Author's Note: And finally, here is part III - the last and final part of the Cost of Revenge series! Please read and review - all feedback is greatly appreciated. And a big thanks to my beta, Bellarose20, for helping me with this monster of a story.
WARNING: If you have not already read the first two parts of the Cost of Revenge series, you are going to be extremely confused by what's going on here. I highly recommend reading Cost of Revenge: Control and Cost of Revenge: Lost before reading this. And as a treat, take a peak at Cost of Revenge: Moments in Between - you don't need to read that one to understand what's going on, but I think the outtakes there help enrich the main story.
And just a word of caution, don't let the title fool you. Redemption may be in the title, but it might not be for the reason you're expecting... Hope you enjoy!
Lunar Palace
Throne Room Balcony
The Moon
Local Time, Unknown
"...and her many contributions to the Dark Empire shall never be forgotten. We must continue forward in her honor to ensure that those who wish to stop us – who wish to make her sacrifice be one made in vain – do not succeed in their mission. Scorpina gave her life for this empire, and we owe it to her to see our mission through to the end."
Tommy could vaguely make out the murmurs of agreement from the surrounding officers at the Emperor's words. The teen stood in his green ranger suit with miniature oxygen tanks secured along his shoulder blades, gas pumping into his helmet via thin plastic tubes. Finster had created a special helmet for him so that he could breathe safely outside the palace walls for the sad occasion.
It had been four days since the Siege of Washington D.C. under his command, and with the brief respite, a funeral was being held for his fallen friend. Tommy, Goldar, and the other commanders stood next to Lord Zedd as he spoke about Scorpina from their perch on the balcony of the Lunar Palace. Below them were thousands of soldiers of various ages and species who had served alongside her.
The last few days had been absolute hell for the green ranger. His slow-burning rage for the Emperor had only seemed to intensify since their meeting in the Oval Office. Tommy wanted nothing more than to take his Dragon dagger and shove it into Lord Zedd's stomach, cutting him open as slowly and painfully as possible. It frustrated the teen to no end to constantly be in close proximity to the Emperor but never able to make a move. There were far too many people loyal to Lord Zedd around them who could immediately take him out if Tommy gave even the slightest indication he meant harm to their leader.
And so, with no way of exacting his revenge, the green ranger was forced to stew silently while in the presence of the man he now hated with every fiber of his being.
To make matters worse, he had been asked to help with the preparation for Scorpina's funeral by retrieving her body from the battlefield. The green ranger had nearly thrown up when he spotted her on the ground, wide-eyed and unnaturally pale as she stared up at the sky with dead eyes. He was immediately taken back to that fateful night when she lost her life. He could hear the sound of the blast that ripped open her chest, see her blood and tissue smeared on his suit and helmet…
Tommy shook his head to clear it of the memory. He tensed when he heard a scoff to his left. Tom was beside him, moving around the teen like an animal stalking its prey.
"You've got a lot of fucking nerve even showing your face at her funeral."
The teen ignored the older version of himself, choosing instead to focus on the resting form of Scorpina within the marble coffin only a few feet away. She was dressed in her uniform, her sword resting on top of her body with her hands around the hilt. She looked so still and peaceful, as if she were simply sleeping.
At the head of her coffin stood Goldar in a black and gold tunic with his wings folded behind him. It was strange seeing him without his armor on – he looked smaller, vulnerable. The Tarmakian stared down at his deceased wife with an unreadable expression, his normally vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless.
Upon hearing the news of her death, Goldar had been absolutely certain that a mistake was made and that Scorpina wasn't really dead. The warrior had demanded to see her, needing physical proof that the horrible rumors were true. The green ranger remembered how Goldar went deathly silent at the sight of her corpse. He didn't cry or breakdown when he saw her. Instead, he very calmly asked to be left alone with her and not to be disturbed.
Today was the first time Tommy had seen him in three days.
"He'd skewer you alive if he knew you were the reason she's dead."
Tommy balled up his fists tightly at his sides. Scorpina's blood was on the black ranger's hands, not his. Zack dealt the blow that killed her.
It wasn't his fault.
Tom stood in front of him with a hateful expression. "Oh right, it's Zack's fault… which makes it even more questionable that you tried to save his life after he murdered her in cold blood right in front of your goddamn face!"
The teen opened his mouth several times to make a rebuttal but failed to come up with anything. As much as he hated what Tom was saying to him, the man made a fair point – and that's what bothered him most.
"You claim that she was your friend – your only real friend here – and you chose to help the person who killed her? Scorpina trained you, protected you, kept your secrets – and this is how you decided to repay her?" Tom looked at him in disgust. "That's not friendship, Tommy. That's dishonorable. That's betrayal." He paused to eye the green ranger. "You chose the enemy over your so-called friend. What the fuck is wrong with you?"
The green ranger's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed thickly.
"And you know what the worst part is?" Tom asked coldly. "You don't regret it at all."
Tommy looked away, eyes now fixed on a spot on his right boot to avoid the older man's gaze.
It was true.
Tommy knew for how much he hated Zack for what he did to Scorpina, if presented with the opportunity to kill the black ranger again, he wouldn't take it. He cared for Scorpina, but he didn't want Zack to die.
Even now, standing only a few feet away from Scorpina's lifeless body, a part of him was thinking about the black ranger and his condition after that brutal battle.
What did it say about him if he was worried about his friend's killer at her funeral?
"It means you're a piece of shit," Tom snarled.
The green ranger closed his eyes, heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Tom's stinging comments admittedly hurt, but there was little that could be said or done to make him feel worse than he already did. Kimberly had already ripped him a new one when he visited her yesterday – anything else was just salt on the wound at this point.
Tommy stood tall outside of Kimberly's cabin in his commander's uniform, hands tucked into the pockets of his red jacket. His slacks and shirt had felt restrictive and itchy against his skin all throughout the war council he just left. It distracted him the entire meeting, and now that he was standing in front of Kimberly, he wanted to peel off his uniform and burn it.
The collar of the jacket scraped along his jaw, irritating the five o'clock shadow growing there. His normally blow-dried hair was left in its natural curls today, forming somewhat of an untamed pompadour on top of his head. The sides of his head were still shaved down, though they were filling in slightly with new growth.
He had left the Lunar Palace thinking he looked a complete mess, but as he stared intently at the weary pink ranger before him, he couldn't care less how he looked at the moment.
Kimberly fidgeted under his gaze. "What?"
The green ranger shrugged. "Didn't expect you to open the door."
"The only reason I even entertained the idea of talking to you is because Zack is still alive," she said coldly.
"Wait what?" Tommy's eyes widened in surprise. "I-It worked?"
"Whatever you did kept him alive long enough to get the help he needed." She glared at him. "But need I remind you, you're the reason he almost died in the first place."
His fingers twitched nervously in his pockets. "Is he okay?" he asked softly.
"You don't get to ask how he's doing after nearly killing him, Tommy," Kimberly hissed. "Don't ask about him. Don't say his name. Don't even think about him."
Tommy nodded, eyeing her warily. Her posture was rigid, as if she were physically restraining herself.
"I expected an angrier reaction from you the next time we met," he said after a tense silence. Truthfully, he was waiting for her to attack him. "You're usually more upset when I piss you off."
She let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh, Tommy, I'm sorry. Let me see if I can be a bit more upset with you," she said sarcastically. Kim closed her eyes tight in mock concentration and turned her back to him, fingers pressed against her temples.
He sighed. "Kimberly…"
She whipped around to face him again, eyes blazing. "No, I can't, because I'm numb, Tommy. You've made me numb."
He winced at her scathing tone.
"You keep hurting the people that I care about," she whispered as she wiped at her eyes. "And now I don't feel anything anymore."
Tommy's chest tightened at the sorrow in her eyes. "Kim – ." He reached over to pull her to him.
"No!" she yelled, shoving him back. He stumbled back a few feet, nearly falling over. "You don't get to comfort me. You do NOT get to comfort me after everything you've done!"
She wiped at her eyes. "Did you enjoy using me to get back at Jason?" Her bottom lip trembled. "He screwed you over, so you decided to return the favor? Fuck his girlfriend, kill his best friend… all part of your master plan, right?" She sniffled. "God, you were playing me the whole time, and like an idiot, I let you, you son of a bitch," Kim said viciously. "But why am I even surprised? You'd do anything to get back at him, right?"
The green ranger shook his head. "Kimberly, I – "
He grunted when her hand connected with his cheek for a hard slap. He grimaced at the taste of copper in his mouth – the hit made him bite his tongue.
"DON'T LIE TO ME!" she shouted.
His jaw throbbed from the memory of her slap. She had hit him so hard that he had literally seen stars for several seconds afterwards.
Tommy sighed internally. He should've known better than to try and see her so soon after the battle. The wounds were too raw to expect anything but hurt and anger from her.
Still, he was happy to know that Zack was alive. He was sincere in that he didn't want the black ranger to die, and he knew if Zack had been killed, there would be no way of salvaging his relationship with Kimberly.
"You're seriously thinking about her? Now?" Tom asked angrily. "You're at Scorpina's funeral, boy. Show some fucking respect and be present. You owe her that much."
Tommy nodded, forcing thoughts of Kim and Zack to the background. Tom was right – now was not the time to let his mind wander.
"…and while we speak often of her calculated and often brutal tactics in battle, Scorpina should also be remembered for how she was out of the armor." Finster pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "As formidable as she was on the battlefield, she was equally as admirable off of it. Scorpina came from humble beginnings, and that showed in the way she dealt with those around her. She showed us that it was not only important to demand respect from others but to give it in return, regardless of rank." The Clayoidian paused when his voice began to tremble. "Scorpina was the embodiment of courage, duty, and loyalty – a model for all of us to follow. And it is our responsibility to make sure her legacy is preserved."
The green ranger licked his lips at Finster's words. Courage. Duty. Loyalty.
"Things you know nothing about," Tom hissed. The green ranger flinched at the snide comment.
Unfortunately, Tom wasn't the only one who believed that.
"Is the concept of personal responsibility so foreign to you that you can't even see that this is your fault?" Kim's face was flushed with anger. "You nearly killed one of my best friends, Tommy! Someone I've known since I was five years old – and you're too much of a coward to even accept what you did!"
He shook his head feebly. "You know it's not like that, Kim. This isn't on me – it's on Jason. You know what he did – you heard him confess to it yourself." He approached her cautiously. "Jason ruined my life – "
"Oh my god!" The pink ranger cut him off with an aggravated sigh. "I'm so sick of hearing that from you," she snarled. " 'Jason's the bad guy. He made me this way.' I'm so sick of it, Tommy – get over it!"
"Get over it?" Tommy's jaw started to ache from how tightly he clenched it. "You know, I'm curious… were you like this with him, too, or am I getting special treatment?" he spat bitterly.
"Special treat– what is wrong with you?!" she asked incredulously, eyebrows high on her forehead. Kim gestured down at her body. "I'm pregnant, Tommy – do you understand that? I'm having a baby, your baby. I don't give a shit about this stupid fight you're having with Jason over who did what first. It's not a fucking competition. God, I just…" she paused, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I just wish you would grow up."
His eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
The pink ranger ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry that Jason did that to you – I really am, okay? It's inexcusable, and I can understand how it influenced some of the decisions you've made. But Jason didn't make you who you are; Zedd didn't either – you did. You decided that you wanted to keep up this little quest for revenge against him once Zedd took over. You're the one that's leading armies and murdering people. You're the one that failed to protect your mother because you were too busy playing sidekick to your psycho boss in another galaxy." Tommy flinched at the mention of his mother. "Jason had nothing to do with that, and you need to learn to own the choices you've made."
Kimberly's eyes shined with unshed tears as she looked at him.
"God, it's always one step forward, three steps back with you," she said softly. "There are so many times – so many timeswhen I think you get it, that you reallyget it and that you're going to stop all of this bullshit." Her eyes grew sad. "But then you go right back to this stupid game you're playing with Jason and Zedd and I just…I don't know what to think anymore."
The green ranger stared at the ground, hands shoved into his front pockets.
"I just…" Kim sighed. "I'm done, Tommy."
His chest grew tight with fear. "Don't say that."
"I was so stupidto think you could do better." She ran her fingers through her hair. "You've shown me over and over again that you're never going to change, and I just couldn't accept it."
The green ranger moved swiftly to stand before her, encroaching on her personal space. "I know I've given you countless reasons to doubt me, to never trust a single word I say, but I am asking you not to give up on me, Kim. Please," he begged. "I fucked up badly – I'm admitting that. Give me a chance to make things right."
"You can't fix this, Tommy," she said softly.
"I can," he said, eyes flashing green. "And I will."
The pink ranger stared at him, conflicting emotions in her eyes. "I want so badly to believe you," she whispered after a long pause. Her cheeks were wet from her tears. "But I can't. You've lied to me and betrayed my trust too many times – I'm done being a fool. I'm not letting you hurt me again." She turned away from him and headed back towards the cabin.
"Kimberly... Kimberly, please!" he yelled, desperation creeping in with each step she took away from him. "I'm going to take Lord Zedd down!"
She froze, her grip tight on the doorknob. "What?" she asked, facing him again.
Relief hit him when he saw that she was at least listening to him. "I'm taking him down, Kim. For good." The green ranger licked his lips. "I'm going to make sure that son of a bitch gets everything he dese– "
"Stop."
She said it so softly that Tommy thought he had imagined it at first. "W-What?"
"Stop telling me what you think I want to hear. Stop trying to manipulate me. Stop lying to me. Just stop."
Tommy watched helplessly as she opened the door and made her way inside. The last thing he saw before the door slammed shut was brown eyes filled with anger and hurt looking back at him.
"Leave, Tommy, and don't come back."
The green ranger blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. He had been so sure that telling her about his plan to take down Lord Zedd would mean something to her. It was all she wanted from him since the very beginning – to take a stand and stop working for the Emperor.
"You've lied to her and hurt her too many times," T said, appearing at his side. "Why should she believe you now?"
'Because I'm telling the truth,' he thought sadly.
"And look where that got you," Tom sneered. "You've put yourself out there for her again and again. You offered to turn your back on the Emperor for her, the man who has shown you nothing but loyalty. That wasn't good enough for her – you weren't good enough for her." Tom stood before the green ranger. "Let her go and get your head back in the game before you make a mistake you won't live to regret."
Tommy looked away from the older man's stern glare. On some level, he knew Tom was right, but letting Kimberly go was easier said than done. After everything they'd been through together, it wasn't that simple to just throw everything to the side.
"Why not? She didn't have any issues doing it," Tom reminded him, much to Tommy's annoyance.
"…who will return her body to her home planet for a proper burial. As a final sendoff, please lift your swords high above you in salute."
The green ranger snapped to attention at Lord Zedd's words. He unsheathed his Falchion sword and raised it towards the stars.
"To Scorpina!" Lord Zedd yelled with his Z staff in the air.
"TO SCORPINA!"
The Emperor's Z staff glowed bright red for several seconds before sending out five bursts of energy above them. When the fifth blast dissipated, everyone brought their swords back down, sheathed them, and bowed their heads in respect.
Tommy lifted his head, a solemn expression on his face as he watched the crowd below them begin to disperse now that the funeral was over. Four Chromites shuffled past him and picked up Scorpina's coffin.
As they carried her back into the palace on their shoulders, it hit the teen suddenly that he would never be able to see his friend again. Intellectually, he knew she'd been dead for the last few days, but seeing her coffin be taken away… there was a finality to her death that wasn't there before.
It made his chest feel uncomfortably tight.
"Goodbye, Scorpy," he whispered.
"Sir." Tommy jumped slightly at the appearance of Kronon behind him. "The Emperor would like to have a word with you."
The green ranger nodded. He headed over to Lord Zedd who was engrossed in conversation with Goldar.
"…take as much time as needed," he heard Lord Zedd say as he approached.
"You requested my presence, sir?" the teen asked tightly. Tommy was grateful that his helmet was on so that the Emperor couldn't see the look of hatred he knew was on his face.
"You will need to take over some of Goldar's duties while he is away. His trip to return Scorpina to her home planet will take a few days, and in that time, you and Commander Rygog will share responsibility over his duties. When things have settled down here, Goldar will brief both of you on what you need to know. One of the guards will come for you when he's ready to meet."
The green ranger gave a curt nod before turning to head into the palace.
"Hold on, Tommy." The teen froze in his tracks when he heard Goldar address him by name, something that rarely ever happened.
"They tell me that you were there when…when Scorpina…" His nostrils flared as he struggled to say the words. "Who did this to her?"
Tommy hesitated, uneasy about answering Goldar's question.
"Now is not the time to hold your tongue," the Tarmakian snarled.
"I-It was the black ranger," the teen said finally. His stomach twisted at the confession, and he couldn't help but feel like he made a mistake in telling the truth.
Goldar growled low in his throat and faced Lord Zedd. "Master… a request?"
"Yes?"
"I want to go after them. The rangers, Zordon, all of them for what they did to Scorpina," he said forcefully. "Finster said the direction of the blast indicates that she was killed from behind – there's no honor in that. She deserved better than to be killed from behind by a coward." Goldar dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Please allow me the chance to kill the bastard who took my wife from me."
"Goldar, I already went after the black ranger. He's dead," Tommy said firmly. "It's already been handled."
As far as he was concerned, the matter was settled. The person who killed Scorpina was taken care of – there was nothing more to be done.
"No, it hasn't," the winged warrior hissed, eyes flashing bright red. "Master, I wish to initiate a hunt. For the black ranger's family, his friends – anyone close to him. He must pay for what he's done... for what he and the other rangers have taken from me."
"I told you it's been handled," Tommy growled.
"And I say they haven't paid nearly enough."
"You know this will escalate things, Goldar. Why are you pushing this?" the green ranger asked angrily.
"Because she was my wife!" Goldar nearly yelled, stunning the teen into silence. He had never heard the warrior sound so emotional before. "Scorpina was my wife, and I need to make them pay for what they did to her. I don't expect you to understand, but I do expect you to get the hell out of my way."
"Both of you be quiet," the Emperor snapped. Lord Zedd stared down at the Tarmakian for a long time. "Rise, Goldar."
When Goldar stood up, the Emperor placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. "You may have your revenge," he said to Tommy's horror. "What they've done cannot go unpunished, and now that we have the Earth under our control, a more offensive approach is required for Zordon and his rangers. When you return, take a team of whatever size you need and exterminate them. They must learn there are consequences for their actions."
The green ranger blinked rapidly. 'No… no, no, no…'
Goldar nodded. "Thank you, my lord."
"You're both dismissed," the Emperor said before he turned his back to them.
Tommy turned and left for his quarters. He walked the halls of the Lunar Palace in a daze, helmet tucked under his arm.
'This is bad. This is really fucking bad.'
The green ranger entered his room and slumped against the closed door. He pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off the impending headache. Scorpina's death. Goldar's manhunt. Kim's cold shoulder. All of it was weighing heavily on his mind and making it hard to think.
He looked across the room and saw the bottle of Daem sitting on the dresser. It was given to him as a present from the Emperor for successfully conquering Washington D.C. It was so tempting to take a swig of it to calm his nerves.
"No. You just… you just cause problems," he hissed at the bottle. "I have more than enough already without you adding to it."
Tommy pressed his fingers against his temples. Attacking the Command Center meant finding the rangers. Finding the rangers could inadvertently lead Goldar to Kimberly. If he found where Kim was hiding, he'd easily put two and two together once he saw she was pregnant. It wouldn't take long to realize she was carrying Tommy's child, and then it would only be a matter of time before Lord Zedd knew.
Or worse – in his rage, Goldar would kill her and the baby.
Both options were unacceptable to Tommy.
"She wants nothing to do with you, Tommy. Let her rot," Tom said.
"No," the green ranger snapped. "Kim and I have fought before. She gets angry, but she gets past it."
"What are you planning to do then?" Tom asked.
"Maybe…maybe I could hide her somewhere. Somewhere far away where they couldn't find her."
"How?" T asked.
"I don't know yet," the green ranger said sounding lost. "I might be able to get her a pod or something. Get her off the planet."
"Where would she go?" Tom pressed. "She's going to give birth soon. Where would she deliver the baby? Where would they live? How can they – ?"
"I said I don't know!" Tommy yelled angrily. "I can figure all that out later, all right? Right now, I need to let her know what's going on."
He powered down, now standing in a black t-shirt and dark denim jeans. Tommy grabbed his bomber jacket and shrugged it on.
The last thing he saw before teleporting from his room was Tom's disapproving stare and T's encouraging smile.
Stone Canyon Mountain Lodge
East Side, Cabin #24
Stone Canyon, CA
3:29 PM
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Kimberly? Kimberly, open the damn door!"
"You're wasting your time," Tom said lazily from his perch next to the door. "She made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with you."
Tommy pressed his ear against the wooden door, listening intently for any sign of movement. He could make out faint shuffling inside the cabin.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Kim, stop playing around," he growled. "I know you're mad at me, but I need to talk to you!"
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Please open the door!"His eyes flashed green when he got no response. "All right, fine. You have until the count of three."
"Yes, an ultimatum. That'll surely win her over," T snarked from his seat on the railing.
"One!" Silence. "Two!" Tommy stepped back several feet. "Three!"
He charged full speed at the door, a move that proved unnecessary when it opened to reveal a stone-faced Andros. Tommy nearly tripped over his own feet in his attempt to stop himself from colliding with the younger teen. The red ranger grabbed Tommy by his jacket and threw him to the ground, using his momentum against him. The green ranger groaned when his head connected hard with the floor.
"Why are you here, green ranger?" Andros hissed.
"Me? The fuck are you doing here?"
"Collecting some last-minute things." He dropped the duffel bag in his hand and glared down at his enemy. "Answer my question."
Tommy climbed to his feet, gingerly rubbing his head. "Where's Kim? I need to speak with her."
"She's not here."
"When will she be back?"
"She won't."
"The hell does that m – " Tommy paused, eyes narrowing. He scanned the cabin, suddenly realizing that it was actually quite bare. He went to her bedroom and peered in, troubled to see that her things were gone.
Tommy turned dark eyes on Andros. "Where is she?" he growled.
"That's none of your concern," Andros said sharply.
Tommy grabbed the space ranger by his shirt and hauled him up, slamming him into the wall hard enough to cause a nearby hanging picture to fall. He summoned his Dragon dagger and pressed it against the younger teen's throat.
"Tommy, let him go," T said tugging on his arm.
"Tell. Me. Now."
Andros simply stared at him, clearly unintimidated by the green ranger's display of strength. Seeing that the boy wasn't going to budge, Tommy released him with a snarl.
"Dammit, Andros! This is important. I need to tell her – "
"Don't you think you've told her enough?" The green ranger paused at Andros' icy tone. "You've caused Kimberly more pain and suffering than any person should know. Just leave her alone, Tommy."
"You don't know anything about what goes on between us, all right?"
"I know she deserves better than how you've been treating her."
Tommy clenched his fists to keep from clocking Andros in the face. Were all red rangers this fucking annoying? "I don't have time for this. Where is she?"
Andros softened at the urgency in the green ranger's tone. "Kimberly is making preparations for her trip." He eyed the green ranger carefully. "She's leaving Earth."
Tommy's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "What?"
"She came to the Command Center last night in tears asking if there was some place she could go to get away from everything going on here. I don't know what exactly happened yesterday, but whatever it was got to her." He glared at the taller teen. "And I have a feeling you know all about it."
The green ranger averted his gaze. "What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"
"Because she's leaving to get away from you."
Tom stood behind the red ranger shaking his head with a smug expression. "Told you."
The green ranger felt as if he'd been gutted. "She said that?" he asked quietly.
"Not in so many words, but…" Andros tapped the side of his head. "Telepath, remember? Kim projects her thoughts so loudly. It's difficult to ignore."
Tommy shuffled over to the nearby couch and sank down slowly. He cradled one of the couch pillows in his lap, fingers picking at the frayed ends. The idea that Kim would leave the planet just to get away from him created a pain in his chest that was almost unbearable. Tears stung at his eyes and his lower lip quivered slightly.
He could feel Andros staring at him. "What?"
"You surprise me." Tommy looked up at the space ranger. "I wasn't quite sure how'd you react to the news that she was gone after learning how you used her to get back at Jason. I certainly didn't expect you to be so..." He frowned.
"So what?" Tommy asked defensively.
"Hurt."
Tommy opened his mouth to tell Andros to go fuck himself but changed his mind at the last minute. It wasn't like the red ranger was wrong – as much as he hated to admit it, he was hurt.
"Whatever," he mumbled as he discreetly wiped at his eyes.
The red ranger took a seat on the coffee table so that he was facing Tommy. "I can't tell you where she's going, Tommy. Not while you pose a threat to her and our cause."
The green ranger hugged the pillow tighter. "When does she leave?"
"A week from tomorrow."
Tommy straightened up immediately, sadness now replaced with fear. "That's not soon enough. She needs to leave now."
He sighed wearily at Andros' confused expression. He knew what the space ranger was thinking – the Command Center was the safest place for her right now. If he wasn't able to speak with Kim directly, he would have to tell Andros about Goldar's plan in order to protect her, and if Andros was half the ranger Tommy figured him to be, he'd definitely act on that information and have the Command Center evacuated.
"And you don't think that Goldar will eventually figure out they'd been tipped off?" Tom asked sarcastically. "The Emperor will kill you and then kill her anyway. What does that achieve?"
"The rangers relocating doesn't automatically mean they got help, dude. They could have done it for any number of reasons," T argued. "The obvious being that having your base of operations be the only building for miles in the desert is a pretty stupid idea…"
Tom rolled his eyes. "Keep your mouth shut, Tommy," he hissed. "This can only end badly."
T shook his head. "Kim and the baby need you. You can't let them down, man. Not on this."
The green ranger ran his hands over his face in frustration. He wanted to protect Kimberly, but the reality was that he couldn't, not really. His half-cocked plan to ship her away would've collapsed the moment he tried to steal an escape pod. And even if he somehow managed to get her off the planet to God only knows where, sending her away would only be a temporary solution. She and the baby would never truly be safe until Goldar was gone – until Lord Zedd was gone.
"You can't defeat him." Tom crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not even in his league, boy."
"He's right. You don't stand a chance against Zedd," T said. "At least…not on your own."
Tommy watched the younger version of himself gesture wildly in Andros' direction. The green ranger's eyes widened as he recalled the space ranger's offer from long ago.
'If you decide to do the smart things and save yourself, I'm more than willing to help you.'
"What?" Andros asked in confusion when he noticed Tommy's intense gaze.
The green ranger blinked when he realized he'd been caught staring. "Sorry, I just…" He glanced briefly at a seething Tom.
"Don't do it."
"I need your help." He ignored the loud curse Tom let out.
The space ranger sighed. "I already told you I'm not telling you where Kimberly is."
"That's not what I need your help with."
Andros raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"Back on KO-35, you offered to help me with something before you left." Tommy clasped his hands together in front of him and locked eyes with the stripe-haired teen. "I'm hoping that offer still stands."
He could see the confusion eventually give way to recognition on the younger teen's face. "You don't seriously expect me to believe you want to take down Zedd, do you? You made it very clear that was never going to happen."
"I have the right to change my mind," Tommy snapped.
"Not after everything you've done. When I offered my help before, I had no idea of what you were capable of – what you'd already done. Zack almost died because of you." Andros stood up, pacing the floor. "And how convenient you bring this up when you want to know Kimberly's whereabouts."
Tommy stood as well. "I want to keep Kimberly and my son safe. That can only happen if Lord Zedd is dead; and as much as it pains me to says this, it's a hell of a lot easier if we work together."
The space ranger rest his hands on his hips. "I don't trust this," he said shaking his head. "And I can't read your mind to know if you're lying."
"I'm not," the green ranger insisted.
"Prove it."
"Tell him!" T said, bouncing up and down on the couch beside him excitedly.
"Tommy…" his older self growled.
The green ranger worried his bottom lip. "Goldar is planning to attack the Command Center to make the rangers pay for Scorpina's death."
Andros' eyes widened. "When?
"I-I'm not sure. He's returning Scorpina's body to her home planet first, but when he gets back, he will attack."
"And you know this how?"
"I was there when he asked Lord Zedd for permission."
"But Zedd knows direct attacks on the enemy base are against the laws of – "
"Lord Zedd already gave him the greenlight to attack," the green ranger interrupted. "My guess is he's going to take a small army of soldiers and ransack the place." His voice became soft. "Andros, he's going to kill everyone."
Andros pressed his hands together and rest them against his mouth in deep thought. "How do I know this isn't a trick, hmm? Rile us up? Distract us so that you can take advantage of the situation and get to Kim? I'm not naïve enough to think you wouldn't play mind games to get what you want."
"You know what? You're right – you don't know if I'm lying," Tommy said honestly. "But are you willing to take that risk?" He could read the doubt on the red ranger's face. "Dammit, Andros, that's why I came here in the first place! To warn Kim and get her the hell away from here before she got hurt. If you don't trust anything else, trust that."
After a long pause, Andros closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay," he whispered.
"Okay?" Tommy repeated dumbly. "Okay what?"
"If you're telling the truth, then you've put yourself at great risk in order to save our lives. I can work with that." He looked away with a thoughtful expression. "But I won't know if you're telling the truth until this supposed attack happens."
Andros grabbed the duffel bag from the floor. "I'm heading back to take this to Kimberly."
"And then?"
The red ranger shrugged. "And then I'm burning this place to the ground so no one can know she was ever here." He adjusted the duffel bag so that it was hanging from his shoulder. "Don't be here when I return."
Tommy watched him leave in a flash of red light. He sank down onto the couch wearily once he was alone.
"You're a fucking idiot," Tom growled. "Mark my words, you'll regret this." The older man disappeared.
"He'll get over it," T said dismissively. "You did the right thing, Tommy."
"Yeah," the green ranger said softly, trying his best to ignore Tom's parting warning.
"So… what do we do now?"
Tommy gave a half-hearted smile. "Now we wait."