Hayley had shown him a copy of the paper whilst he was at work, and now he walked over the gardens towards the greenhouse--he knew his dad would be there.

And, sure enough, there he was, holding a clipboard while leaning over a pot plant that was doubtless part of his latest experiment. “Working on a way to make brussel sprouts edible?” he asked.

“Trent!” His dad smiled at the sight of him, before turning back to his clipboard. “Hey, what’re you doing here?”

“I read that you won the new Greenleaf Award for your new research. I just wanted to congratulate you.”

“Well . . .” started his dad, before breaking off when Trent hugged him.

Trent squeezed for a minute, enjoying the feeling of his dad being human and real, and the hand on his back felt more comforting than anything anyone else could say.

“Thanks,” said his dad, when they broke apart. “I appreciate that. If only I was as successful in all my research.” He picked up a pot plant, moving towards the other end of the greenhouse. Trent followed him.

“Still no luck on controlling Mesogog?”

“Mmm.”

It was worth a try. “Dad, let me tell the other rangers. They may find a way to help you.”

“No! I can do this, I swear, Trent. I just . . . need a little more time, okay?”

Trent wanted to try and persuade him further, but he knew it would be pointless. They’d argued over this before. “Okay.”

“Hello?”

He turned in shock at the voice—was it Cassidy?—calling from the entrance to the greenhouse.

And yes. It was Cassidy, and Devin, holding a microphone and a camera respectively. What they could be doing, he had no idea.

“Oh,” said Cassidy, walking in. “Dr. Mercer. Cassidy Cornell, Reefside Review. Can I have a moment of your time?”

“Yeah, I know who you are, Cassidy, you were in my class, remember?”

And Trent guessed Cassidy wasn’t the type of student you forgot in a hurry.

Cassidy’s smile grew slightly fixed. “Oh, yeah. Anyway, I’m here to do a report on your recent Greenleaf award for scientific breakthroughs in botanical research.”

“Right, well, it’ll be reward enough if I can perfect these plants. If it works, they’ll be able to adapt and them thrive on any climate on earth.”

Cassidy didn’t look much enlightened, but Devin got it. “Oh, cool. That means that people all around the world will be able to grow their own crops!”

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” said his dad, walking through into another room of the greenhouse. Cassidy and Devin, of course, followed him. Trent trailed after them all.

“Interesting,” said Cassidy. “Are we seeing a kinder, gentler Anton Mercer?”

His dad’s smile now held a definite tinge of annoyance. Trent felt irritated too. “My father’s always dedicated his research to helping mankind,” he told Cassidy.

“And have you always succeeded?”

“Look, every scientist has had his share of failures.” He hesitated for a moment, and Trent knew what he was thinking of. “I’m no exception.”

He turned away, hand going to his head as he swayed slightly. Devin put down his camera, stepping forwards. “Hey, uh . . . you don’t look so good, man, did you have some of the, uh, mystery meat at the cafeteria?”

Trent stared at his father, realizing what was happening. Not now, he thought, but he knew it was too late. Maybe Mesogog had realized what a bad time this was. He pushed past Cassidy to grab Devin’s arm and start herding them both out. “He’s got a lot of work to do. We better let him get too it.”

Devin didn’t protest, but Cassidy said, “But I haven’t finished my interview!”

“Look, maybe another time!” He glanced back at his dad. He couldn’t see any signs of the chance yet, but it couldn’t be long. “I’ll catch up with you later, dad.”

Devin flung up an arm as Trent shoved him out the door. “Bye!”

Cassidy just looked mad. “Trent, I only had a few more questions left to ask!"

“Yeah, you can ask him later. Come on, I’ll walk with you to the gates.” He didn’t trust them not to come back again.

Besides, he really didn’t want to be around if Mesogog was making an appearance.

----

Ethan zapped another alien spaceship, maneuvered between two asteroids, and was headed towards the final planet he needed to pass before his screen suddenly froze. He frowned, hit enter to see if it made any difference . . . and then jumped back when an image of the White Ranger appeared in the centre of his screen.

“Hello, Blue Ranger.”

“Okay, maybe I have been sitting too close to the screen.” Because that was just weird. He looked around to make sure no one had noticed, before leaning closer and asking, “Trent? Is that you?”

“Don’t insult me. I am the one and only true White Ranger.”

This was so not normal. He raised his voice to call, “Uh, guys, you gotta see this.”

Whatever they heard in his voice made Conner and Kira come quickly, crouching on either side of him to look at the screen. Ethan almost looked around for Trent, before remembering he’d gone home. Too bad. He would probably want to hear this.

“I have a challenge for you and your ranger friends,” the clone said. “Meet me at the seaside for our final battle.”

Conner kept his voice low, so he wouldn’t be overheard, but he still sounded mad enough that Ethan wouldn’t want to face him. “And what if we have something better to do?”

“Then the consequences will be on your head!”

The image disappeared, revealing Ethan’s spaceship, now swung miles off course. He hardly even noticed. “Dude’s never heard of e-mail?” he said, trying to make himself feel better about the fact that one of the bad guys had just invaded his laptop. His laptop!

“Come on, guys. Let’s go.” Conner was moving already.

Kira asked what Ethan had been thinking. “What about Trent? He went to see his dad.”

“We can take this guy ourselves.”

Kira just nodded, so Ethan figured there was probably something he didn’t know about—some reason Conner and Kira thought Trent shouldn’t be involved in this fight. He’d find out what it was later. “Well, I vote we bring in Dr. O for a little back-up.”

“Okay,” said Conner, and Ethan didn’t even bother to quit his game before they ran out of the cyberspace.

Trust evil to come along and ruin a perfectly good gaming session.

----

It had taken longer than he’d expected to get rid of Cassidy and Devin— so long he hoped that Mesogog might be gone, and his dad back again. But one look at the greenhouse changed that: the floor was covered in spilled earth and shattered pottery.

“Dad?” he yelled anyway, hoping for some response. None came. He moved further into the greenhouse, seeing the ruins of his dad’s latest experiments. “Dad?” he called again, just in case.

Then it hit him. The dizziness, the weakness, the fiery pain: it all came rushing back. He doubled over, clutching a table for support. And this time, before he squeezed his eyes shut, he saw blue electricity crackling over his hands.

This was so not good.

----

Conner watched in shock as the evil White Ranger clone cried out in pain, and collapsed to the ground. Kira ran towards him, and the rest of them followed. “What’s wrong with him?” she asked.

The clone stayed collapsed on the ground, clutching its chest. “You are worthy opponents, rangers.”

Maybe it was stupid of him, but Conner hated seeing anything in pain, even something he’d just been trying to destroy. “Maybe we can help you,” he said.

The clone shook its head. “No. The battle must go on until the question is answered.”

It started to straighten up. Kira took a step forwards. “What question?”

It managed to push itself to its feet, and started walking away. “Who will survive as the White Ranger.”

Conner watched him go, remembering Trent’s sudden collapse earlier that day.

This was so not good.

----

It took him longer to recover this time, but he managed. Instead of staying to tidy up the greenhouse, he decided to head back to the house. He’d bitten through his lip, and needed something to wash away the taste of blood.

He also needed to contact Dr. O. Conner had been right. This time, the pain had come from a definite source: his Dino Gem.

But he’d only just stepped out of the greenhouse when his communicator beeped. “Trent,” came Hayley’s voice. “Are you okay?”

Her voice suggested that she knew of a reason he might not be, and Trent wondered if Conner or Kira had said anything. Or if she had another reason to worry. “Yeah, I think so,” he said, walking further into the gardens towards the house. “Something weird’s going on. My Dino Gem. It’s freaking out.”

“I think you should come back here right away.”

The idea sounded weirdly attractive. At the Dino Lab there’d be people to worry, people who could try and work out what the problem was. He hated asking for help, but . . . “Yeah. Maybe that’s a good idea.”

He closed the connection, turning to look out over the lake before heading back to the house.

Only to find his clone blocking the view.

“Not so fast.”

Great. Just what he needed.

“I’m tired of living in your shadow,” the clone announced. “After this, there will be only one White Ranger.”

Trent’s morpher appeared on his wrist as he replied, “I got no problem with that. White Ranger, Dino Power!”

Power swirled round him. For a moment, he felt like he was spinning through the air, only to land with a jerk as his helmet closed around his head. In seconds, it was done.

As soon as he completed the morph, his clone spread its arms. “Super Dino Mode!”

Trent almost did the same, but then hesitated. He remembered the feelings of weakness and pain coming from his Dino Gem earlier. Did he really want to risk that happening again in a fight? What if going to Super Dino Mode would be enough to set it of?

He would if he had to. Until then, he’d fight as he was.

Then they ran at each other, and the fight began.

----

It lasted longer than any he’d had before. It seemed like every move he made, the clone could match. Neither of them was stronger, neither was a better fighter, neither could get the upper hand.

Until Trent got lucky, kicking the clone back with enough strength to smash it into a marble bench. The stone shattered, and the clone roared out in pain.

But it wasn’t finished. It still existed, and Trent wanted it gone. “Get up!” he said.

The clone forced itself to its feet, still groaning in pain. “You fight with honor, Trent Mercer.”

“How can you talk about honor? When you don’t even have a soul?”

“I don’t need a soul! Thanks for reminding me!”

It leapt into the air, pouncing on Trent. Trent caught it, throwing it backwards. It came at Trent with kicks and punches, but Trent blocked them all, finally striking it across the chest and sending it to the ground once more.

“Can’t take much more?”

The clone rolled to its feet, staggering away from the garden table it had almost hit. “Enough talk. Come and fight me!”

It was obviously weakened, barely able to stand straight. “Does it have to be this way?” asked Trent, already knowing what the answer would be. What other outcome was possible? There could only be one White Ranger— and Trent knew he who wanted it to be.

“My rules, remember!”

“If that’s the way you want it!”

The clone ran at him, sword held ready. Trent ran to meet him, bracing his Drago Sword for the impact. They struck with enough force to send sparks exploding between them.

Trent knew he’d won even before the clone gasped, “I guess you wanted it more.”

Trent turned to watch as blue electricity sparkled over the clone. It held its sword against its chest in a kind of salute. “Goodbye, White Ranger.”

And before Trent could reply, it fell, hitting the ground with an explosion so bright Trent had to cover his eyes.

When he looked up again, there were only black scorch-marks where his evil clone used to stand.

He gasped for breath, but had no time to recover before his communicator bleeped. “Trent,” came Hayley’s voice. “The others are in trouble.”

--