that." I took a couple steps back to the ship.
   "Hey um, Quinn?" I turned back to a frazzled looking Billy.
   "Yeah?"
  "When you morph, could you, possibly not be the Blue one?" He looked a bit embarrassed. Think I was going to steal his spot on the team.
   I laughed. "I'll try."

  Knowing me, I'd probably get the most flamboyant color, and since pink was taken, I was thinking more of a purple or turquoise.
  Alpha led me back through the ship, which I was already trying my best to remember the maze like system of corridors we'd taken to get here. One of the pluses of a photographic memory.
   "So you have an internship?" Alpha asked. "Where at?"
   "It doesn't start till later this summer but it's up at the San Diego Zoo. I'd be living up at my aunt and uncle's house for the rest of my term."
   "That sounds fun." He said, relatively not interested. "So, Zordon and I have been working on your power coin. We need something as powerful as the dragon coin but not as corruptive. We just need an organism to power it. Are there any dinosaurs alive now a days?"
   "That I know of? No." Alpha's face fell. "But there is an animal I think we could use. But I'll have to check with some of my friends from China."