Legacy
by Gamine

Part Two—Thicker Blood

"My what?" Jason stared at the older man in shock. "I-I have a... ?"

Zordon's basso profundo interrupted him. "Time is of the essence, P'tyr, Rangers. Guardian is dying, and the known worlds will feel the wrath of So'Vran if we fail to save her."

"I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated..." muttered Billy.

Peter looked at him, surprised. "What did you say?"

His son raised his gaze from the girl on the table. "I heard it in my dream last night. She was angry. First she cried out, 'I deny you, I refuse you, I will not die like this,' and then she shouted, 'I am Guardian, and I will not be defeated.' She...she is fighting...whatever it is."

Zordon's countenance lightened perceptibly. "That, at least, is good news. You are much like your mother, Billy, much more than your father or I had thought."

"Someday, somebody is going to say something to me and it will make sense," Jason muttered irritably.

Peter Cranston's voice cut across his thoughts. "Did she speak to you as well, Jason?"

The dark-haired youth shook his head slowly. "No, in my dream she... somehow... became me. It was me shouting out, but I didn't know what I meant."

Zordon raised his brows. "You are more closely linked than we had anticipated. There is hope, then...but Jason will not be able to reach her without risking himself."

"It is a job for Sentinel, then." Peter grabbed his son in a fierce hug, surprising him. "Zordon, there's got to be another way. If he isn't strong enough...I can't lose him too."

"We knew this was a possibility, P'tyr; it is why I chose him to be a Ranger, why I chose them both. I hoped their training might aid them if So'Vran decided to pursue his conquest of the known worlds. The constraints have kept So'Vran from finding them, but they have kept us from knowing the extent of their power as well. This attack on Guardian...the sands of time have run out."

Peter gave Billy a final squeeze and dropped his arms, crossing to a control panel in the wall, his jaw set. "And what if he is less his mother's son, and more mine?"

"I do not know, P'tyr. I do not know."

"Could someone please talk as though I am in the room?" asked Billy quietly. "Her life signs are failing. Whatever it is I need to do to save this Guardian, I should probably get started."

Peter looked at his son for a long time, then gave a short nod. "In a nutshell, then: there is a small constraining device at the base of your brain; I am going to transport it out. If, as we hope, you have inherited your mother's ability, you will be able to psychically reach Guardian where she is trapped, and sustain her spiritual strength until I can remove the mechanisms implanted throughout her body which are not only killing her, but slowly destroying the Guardian energy as well. If she dies like this, So'Vran will surely overrun the known worlds and destroy us all. Got it?"

"Find Guardian, keep her strong, save the universe. Got it." Billy gave his father a ghost of a grin. "Ready."

A light enveloped the handsome blond youth, whose body jerked and arched, his head dropping back, eyes closed. A tiny, glistening device appeared on the pad by Peter Cranston's elbow as the light around Billy dimmed, and his eyes snapped open.

Jason studied his friend. Amazingly, Billy seemed to have gained a couple of inches, both in height and in brawn. He'd been tall and fairly buff before; now his clothes were suddenly smaller, tighter, his shirt pulling across an abruptly bulky chest, cutting into newly muscled arms, the thighs of his jeans nearly giving at the seams. And his eyes...were those eyes somehow bluer, more intense? There was little time to speculate as Billy crossed determinedly to the unconscious form of the girl on the examination table and took her hand in both of his, his entire being, it seemed, focused on her face.

After a moment of silence, Peter Cranston's agile fingers began to fly over the console beside him, and Zordon spoke to Jason.

"There is little we can do here now, Jason. Come to the main chamber; there is something I think you will find of interest there."

Jason returned to the main chamber to find Zordon's ghostly image waiting for him. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, lay several glasslike rods, neon yellow in hue, and a small device.

"These were in the pod with your sister. I believe they will answer your questions far better than I can."

Jason hesitated for a moment, then crossed to the platform and inserted the rods into several small holes in the device, which began to hum softly. Suddenly a holographic image appeared before him; a man, tall, brawny, bearded, with dark eyes and hair, and features uncannily similar to Jason's own. He wore golden armor that had seen better days, and was leaning on a long sword which glowed softly.

"Father..." Jason breathed, and then the image began to speak.

"Zordon, P'tyr Krann," it said, smiling sadly. "That you have found this transmitter means that my daughter is in your hands, and safe, I pray. I am grateful with all my heart that you have kept my son well and safe all these years. It is now time for him to take the reins of his destiny into his own hands; I know that you will have taught him as well as I myself could have done, and that he will make us proud." The image seemed to look at Jason then. "My name is Iannos K'vlir, my son; I am called Paladin. You know nothing of me or of our heritage, and I know but little about you. Zordon and P'tyr have managed to get some information about you to me through the years, knowing how hungry I would be for any word, any fleeting image.

"I know that you are named Jason Lee Scott, and that the parents who adopted and raised you were good, kind people, carefully chosen by P'Tyr to keep you safe. I mourn with you their untimely passing. I am proud of your strong moral character, of your inner strength, of your innate humanity and your sense of honor; these things will hold you steady on your course, for a difficult trial is about to begin.

"But before I go on, my dear Jason, let me say this above all else: you are and have always been my beloved son, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, and I have and always will love you until the end of my days, and, spirits willing, beyond. Never doubt that, not for a moment. My soul cried out in agony when I sent you away from me, and I have bled within ever since. I beg you to believe that this choice was the worst your mother and I have ever had to face; but she died knowing that at least one of her children was safe and out of the reach of So'Vran's evil tyranny."

Jason hastily wiped hot tears from his eyes, eager to hear the rest, however painful.

"Our world, Xerya, lies separated from Earth beyond a dimensional barrier, erected centuries ago by the Eltaran council, to shield the known worlds from the rise of the evil known as So'Vran, who rules Xerya with an iron fist. Many among us resist his reign, living underground, trying to subvert his rule. Your mother, Merys, and I, and P'tyr Krann and his wife Nelin, were some of these. Of that group, I am all that is left now.

"Our people are similar to those of Earth in many ways, though there are some individuals who are significantly different. P'tyr's wife, Nelin, was one of these, as am I, as was your mother. In those days Nelin was Sentinel, and it was in that capacity that she foretold that you must be sent away or die at So'Vran's hands. You were still in Merys' belly then; we had a little time, we thought, and we began to make plans for your safety. Weeks later Nelin knew that she, too, was with child and that her child, paired with ours, might hold the key to So'Vran's ultimate defeat. It was almost certain that So'Vran would know this as well. Nelin and P'tyr decided then that they would leave Xerya to keep you and their son safe. P'tyr's great intellect enabled him to find a way to pierce the dimensional barrier which surrounds our world, keeping So'Vran in check.

"But we could not leave with them. Nelin was indeed Sentinel, and her first obligation was to the future. But Merys and I... Merys was Guardian than, and a strong one; she could not abandon her people anymore than I could. I was... I am... Paladin, as I hope you may someday be. So though it broke our hearts, when you were born we said goodbye to you, and to our dearest friends.

"Merys told me later that Nelin had revealed more of our future to her, and that we would have another child, who would be Guardian and would fight by my side, and it was for this that she remained with me. I did not realize when she spoke that there would be but one Guardian, that Merys knew she would die in battle soon after the child was born.

"Your sister, Taia, was my greatest blessing then, my only tie to Merys, though I searched for a way to send her after you, to protect her as I had protected you. But without Guardian, the resistance faltered, and we had no resources to create another pod for many years. Indeed, I believed us lost; then Taia's powers as Guardian asserted themselves, and she became not just my blessing but that of all Xerya. By the spirits, she is powerful! Xerya has never before seen... but time grows short. I must press on.

"In our bloodlines lie ties to a sentient power that can, and must, be used to fight So'Vran's evil conquest, and others like him. P'tyr found a way to bury yours deep within your mind so that So'Vran could not use it to find you; I do not know, therefore, how powerful you may be, or what must be done to awaken your abilities. You must discover this for yourself.

The image rubbed a weary hand over his face and turned to face Zordon's time warp chamber. "Zordon, we have been betrayed, and I do not yet know the extent of the treachery, nor yet who is responsible. My efforts to protect Guardian have been in vain; somehow So'Vran managed to capture her and make her as you see her now. By all that's holy, when I get my hands on the traitor...So'Vran had her for more than a month, Zordon. Can you imagine what she must have...?" Iannos' deep voice trailed off on a sob; then he gathered himself and continued. "Though I was able to finally rescue her, we do not know how to undo whatever it is So'Vran has done. Therefore I have sent her to you and P'tyr, and I pray P'tyr's intellect will penetrate this mystery before she dies. I fear that this may bring the wrath of So'Vran on you all; but I could do no less. She is Guardian; more than that she is my dearest daughter. Save her, I beg you. Spirits bless you all." The image flickered out.

Jason stood up, fury and frustration warring on his face, and began to pace silently.

"Jason? Tell me what troubles you." Zordon's voice was soft, for him.

The former Red and Gold ranger looked at the time warp chamber, his dark eyes unfathomable. "Even if I understood all of that, which I did not, I can't help him, Zordon. You know that. I just have to hope my sister is strong enough for both of us."

"You are mistaken, Jason. The possibility of your power is very real. You must not dismiss it."

"Look at me!" Jason exploded. "I'm maybe half the man I used to be. Losing the Gold powers nearly killed me; I can barely get up in the morning. I can't take on some interdimensional goon! I'm not even going to live out the year!"

"Jason... "

"Look, I'm sorry, but this is a lot to digest, okay?"

"I understand. Perhaps you should rest now. I will wake you as soon as there is any change in your sister's condition." Zordon summoned the little robot. "Alpha, take Jason back to the guest chambers and let him get some sleep."

~*~

Billy found himself again in the place of darkness. "Guardian, are you there?" he said, his voice echoing oddly. A fragile gasp came from the depths. "Can you hear me? Guardian!"

"You..." a voice said faintly. "I know you, you helped me before... oh, no, not you...not this...I can't let you..."

"Where are you? Talk to me and I will find you," Billy moved forward tentatively.

"You must risk no more," her voice seemed stronger. "I can feel your courage, your heart; though it gives me strength, I do not wish for you to die. I beg you, leave me, leave this place. So'Vran may have destroyed me; I'll not let him have you too."

"So'Vran has won nothing yet, and I'll be damned if I let him start with you." There was...something...building within him, but he ignored it, continuing his search. Billy brushed against something, and instinctively wrapped his arms around it.

She moved within his grasp, turning to face him, though they could not see each other. He felt hands brush his face. "Why do you do this for me? Who are you?"

The darkness began to lift; belatedly, and much to his astonishment, Billy realized that he was the light source. His body began to glow softly. The girl struggled in his arms, trying to shield herself from the light, but her held her firm. "Draw strength from me, Guardian. I have enough."

"I cannot," she cried. "I have lost too much, have borne too much. I cannot do what you ask of me!"

"You must, or you will die," he pleaded.

"Then I shall die; it is a small price. You shall not bear the brunt of my failure." Her eyes were dark, like Jason's; they searched his face wildly, then turned away as she struggled.

"What will Xerya do without her Guardian? How can you abandon her?"

She went still for a moment; Billy could feel the tremors wracking her slender body. "Abandon her? I have failed her! Another Guardian will rise; one who will not fail."

Billy gritted his teeth. "How can you speak of failure? You've done nothing wrong. Let me help you, please..."

"I am no longer worthy to be Guardian. I allowed So'Vran to capture me, to hold me, to destroy me! Can you not hear his call? It tears at me, even now... and I must answer him." With a mighty push, the girl broke Billy's hold and ran toward the receding blackness, turning back once to look at him, tears in her dark eyes. "You gave me strength, strength enough to die; I am grateful to you. At least I shall never serve him..." then everything went white, and Billy found himself in the infirmary as he collapsed to the floor.

"NOOOOOOO!" he cried, struggling with his father, who tried to hold him away from the girl's still body.

"Zordon!" Peter shouted over the comlink, still fighting Billy, "we're losing her!" At his words, Jason came skidding into the room, wild-eyed. The lights on the diagnostic screen began to dim.

"No, Taia, hang on! Please," cried Jason. "You're all I have now! TAIA!"

Billy reached for her, tearing out of his father's grasp. "LET ME GO TO HER! I AM..." he paused, confused, looking at his father, with eyes blazing bluer than ever before.

Peter hesitated, disbelieving, reaching out a tentative hand; then he whispered, "Go on, son...you are...

Something in Billy's heart burst free, and he knew, suddenly, who he was. "I am Sentinel," he whispered, then shouted it in defiance to the darkness within Guardian. "Do you hear me, So'Vran? I AM SENTINEL, AND I DEFY YOU!"

Jason and Peter watched in amazement, as bronze seemed to pour from within Billy to cover him until he appeared to be made of the gleaming liquid metal. Jason could feel the power coming off his friend in waves, as the bronze figure crossed to the body of the lifeless Guardian and took her firmly in his arms. "This time," he whispered in a voice that both was and was not Billy's, "I will not let you go."

~*~

The darkness was back; Billy banished it in a blaze of light, gathering the form of the dying girl in his arms, curving his body around her own.

"Look at me, Guardian. Taia, look at me," Billy grasped her exquisite face between his hands and forced her dark gaze to meet his own.

"It... hurts," she moaned feebly, but she met his bright blue eyes, and something arced between them, holding them both in its grip.

"I know," he felt her pain blaze through him too, and willingly took it on. "Just hold on to me. I won't let you go."

"Why?"

"Because...," something flickered in his blue gaze, and he felt his heart expand as the pain ebbed away. "Because I am Sentinel, and we are the future."

~*~

"He's doing it," gritted Peter, staring at the readouts, willing them to rise, working furiously to locate and remove So'Vran's handiwork.

"Come on, Billy," breathed Jason. "Save her."

~*~

They stood there, frozen, inches from each other, for what seemed like eternity; blue eyes boring into black, forcing his energy on her, into her, surrounding her, cradling her, caressing her, until the glow emanating from her matched his own.

~*~

"Thank God," muttered Peter, hugging a sobbing Jason to his chest. "He's done it, Jase. She'll be all right now, son."

~*~

"Thank you, Sentinel," she breathed, the vibration of her voice tickling his chest where her face pressed into it as Billy held her in a fierce embrace.

"Anytime," a relieved chuckle rumbled through him. "You're all right?"

"Tired," she smiled up at him, then looked at her glowing hand, and back to his handsome face. "Wonderful."

The sensations between them coalesced then, into...something else, and his long fingers traced down the column of her throat. She made a low purring sound, pressing herself closer, and he felt his blood thundering through him.

"Guardian," he whispered, every sense on overload, filled with the essence of her. She smiled back at him and he nearly keeled over. What was happening to him? "I want..." he whispered, not knowing what it was he wanted; only that he craved. "I need..."

He stared at her, wide-eyed. It was almost as if...he were aroused, beyond anything he'd ever experienced before.

"What...?" she said, pulling her head back to look at him, and Billy saw from the glazed look in her dark eyes that she was as affected as he.

What is this... I feel... I...?" Emotions swirled within him, his body struggling to fight against them, his hands shaking, body shivering with the effort. "This isn't right," he bit out, talking more to himself than to her. "I have to stay in control. I can't take anything from you... I won't, no matter how badly I want to." Yet his warm hands skimmed lightly over her of their own volition, and the girl moaned softly, her slim hands cupping either side of his face when he tried to shy away. She held his fiery blue gaze steadily.

"You hurt; tell me why..."

"I'm not sure...I'll try." And then it was there, all his old pain and insecurity, like an infection, needing, suddenly, to be drained. "Too close," he breathed, meeting her gaze unwillingly but unable to look away. "This is too close; you're too...we're too intimate, like this. You'll see what I am, you'll know, and...and then you'll... "

The girl shook her head, caressing his furrowed brow. "I see what you are, William. I know. And I'm still here."

He said nothing, closing his eyes against the tide of despair that rolled across him.

Warm lips brushed his trembling mouth. "Have you always been so alone?"

"Yes..." It was barely a whisper, as a tear squeezed from his tightly shut eyes.

"Has there been no-one to ease your burden?"

"No...not...not really. I have friends," he choked, forcing himself to look at her, to meet that steady gaze that somehow wrapped around him like a lifeline. "I've been...intimate with women, a couple of times, when the loneliness got so bad I would have done almost anything to take the edge off. I never understood...why it only seemed to help for a moment. It's always been there, holding me apart from everyone, no matter what I tried to do. I thought...I thought it would always be that way, until I heard you in my dream. And even then, I woke up alone."

"And now?" She gave him another whisper-light kiss, and he grasped her shoulders, hard; but she looked back at him fearlessly.

"Why do you affect me like this?" Billy burst out angrily. "I don't know you!" His voice gentled as he looked at her. "But that's not true, is it?"

"You are Sentinel now. You know the truth; you just need to trust it."

He traced the pad of his thumb over her full lower lip. "You trust it, don't you?"

"More than that, I trust you."

Her words hit him like a fist in the gut. "Wh-what is this, between us? Tell me..."

She shook her head, the glossy darkness of her hair rising and then settling about her. "I can only give you a name for it, William. It is called the Bloodsong. What it is you already feel. Choose to answer it, or do not; I will abide by your choice."

Then, after all, he had a choice; Billy's fears abated somewhat, though there was still something he needed to understand. "And you? What happens to you if I refuse this Bloodsong?"

She ran her open hands up his chest to twine around his neck. "In saving my life, my very being, you have given me all that you are, William. I know you. You have filled all of the empty places in me; you are a part of me now. I...I already sing the Bloodsong." She looked at him through dark lashes. "For me there will be no other. We are intimately connected, and shall always be so. I will never speak of it again if you do not wish it; but know that I belong to you." He did not move for a moment, and she smiled sadly, and tried to step away from him. "Let me go, then, if you do not want me. Your father has succeeded; I am free of the devices So'Vran placed within me. You have done well, Sentinel; but you must let me go, before..."

His blue eyes blazed brightly. "Before what?"

"Before my heart breaks," she whispered, pushing on his strong arms.

"Taia." Billy held her closer and waited for her to look at him. "I told you, I will never let you go." His mouth met hers in a searing kiss before their selves mingled, each completing the other, and his spirit knew a shattering moment of utter joy; then everything went white, and he was being slapped into consciousness by his panicked father.

"Billy! Billy, come back to me, boy! You did it, oh please, son, wake up! Billy!"

At last Billy felt like himself enough to speak. "I'm here, I'm here, okay? Stop smacking me, Dad."

Peter Cranston chuckled and helped his son stumble to a chair, as the bronze energy that had covered him seemed to drain away into his skin. "Your mother was always cranky after using her Sentinel energy, too. I'm... very proud of you, son."

Billy opened his eyes and turned to the girl on the examining table. "Taia? Is... ?"

"Is that her name?" Peter answered, interested. "Her vital signs are strong; I managed to remove all of So'Vran's infernal devices. She needs rest now, but I think she'll be fine, eventually."

"Thank God for that, anyhow," Jason said fervently, covering his sister's hand with his own large warm one.

Peter Cranston placed a hand on his shoulder. "Your turn, Jason." The procedure was identical to the removal of Billy's constraint; Jason felt a slight tingling at the base of his skull, but no real discomfort. He looked down at his body hopefully, but no changes had occurred. Peter ran a diagnostic shield over him. "Your readings haven't altered much, but I am hopeful that will change, in time."

"Is there a problem?"

"Not to say problem, exactly. It's just that... I buried those powers of yours very deep, you know. And after your difficulties when losing the Gold Ranger powers... I'm not sure that just removing the constraint will be enough to revive them."

"So I may never be Paladin, is that what you mean?" And I'm still going to die.

Peter Cranston nodded. "That's about it, yes."

Jason went very still for a moment, then gave him a small smile. "It's amazing how quickly you come to want something that you never had before, just because someone tells you that you never will." He chuckled bitterly. "It's okay, Mr. Cranston. I'll get over it. The main thing is that Taia is okay, and Billy too. He deserves to be Sentinel."

Peter sighed. "I may be wrong, Jason. I hope I am."

The dark-haired youth smiled at the older man. "Don't worry about it, Mr. C."

"You boys should get some shut-eye. I'll sit with her for a while, until she wakes up, then put her in one of the guest quarters. That table probably isn't very comfortable."

Jason slung a companionable arm around his exhausted friend's shoulders. "Come on, Bill; you can bunk with me."

Billy was amazed at the level of utter exhaustion he'd reached; he couldn't even seem to see straight, bumping freely into walls and his friend, who tried to guide him as he shambled down the maze of corridors. And things seemed distorted; as though he were regarding them from a different perspective, from higher up. He felt like he was looking down on the top of Jason's head, and generally the former Red Ranger had an inch or so on him. Or maybe Jason was as tired as he was, and was slumping.

"You want a shower? Or just bed?" Jason's deep voice interrupted Billy's fractured train of thought.

"Shower, if you don't mind; and I assume there's a couch in your room like there was in mine. I'll take it for the night. You're too tall for it."

Jason seemed to find the offer funny. "Nah, it's okay, bro. You can have the bed. You'll be more comfortable there."

"I really don't mind."

Jason laughed again. "You will. Do you want me to turn on the shower for you?"

Billy nodded, yawning. "Yeah, thanks. I've got to get these contacts out before I go blind."

Jason undressed to his briefs and slipped under a sheet on the couch, waiting for Billy to catch a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror with gleeful anticipation. The sound of the rushing water abated; he could hear the glass door slide open, allow some time for a towel, and rubbing the steam off the mirror...three...two...one...

"JASE!"

Chuckling, he jogged lightly to the bathroom door and opened it. "Yeah?"

Billy was staring at himself in the mirror, disbelief all over his handsome features as he looked at his body. "What the hell happened to me?"

Jason was still grinning like the Cheshire cat. "I guess your dad's constraint device dampened more than just the Sentinel power, and when he removed it...poof!"

"But I'm...I'm..."

"You're built, man. Tommy's gonna have a stroke when he sees you; they all will. Tell 'em you had a growth spurt or something."

"Oh, sure, they'll believe that," Billy rolled his eyes. "None of my clothes are going to fit, either." He turned slightly to examine his newly muscular back and arms. "You know, I was rather proud of how fit I'd become, but I never thought I'd be this brawny. And... is it my imagination or am I taller?"

"Yep, you're taller than me now."

Billy absently rubbed his palm over the golden-brown hair that now covered his hard chest, then straightened and met Jason's eye in the mirror again. "Jase? I can see you clearly."

"Great," replied his friend, mystified. "Wait, you mean you don't have your contacts in?"

"Nope. I don't seem to need them anymore," Billy said gleefully, leaning his hips against the sink to study his eyes more carefully. "Is the color different? Brighter?"

"Yeah, I noticed that too...what's the matter?"

A strange look passed over Billy's face as he carefully stood up straight. "I...thought I felt...excuse me a second." The blond youth turned away from Jason and opened the front of the towel, looking down at himself. "Oh. My. God."

Jason frowned. "What? What's the matter? Should I get your dad?"

Billy made no reply, just cast a glance over his shoulder at Jason, stark incredulity in his bright blue eyes.

"Bill, man, what is it? Are you okay?"

"Jase," Billy's voice was hoarse, "you've, uh, seen me, right? Like in the showers at the gym?"

Jason shrugged. "Yeah, I have. Why?"

Billy silently dropped the towel and turned around to face his friend.

"Holy crap," said Jason. "You... you're... talk about a growth spurt. Good Lord." He picked up the towel and handed it to Billy, beginning to laugh. "Put that away, will you? I'm gonna have nightmares as it is." He slipped into his makeshift bed, chuckling at his fiercely blushing friend.

"But you don't look any different. Why?" Billy looked at his friend appraisingly.

Jason paused, his thoughts suddenly serious. "Your dad thought it might take some time. I don't care about the growth spurt; I'm just hoping I'll be whole again." And that I might live a little longer, he thought to himself, then resolutely pushed the thought to the back of his mind... too late for Billy's new abilities.

Billy sobered instantly, narrowing his azure eyes. "What the...? What do you mean, live a little longer?"

Jason shrugged. "Forget it, bro."

"Forget it, hell. You explain yourself, right now, or I'll just dive into your head and find out what I want to know," Billy threatened, crossing his arms over his powerful chest.

Jason pursed his lips, exhaling noisily. "Don't get pissed, bro. I haven't told anybody. I didn't want..."

"Jason," Billy's voice held a warning note.

"All right, then; but you have to swear you won't say anything to Tom or the others."

"No deals, Scott! TELL ME!"

"Okay...okay." Jason couldn't look at his friend, staring instead at the ceiling. "I'm dying."

Billy stared at him. "No."

"Yes. Ask Zordon, or Alpha."

The former Blue Ranger swallowed hard. "How long?"

Jason rubbed a tired hand over his face. "I won't see Christmas, probably."

Billy expected the grief that washed over him, but he was surprised at the intensity of the fury that followed. "And how long have you known?" he asked carefully, trying to keep a lid on his anger.

"Since I lost the Gold powers."

Seconds ticked by in time with the muscle clenching in Billy's jaw; then he exploded. "For God's sake, Jason, THAT WAS MONTHS AGO!" he roared. "Why didn't you tell me? How could you go through this alone?"

Jason still refused to look at Billy. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't want you to worry, to treat me differently. I thought if you knew, it might change things between us...and I needed, more than anything, for our friendship to stay the same."

Silence descended on the room. Jason finally turned to look at his friend, and flinched at the hurt and fury reflected on his face. Billy spoke quietly. "This is how you define friendship, is it?" He shook his head. "Were you planning on mentioning anything beforehand? Ever? Or were you just going to...arrrrgh!" A frustrated growl escaped his tightly clenched teeth. "I can't talk about this now." Billy slipped on his wrist communicator and spared Jason a rage-filled glance. "I'll be at home. Tell Dad for me, will you?"

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