#World of the Coinless Bulk

[augment-techs]

A sort of-kind of review for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #118. Kinda. Spoilers below the cut, because this issue was...kind of impressive. Ish.

Due to @ikindamaybewanthertositonmyface bringing to my attention that I should really read the latest Darkest Hour issue, I have pulled a speed run and...have some feelings...

I'm ALMOST 80% sure that this is Boom!'s way of saying that Coinless Trini is queer, for which we might all give infinite thanks. If she's not an old lesbian, she's at LEAST an old bisexual. Either is good and I will TAKE IT. Even if the implications moving forward aren't great.

On the one hand, the Tommy & Rita team-up is something that does mean that maybe we the audience will get to see Rita grow into Mystic Mother of her own volition; but on the other hand, if Tommy goes down into the road to forgiveness and ACTIVELY tries to bring her into the light, I am going to be sick.

Okay...I am more alright with Slayer Kim still having obvious Drakkon issues if it means Tommy gets to get tossed around like a ragdoll--but like, with good intention. This was kind of funny.

*Deep, Deep Breath* GROW YOUR FUCKING SKIN BACK AND I WILL BE MORE THAN OKAY WITH YOU TWO HOOKING UP. PLEASE, FOR FUCK'S SAKE, LET THIS UNION BE COMFORTABLE. Anything is better than going into a marriage because of a roofie. PLEASE.

I'm gonna say it: Trini actually looks really good in red. It FITS.

Also, one million points for giving both Trini/Zack and Omega OT3 shots for those in the fandom that multiship and just LOVE these babies being in shot together. I miss them as a unit. They fill each other out.

....I imagine this is very much what others wanted to alert me to. And when I read it the first time I was over the moon. I made the most stupid fucking noise ever when I got down to Jason saying what these two DESERVE to hear. He's met their Coinless counterparts, he knows what they're capable of being, he is a leader and a shine can recognize a shine. But. Then I read it again. And again.

They are training to back up the Rangers if the fight comes to Earth and the fucking lava zombies come knocking. Zelya has just cast a very dark shadow of doubt and fear in their awareness of the Rangers knowing her and not being able to contact her. Bulk speaks the truth. Coinless Bulk is locked up for who the hell knows why with Scorpina and the others, and Coinless Skull is still missing in action AS a lava zombie.

I am...so scared for them.

[bayysart]

I am so sorry Bulk and Skull fans. orz Just there’s not enough angst of these two out there and I just… ya know had to do it. Skull is just uh… taking a nap and Bulk is giving him a big hug! And that’s just ketchup on Skull’s face. Totally not the alternative… Also can y’all guess what the posing composition here is inspired by? Hint is a painting from the Realism movement during the late 1800’s! The first person to guess it gets to request a drawing idk.

[madhare0512]

hugging the other from behind + World of the Coinless + Bulk/Kim

Alrighty! Poster knows absolute 0 about World of the Coinless, Bulk, or Kim, please excuse any mistakes and understand this will be canon divergence and possibly ooc.

~

Kim stands in the kitchen of their home, dishes rising from the soap water filling the sink and dunking back in the clean water of the other side. She hums to herself with a smile as she continues her dishes.

The door opens, a voice calling her name. She says nothing in response, to wrapped up in her own little world. Dangerous, for a power ranger to be so unaware of their surroundings, but here in her home, she's safe.

Arms wrap around her waist. She doesn't jump, recognizing who's behind her immediately. She laughs as she sets the dish in her hand back into the soap water and turning.

Behind her stands Bulk, her companion.

"Hi!" he says.

She leans closer to grant him a kiss. "Hi," she murmurs.

~

@augment-techs

[augment-techs]

Now that I have access to good quality pictures of The Coinless #1, I believe I can give it a proper review~

SO LET'S GET STARTED!!

I'm gonna start with saying the art here was fucking gorgeous. And I’m not gonna cover the basic points, too many people already have. Just lil things that held MY attention, knowing all the plot twists and spoilers~

Does this mean Drakkon DID have public executions in the street??

Bulk/Kim crumbs!!! Bulk is such a Simp man. OHHH

and and and— he tells Skull everything. Every part of his day. And I think skull hears, Skull understands.

This might get a little out of order now, but

It’s so sad the way she sits here bundled up like this. It also melts my heart. And she misses Zack So MUCH. And the guilt is swallowing her whole.

SHE IS NOT YOURS—

You know what I’d be up to kill him too if I were in this world.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE MOMENT OTP DOUBLE TEAMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! Please I love THIS SO MUCH.

Bro deserved this shot ngl.

…now why do you have this stowed away like this, huh jason? Are we keeping the trauma like a trophy?? Are you going to wear that when you leave your little recluse’s hut???

Untreated PTSD made worse by more incoming trauma. This guy got so fucked up and yet he finds a way for ME to be annoyed at HIM.

Baby. Baby. Babyyyyyyy. Ultimate himbo Simp. BBY!!

These women are in LOVE by the way. For the record. Just so you know. And every single scene they had deserved a post of its own because HHHHH

But this one in particular. They’re SOFT but they’re pretending to be so tough. They just need a HUG. That’ll fix like 99.9% problems.

Also does anyone remember what did happen to the scorpina of that universe??

This is so funny to me and I don’t even know why

Iconic shot. Could hear the BONK noise in the background.

Glad finster got this moment. Even if it was short lived~

Zack what are. You. Trying. To. Achieve. Why does he keep calling her out like this?? Like he's ridiculing her for what happened to HIM?! WHAT. IS. THIS.

Also does this mean we get lava zombie kim???

HE SAID HIS NAME HE SAID HIS NAME HE SAID—

oh he betrayed them.

oH buLk is hurt.

aSDFGH

Like i said, the art was GORGEOUS. Drakkon was annoying as fuck. I needed to punch him in every single shot he was in.

This feels like a potential redemption arc for him, and I don’t LIKE IT. I don’t like redemption arcs. 99.9% of them. They’re almost never done right.

Obviously, this COULD be something really good, but I feel like

Also the fact that all of the characters not explicitly mentioned are all zombies now saddens me beyond explanation. It somehow kills scope for fanfiction to me?

But on the bright side, Bulk’s development is some of the best of the BEST. He’s the glue that’s holding the team together, he’s also the guy who thought he’d never get this, the underdog, the guy who thinks he doesn’t deserve any of this, and yet, and yet in every interaction of the team, he shines through. He’s the one who’s holding them all together, even though his own world— aka skull— is collapsing.

and i hope we get more development for him.

And please please PLEASE can we have everyone turn back to normal when this shit ends?! These people need a goddamn break.

[kimberlyannharts]

Upon reflection erasing Kiya and Coinless Trini just felt like a way to have losses for the good guys when there weren’t really any. They should have utilized and killed Coinless Jason instead

I touch on this in my review actually but you're exactly right; the event makes a big deal out of the Rangers constantly losing beloved allies but they're all just. side characters. Think about who gets corrupted: Coinless Bulk and Scorpina and Yale and Harturian Kid. Even Rocky and Adam are the most minor of the MMPRs. We don't even know the designs of most of the Solars who got corrupted (outside of Remi, who gets corrupted too close to the end for us to get invested anyway) and Tigan, the most underdeveloped of the Solars we DO meet, is the one who dies.

And then the characters that get yeeted out of existence are a) a woman who was ALREADY LONG DEAD b) a woman from a completely different dystopian world and b) a woman that everyone, even the narrative, hated and probably would have thrown back in a cell if given the chance.

Overall they were just....very "safe" losses, which is why a character like Kim should have gotten corrupted and M*tt should have died. Losses that would have REALLY shocked the READER as much as the characters. Like I don't think I need to remind people that Shattered Grid uh [checks notes] killed TOMMY OLIVER

[lordkingsmith]

wearing their worn shirt to have a better sleep + Skull/dealer's choice (since I'm curious about your preference for his relationship recently due to the Billy/Zack)

@augment-techs Uh-hm. Tbh I don’t have a preference for Skull. I don’t think I ever have lol. Like I’m a multi shipper and for me this is either “I only have three hard nos but everyone else is fair game” or “so there’s like six people I love best with this person” and actually while he dated Jason in my one fic series where Billy ends up with Zack, I think I've just generally kept him single because I can't decide who he'd be with his entire life. In my head he’s dated a lot of people…but I’ll be honest for me he feels like he’s the single dad that fucks. Doesn’t have a life partner.

It’s been easier for me having a hard pairing pre-chosen with him in asks or a hard idea already formed, because choosing for each fic myself straight up would be needing a randomizer lol. I HAVE used a randomizer and I’ll have to do it again as long as I write him lol XD I’ll write him with Billy, Billy’s as fine as anyone else and he's good with Billy. I like him best when they’re both adults or with Matt, in that regard. My one hard no is Candace/Zelya now. But Bulk, Tommy, Kim, Kat, Jason, Trini, Andros, Cestro, Rito, Goldar…honestly I could see him with pretty much everyone his age or, when older, just anyone he interacts with.

Literally every single person I have ever read Eugene Skullovitch with I’ve gone “makes sense to me!” He’s my wild card character. Anyone fits.

But I can definitely whip something up with someone lol.

World of the Coinless Eugene and Leanbow, but not as anything romantic :)

[morninkim]

Rise of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Non-Canon) - Madame Drakkon & The Ranger Slayer

In another timeline, the Rise of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was much, much less of a rise.

(Rise' World of the Coinless deets under the cut, i'm having fun)

In another timeline, Rita's attack on Grace Oliver left her severely injured and near death. This threw Tommy into a fit, which forced the shadow out of her body in an incredibly traumatic and painful manner. Desperate, she pleaded with Zordon to help her mother, but the White Light confirmed her fears. Grace was gone.

Unstable and still reeling from Rita being ripped from her body, Tommy would seek out where the shadow was hiding, tracking her down to an abandoned warehouse on the docks. She would witness the partial resurrection of Lord Zedd and barge in, demanding the Dark Spectre bring her mother back. The Spectre agreed, on the condition that the Green Ranger help him recover the other five Power Coins and reunite the Zeo Crystal.

Over the next few months, Tommy would slowly lose more and more of herself as she pursued more power and learned dark magic from a weakened Rita inhabiting the body of Dr. Finster. A final assault against the Rangers would see Jason attempt to combine the spectrum of the team's powers to become a White Ranger, only to be struck down by Tommy. She would claim the coins for herself, corrupting and forcing the coins into her own White Ranger form.

Zedd and Tommy, with their combined powers and now endless source of energy, would then conquer the Earth unopposed. But as more time went on without Zedd's promise fulfilled, the more Tommy began plotting to overthrow the Dark Spectre. She's be encouraged by Rita, now unable to leave Dr. Finster's deteriorating body and kept alive with salvaged parts from the destroyed Command Center.

As the last of Earth's defenders fell, Tommy struck down Zedd with the Black Dragon Saber, laying claim to his seventh Zeo Crystal shard and the planet and taking the name Madame Drakkon.

Years later, tired of her friends being captured or dying and at her wit's end, Kimberly Hart would decide today is the day Drakkon dies. But she would be captured, her mind taken over with a spell Drakkon had been perfecting for some time, and become her right hand with her old Power Coin as the Slayer Ranger.

Kimberly would later break the spell with the help of the Coinless Resistance, who'd been built by the combined efforts of Trini, Richie, Bulk and Skull. She'd then lead the Resistance against Madame Drakkon's regime, taking on the name Ranger Slayer as a symbol of her goal to slay the last Ranger on Earth.

[augment-techs]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG--WORLD OF THE COINLESS BULK X JASON; I’M GONNA DIE!!!

Secondary prompt (because their adult forms are actually quite nice...except for Jason's beard later down the line) for Bulk x Jason; post-Drakkon~

I did a lil sketch page for this one because I love soft affection

[augment-techs]

I skimmed Darkest Hour #1. I have very few things to say but they are very loud. Spoilers below the cut.

-Queer Solar Rangers. Queer Rocky/Adam. Borderline Queer Zedd/Zordon.

-I want to kill them for pulling this shit with Bulk and Skull. On the one hand: they're actually heroes who can fight alongside Tommy and Jason (and Ernie, hiiiiii baby). Surprise. On the other hand: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING. EITHER LET THEM IN THE LOOP OR DON'T. STOP CATFISHING THEM. AND GET ZELYA THE HELL AWAY FROM SKULL.

-Why....why...why does only Scorpina get to survive with Slayer Kim? Why you gotta do the keening cry out? Where the Fuck is Coinless Bulk and Jason?? WHERE ARE THE OTHERS?!

-*SMASHES JASON, TOMMY, and KIM together* STOP, STOP, STOP. Either put them in a poly or shut the fuck up. I am SO sick of Jason being ship teased with older blonde women. Either leave him alone or put him with his most obvious mutuals.

-I have no idea if THIS Billy is just an older Prime Billy, or they finally gave us Living Coinless Billy. Either way, this is one of the only nice things I can say: I finally have pictures to edit him with~ Not a fan of the beard, but this seems to be literally the only way they can show a time lapse. Whoop-dee-fucking-do.

@skyland2703 @lordkingsmith @ajgrey9647

I know I seem petty and bitter. But that's because I AM.

Now I'm going to set out fresh treats and water for the writers and artists that take up the reins next. Hope for the best while I gut the shit out of old arcs and issues to pick at like a magpie.

[madhare0512]

wearing the others' clothes so that it can at least feel like they're hugging them, even for just a moment + Boom! Comics Power Rangers/World of the Coinless; Red Sentry Skull~

Short one, apologies.

~

Skull doesn't say anything. He doesn't admit this to ANYONE, not even Park... but he misses Bulk a lot more than it seems he does. And he misses Billy even more than that.

Sometimes, late at night, when he knows no one will see, Skull will reach beneath his bunk and drag out a case from beneath his bed. Inside is a worn, black leather jacket that's too big for Skull and a blue sweater that's almost too small. He doesn't put on the sweater, too afraid to rip it or otherwise destroy it, but he slips on the leather, feeling the old material creak on his shoulders. Skull puts on the jacket and keeps the sweater in his lap and it feels like he's getting a hug.

If he wipes away tear tracks before the other sentries can see, that's his own business.

~

@augment-techs

[skyland2703]

fanfic titles prompt: here's to the damned, to the lost, the forgotten + world of the coinless; sentries AND the resistance fighters

Why are titles and summaries prompts so easy and nice and sweet to do sbdnnsnndns Anyway

Title: Here’s to the damned, to the lost, the forgotten

Rating: G

Characters: World of the Coinless Eugene Skullovitch, World of the Coinless Farkas Bulkmeier, World of the Coinless Zack Taylor, World of the Coinless Trini Kwan, World of the Coinless Kimberly Hart | Ranger Slayer, World of the Coinless Scorpina

Additional Tags: Adam died; yes Adam died, angst, major character death, off screen character death, canon compliant, post canon, PAIIIINNNN, trauma, fluff

Summary: In the aftermath of the invasion by Eclipta’s forces, the injured, the not so injured, and the almost dead, all the “Shattered” sat in the infirmary, together.

And Finster was bringing them all cookies and milk and whatever else they wanted, like they were all little kids who were getting a treat for doing well in a class play.

“How was piloting a megazord like, Skullovitch?” Zack asked, laughing, “enjoyed?”

“Oh, oH HECK yess” the zord had collapsed on him, he was half paralysed, and staring at the ceiling with a strap around his neck, but laughing till his eyes watered.

“It was CRAZY!” Bulk roared from another corner, getting up in excitement, but immediately falling back down wincing in pain, but still laughing,

“All the time we had” Kim panted, she was probably one of the least injured, but with a blade right to the collarbone, it was hard for her to speak “it’s really not so bad.”

“Here’s to the ones that stayed, and to the ones that couldn’t make it with us” Trini smiled, ruefully, “I mean, it’s all really nice, but…” she looked over to where Scorpina sat, her back towards the room, looking out of the window as a nurse bandaged her.

The room fell into silence, the light mirth from moments ago fading, as the weight of their loss settled in once again.

Then Scorpina turned around, probably reading the room, tears barely held back in her eyes, and she smiled, “I don’t— care… at all. It’s really not so sad. Despite the reservations you idiots had”

[augment-techs]

Sitting on the other’s lap, being hugged from behind + Boom!PR: World of the Coinless; Kim/Bulk

Twenty-Fourth Day of Gift-Giving

Twenty-Four Touches | @augment-techs

It never seemed to stop. The rain.

Kim gazed at the graveyard. The number of people buried spread far across than what she could see. Too many for her to count, even imagine. The rows went on and on, seemingly without end. Every day a new grave was made. A new grave being worked on.

She hated it.

The amount of damage that Drakkon brought to this world. That Rita had brought to the world.

It made her stomach twist in disgust.

"Kim?"

Her eyes dodged to the side, an hand around an arm."...I'm okay," She says.

A lie.

Bulk's footsteps are heard. "You don't sound okay."

"I'm fine. Really." Kim reassures. It was sickening. How easy lying came to her. It shouldn't feel so easy. Taste so... normal. "You go on ahead."

"Sure. If that's what you want." Bulk concedes.

"...Thanks." Kim sniffs with a faint smile. Her attention drifted slightly away from the ground before she felt something. Her body went rigged briefly shock ran through her system before the warmth enveloped her. Her back pressed against Bulk's chest, arms wrapped around with a hug.

That embrace shook her to the core. No words were said, the implication was enough. Tears ran down her cheeks, sobbing while Bulk stood behind her allowing Kim to sob.

Here lies Mrs and Mr Hart A Mother and A Father They Loved and Fought Until the End.

[ranger-ribbons]

Not sure how to go about the headcanon things, but here's some for the comic timelines we both see and only got little hints at during Shattered Grid and Graphic One-Shots:

Eric Myers is not as big of an asshole as he was in the live action Time Force, or he never would have GIVEN Jen a hug.

Cam missed every single member of his team and his dad while stuck in Beyond the Grid, but was mostly worried that Drakkon got his slimy hands on his cousins when he saw a lot of the villains throughout the dimensions and timelines out on the battlefield.

Mia ACTUALLY learned to cook in the second month on Promethea when she lost her powers, because Tyler Navarro, Dana Mitchell, and T.J. Johnson were all there and all of them would have recognized something was not right when she didn't cook chicken and thought a Carolina Reaper made a great condiment.

Fun idea about the World of the Coinless: the Comic Relief or Secondary Characters are all badass and pretty much evolved like Pokemon when Drakkon took over. Fran got shipped to Pai Zhua with Casey when Skull finagled them out of the dungeons they were in for stealing bread and was given Orange, which made her perfect for dual combat in the field with RJ; Victor and Monty got found by Bulk trying to protect grade school children some sentries were bullying after curfew and turned out perfect to help out Trini and the first assault fighters in the field; Ben and Betty got split up during a bombing that killed their dad--with Ben getting picked up by the Coinless and taken under the wing of Rocky and Aisha, whereas Betty got caught by the sentries to be turned over to the Mastodon Division BUT got a final hour diversion into palace housekeeping because Adam is a big softie even if he can't stand up for himself. And so on~

Spike Skullovitch DOES NOT have a mother. Make of that whatever you want.

Animals still exist in the RPM universe, but are kept underground in a specialized, secondary location not terribly unlike the Son Doong Cave.

Cassidy and Devin are actually exceptionally competent when paired up with the Rangers in their high school to do literally anything; largely because the Morphin Grid sets up certain people to assist their Rangers from one team to another and these two were perfect. Though...for some reason they work 90% better with Trent than any of the Primary Rangers?

Orange is the rarest Grid Color and most of those who end up wearing it are female or have a lot of femme qualities and/or some form of mental illness.

When the Psycho Rangers were left to their own devices in the aftermath of the Psycho Path, Yellow never took up a different name and none of them ever went looking for the person that they used to be.

J.J. Oliver is a trans man and Anara is a trans woman and they're both pansexual. They go to Pride together every year and there is a MASSIVE betting pool on when they finally figure out they're basically dating.

Clare might be a massive klutz and Leelee might still be getting used to the whole being human thing, but both of them are the most responsible people in their circle of friends and family.

Sharing your headcanons is just sending me headcanons to enjoy/share with me, with I'm 100% down for. Asking me about mine is just asking me about headcanons surrounding specific teams or people. As a precaution, I haven't seen the comics at all.

I fucking love all of these!

Thank you!

@augment-techs

[kimberlyannharts]

Mm. Yeah. That sucked! Sidelining Tommy to lift up M/tt in unprecedented ways! I don’t even know where to begin with this. We fridged Grace TWICE for this? Arguably Coinless Trini and Kiya too? Tigan by definition I guess wasn’t fridged but I still hate it! At the same time I wish I knew more about the character to have feelings about it beyond “that sucks!”

Also I know we talked about Rita and Chloe’s mom already but you know what? Remember Coinless Zack (and to a lesser extent Skull)? I sure thought they would be relevant! I would’ve cared more about Adam and Rocky and whatever that was if they had ever bothered to give Adam an arc, and actually spent time with them this event! Also Tommy giving up his powers to help people he largely doesn’t know uhhh sucks. How was Tommy more important in Shattered Grid, he was DEAD. I was really hoping we would get M/tt relinquishing the Green coin but that would’ve meant actual development and reflection on his part and not being the writer’s best boi. If M/tt had stayed a civilian supporting character I could actually see him having a role in the civilian army plot (which by the way why didn’t we just call in the Eltarian army ages ago. I think they said something about Eltar being attacked but who cares.)

The last note I’ll end on is part of me wants to look back on Ryan’s writing a little kinder now, but at the same time it’s the shitty decisions of villainizing Kiya and Death Ranger and M/tt’s rangerhood that got us into this mess in the first place! At least Coinless Trini/Scorpina yuri real. And the Gravezord shoutout felt like it was meant for you personally. I’m sorry this is so long, and I hope Prime has nothing to do with the main book. We are free.

= I probably should have felt more triumph at that panel of the MMPRs morphing together but it was literally ruined by how Tommy wasn't there and instead M*tt was basically in his spot (even positioned so he was slightly ahead of everyone else. good lord. was it not enough coddling that you literally erased the ONE bad thing he did in this storyline, which was murder Grace?) He should have died instead of Tigan. I know I'm partly saying that because I hate him but it's so unfair that that asshole gets to survive EVERYTHING and end the series with TOMMY'S COIN but Tigan only existed to die. It actually would have been impactful because like it or not, M*tt has been around for so long while Tigan was only here for.....three issues?

= Candice had checked in with the Command Center to report Aquitar fell and then in a later issue it was mentioned they hadn't heard from her for days, leading them to believe Eltar had fallen too. Honestly it doesn't even really matter because her return was clearly just supposed to be a reward for Skull doing the civilian soldier plot (because as the more conventionally attractive one of the comic relief duo, he gets the passionate, committed romance while Bulk just gets to weirdly call Taylor hot.)

= As much as I still do love the Coinless book on its own, so much of it never meant anything to the book or outright contradicted it. Dark Specter took over that whole world with evil lava goop, why didn't he do that in the prime world? The book explicitly states that the White Coin can't be split, but they just do it anyway in this event? I GUESS we can just assume that world turned out fine when Dark Specter was defeated, but we don't even get a panel where we can show Coinless Zack and Skull and maybe even Jason okay in their world?

= Going along with that, Scorpina calling for Alt-Trini is probably the only other time besides the Tomberly scenes that I felt genuine emotion in this finale, because damn they really just took out Scorpina's loved one AGAIN. And for literally no reason lmao (why did shattering the Grid delete Alt-Trini and Kiya but not Billy? Obviously he was present for the blast too)

= I did like the Gravezord shout-out so you're right about that

= And yes, a lot of the problems with this event can be pointed to Ryan refusing to give a proper ending to his concepts and storylines (something he has said that he likes about comics; that they can go on indefinitely. which. uhhhhh) - so Melissa felt she had to tie up all of the loose ends that were left. I think that was unnecessary for some of them - for instance, I really wasn't wondering where Dayne was. The guy's a mercenary for hire so it's easy enough for me to believe he wouldn't want to be associated with jobs involving Rangers ever again and went on to parts unknown - but she was clearly trying to put away the toys that Ryan had left out

[augment-techs]

Made up fic title:

“Don’t watch me dancing” + Billy Cranston 👀

Title: Don’t watch me dancing//Try Your Chances Somewhere Else Rating: Unrated Fandom: Boom! Comics Power Rangers; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers; Power Rangers. Relationships: past Matthew Cook/Kimberly Hart; Ranger Slayer Kim/Coinless Bulk; past World of the Coinless Billy Cranston & Coinless Skull; Terona Washington/Grace Sterling mentioned; Coinless Trini/Scorpina; Coinless Zack Taylor/Coinless Jason Scott; possible future Billy Cranston/Eugene Skullovitch/Matthew Cook. Characters: Billy Cranston; Matt Cook; Terona Washington; Ranger Slayer Kim; Coinless Bulk; Coinless Skull; The Coinless; The Sentries; Bulk & Skull; etc. Additional Tags: Post-Comic Arc: Darkest Hour; Alternate Universe - Canon; Angst; Emotional Hurt/Comfort; No Billy and Matt are not Going to Bone Coinless Skull Even if They Really Want to at Some Point; Terona Feeling a Sort of Kinship with Skull; Aftermath of Possession; Jason's Being Kind of a Dick; Dimension Hopping; Depression; Bulk as an Overworked Mama Bear; NOBODY IS TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES; An Opportunity for Billy and Matt to be Caretakers; Scorpina is Trying Out Being Human. Summary:

It really did seem like a good idea at the time. It really felt like Billy and Matt could have a breather between Junior Year and Senior Year spending the summer not at Promethea proper, constantly reliving Grace's death and everything that went wrong during Dark Specter's invasion, but with Terona in the Coinless dimension actually making sure they had aid in getting back into the twenty-first century.

They were on call for their usual Ranger missions, of course, but it felt better just to be away from their version of Angel Grove for a while; away from the guilt, and the shame, and the echoes of a ghost that none of them could seem to forget any time soon.

And it did work, for a while. Billy getting to know this version of Trini and Zack--and even Jason when he came down from his tower--a little better, Matt aiding in the relief and building with his hands alongside Kim and Bulk and Kiya--given that she refused to behave and go back to the Prime universe. Both Billy and Matt felt rather secure now that Drakkon was dead and they really felt like they were making a difference.

Of course, Finster had been ripped apart by the zombies that had very little memory of their transformation once they were turned back, so Terona spent about eighty percent of his time with the only two people that seemed to know anything about the crumbled Command Center and Drakkon's secret places in the palace, and what Finster left behind in his labs. Scorpina with her ability to read most alien dialects, and Skull who knew...basically everything else.

...But.

The joy was tempered an awful lot by the awareness both Billy and Matt had that they clearly made Kim and Eugene deeply uncomfortable; with a phrase by Vincent van Gogh ringing amongst them, but with different meaning depending on who they were with.

"If I am worth anything later, I am worth something now."

Which wouldn't have been so awful if Terona wasn't so curious as to what their relationships were like with the younger versions back home. It almost made Matt feel like he'd dodged a bullet whereas it made Billy feel like jumping out of a window.

@skyland2703

[augment-techs]

Ohhhh, but you did so well with knowing nothing but scratch~

"You don't have to be alone anymore." + World of the Coinless Jason, Kimberly & Bulk

This is also a piece you're gonna have to forgive me for, I don't know anything about them. We'll see where this gets us lol

~

Jason sits on a rock overlooking a small pond. He watches the water with critical, but haunted eyes. He wants, more than anything, for peace and quiet.

He's lucky he gets quiet.

Jason hears the screams again. He hears them even when his eyes are open. He hears them at night when the nightmares take hold. He hears them when his mind wanders and take him back to that fateful day everything changed.

Jason had been awake when Billy was killed. Contrary to the belief that he wasn't, and was therefore spared the pain of hearing Billy's death. Jason had heard. Jason had heard the sword stab Billy's chest, Jason had heard Billy's lungs fill with blood, Jason had heard Billy choke on his blood as it suffocated him, crawling up his throat to smother him. Jason had heard it all, and Jason can hear it when he's not distracted. The images of Billy dying, of Billy meeting his eyes as the light Jason had adored dimmed and was extinguished- those memories still haunt him, even all these years later.

Jason curses the day Tommy came to Angel Grove.

"Jase?" calls a familiar voice.

Jason doesn't turn, despite knowing who it was, and likely what they wanted.

"Hey, man, you okay up there?"

"Jason, please, come down."

Jason doesn't move. The screaming still echoes. Someone touches his shoulder and Jason reacts without thinking. He grabs the wrist and yanks, bringing Bulk into his vision.

"Whoa, hey!" Bulk says, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Kim comes up on Jason's other side. "Jase, it's okay," she says. "We're here. We know."

Because Kim had been there too, the day Billy died. Kim, just like Jason, can hear the screams as well. Unbidden, Jason's eyes fill with tears and he tries to hold them back. He feels like he's been handed a pamphlet that says, "Congratulations, you survived the war! Now live with the trauma!"

"Jase," Kim says. She kneels to his level, looking him in the eyes. Bulk squats to be below him, looming at him with eyes so soft, Jason almost can't believe Bulk ever bullied the Rangers back in school. "Jase, talk to us," Kim pleads.

"Please, Jason," Bulk adds.

Kim offers him a smile. Jason's emotions burst like a waterbaloon, and the tears come flooding down. Kim drags him into a hug, and Jason grips her dirt-stained jean jacket as if he'd float away if he didn't keep hold. Bulk wraps his arms around both of them and holds on just as tight.

Jason sobs, cries long and hard, pouring his grief into his tears and crying. The tears drip onto Kim's shoulder, but she says nothing. Rubbing his back, Kim hums a gentle song. She just sits there and lets him cry, lets him grieve. Bulk squeezes Jason's shoulder, says nothing. They both offer their gentle comfort and all the kindness this world will allow.

"It's okay, Jase," Kim whispers.

"You're alright, Jason," Bulk echoes.

"You don't have to be alone anymore."

~

@augment-techs