Chosen Legacy (Book Five of the Chosen Universe)

Chapter Two

JUSTIN

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It was highly possible that Justin was having another "episode." He suffered from extreme PTSD, agoraphobia, anxiety, and paranoia. Until Tommy had gotten kidnapped, Justin had refused to leave his house unless absolutely required. He usually only did that when his son, Jared, needed to go to the doctor. Justin still didn't know where Jared had come from. Although he couldn't recall engaging in any act that could have produced a child, he tested Jared's DNA and the results had proven he was his kid. That had been twelve years ago. Now, Jared was the one part of Justin's life that didn't suck.

"Something's wrong..." Justin said aloud. He began thinking of a thousand worst case scenarios. Stop. Breathe, he told himself. He took a deep breath. A little voice in the back of his head was screaming at him, Check on your team!

That wasn't easy. Justin had once been part of the Turbo team. Carlos had died the year before. Around the same time, Ashley had suffered a major head trauma. She had amnesia and couldn't remember anything about her time as a Power Ranger, or anything else really. She remembered her daughter, by some miracle, but that was pretty much it. Cassie had gone back in time with Lucas from the Time Force team to stop the last of Divatox, who'd sent a small part of herself into the 1980s right before Tanya killed the rest of her. Justin missed Cassie fiercely, but he knew her mission was important.

Then, there was TJ. Justin tried not to think about him. TJ had given his life in battle so that Cassie, Justin, and Doctor K could stop Venjix and save Tommy. He'd been brutally ripped apart in front of them. Justin had somehow kept fighting after Cassie told him to do it for TJ, but every day was a struggle now. He had worse nightmares than ever and had needed to increase his anxiety medication.

"Everyone's accounted for," Justin told himself. Carlos and TJ were dead, Cassie was in the past, and Ashley... "Ash is isolated..." Justin mumbled. She didn't interact with anyone anymore. What if...?

"Alpha, stay with Jared," Justin said. He was talking to Alpha Prime, who he'd helped rebuild. The original Alpha lived with him and Jared now.

"Is everything well, Justin?" Alpha Prime asked.

"That's what I need to find out. Please teleport me to Ashley's."

"Alone?"

"I'm being paranoid, but I want to check on her. I don't want to bring a crowd and freak her out. Ash is fragile since the amnesia."

"Very well. See you soon, Justin." Alpha sent him on his way.

Justin arrived at the big suburban house. The lawn was perfect and had a pretty garden inside of a white picket fence. Ashley's place seemed to come right out of a 1950's sitcom. Justin approached it cautiously. He tried to knock on the door, but it swung open. Justin tensed, knowing something was very wrong. He almost ran away.

TJ would check on her, he told himself. You have to do this. He cautiously stepped inside of the house. There were signs of a struggle. A table had been knocked over, scattering mail everywhere.

"Ash?" Justin called. "Ashley!" He walked through the house, searching for any signs of life. When he reached the kitchen, however, he found something else.

"Ash..." Justin whispered in horror. Her body lay motionless on the floor. There was blood on her face and neck, but the wound wasn't actively bleeding. Her cold, dead eyes stared at Justin vacantly.

Justin sank to the floor, his back against the cabinets. Ashley was dead. He knew that, but he couldn't make sense of it. He whimpered slightly as he pressed the panic button on his communicator. This would alert Alpha Prime, Alpha Six, and Sage that he needed immediate help.