Author's Note: Here's chapter two! Hope you enjoy it. :)
Lunar Palace
Throne Room
The Moon
Tuesday, Local time, unknown
Tommy snatched off the helmet of his power suit, coughing harshly to clear out the smoke in his system. He had just returned, suit covered in grime, from the second day of invading Berlin.
The Germans were particularly annoying to fight in comparison to the French, though he figured that had more to do with the fact that the Germans had had time to prepare. It seemed their major plan of attack was to suffocate his soldiers and fight them in smoke while wearing gas masks. Initially, it threw him for a loop, but as it turned out, navigating through the smoke turned out to be problematic only for him.
Assholes.
"Hello, Commander!" Squatt yelled excitedly when he caught sight of the approaching green ranger. Tommy's only response was a grunt before he turned the corner, kicking open his door and slamming it closed.
Tommy sighed deeply, eyes closed as he took in the clean air of his room. He needed to do a check with Finster soon to make sure he didn't have a large amount of toxins in his system; his helmet could only filter out so much.
Tommy unhooked his morpher from around his waist, tossing it gently onto his bed. He took off his belt next, throwing it onto the ground in disgust when he noticed his entire power suit was gray from soot instead of its usual white and green. He unclipped his gold shield, lifting it over his head and setting it on the ground at the foot of his bed. His suit came off next, and he was careful to remove it slowly, not wanting to shake too much of the ash onto his floor.
He placed all of his dirty clothes into a corner, making a mental note to have Baboo come and take them to be cleaned. Cleaning them now wasn't essential – his closet was full of duplicate green ranger uniforms.
Tommy sighed when he caught sight of himself in his mirror, knowing full well that his body was in bad shape. His torso was unscathed save for some bruises thanks to the protective gear he wore beneath his outfit. He had spoken with Finster about the discomfort and weakness of his original green ranger uniform prior to the invasion, which was made from strengthened spandex. The Claydoian engineer listened to the problems Tommy spoke of and created a new underarmor body suit to wear beneath his normal costume in order to fit the teen's needs.
Finster showcased his technical brilliance in the form of the adamantite body armor Tommy was currently wearing. The material was lightweight, covering from his shoulder blades down to the middle of his thighs. It was silver and looked like mesh, and the green ranger was able to move freely as if he wore nothing underneath his uniform.
Underneath his armor was a thin, black formfitting suit that covered every part of his body from the neck down except his fingers, which poked through small slots. The suit fit his body tightly like spandex; only it didn't chafe his skin or cause his body to sweat as much. He forgot the name of the substance it was made from – he hadn't really been listening to Scorpina that day – but he knew it was supposed to help with cuts and scrapes that his green ranger outfit couldn't shield him from on its own.
Tommy quickly removed the armor, undoing the clasps that held it together and sliding it off his lean form. He undid the zipper at the front of his fitted suit, grimacing when he caught sight of his arms as he peeled off the thin material. Large bruises ran the length of both his arms, some already turning blue from swelling. He let out a grunt when he felt a jolt of pain shoot up his spine as he rolled the suit to rest along his hips, indicating there were bruises on his back.
'At least it looks worse than it feels…'
A knock at the door caught his attention. "Who is it?" he called out. 'Please don't be Rygog.'
He heard scuffling outside the door. "Scorpina."
"Come in. I'm in the back."
The door to his room opened softly, and he strained to hear his lieutenant's soft footsteps across the floor. She appeared in his doorway with a brown bag, eyes narrowing as they raked over his body.
"They got you good, Commander," she commented.
He shrugged. "Seems that way."
His eyes dropped to the bag in her hands. "What's that?"
"A package arrived for you today from the emperor. What it is exactly, I'm not sure." She held out the package.
Tommy grabbed it from her, noting its weight. "Thanks."
She nodded before looking him over again. "You all right, Commander?"
He snorted, pushing down his suit and kicking it off his legs to stand in his boxer briefs. Normally, he'd make a salacious comment about Scorpina seeing him half naked, but he didn't have the energy today. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I mean… no one's around."
Truthfully, it made Tommy feel incredibly weird to have Scorpina call him commander given that the only reason he was so skilled was because of her. He should be her subordinate, not the other way around.
Scorpina smirked. "That's your title. You should be called by it."
He scoffed, leaning down and opening his dresser. "A few weeks ago, my title was pup," he mumbled lowly.
He pulled out a pair black sweatpants and a white over-shirt to change into after his shower.
"Does it truly bother you to be called commander?" she asked after a pause, and Tommy was surprised to see genuine concern on her face.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror. "Sometimes," he admitted. "Only when you say it though." He turned to her. "If it's Rygog or the others, I want them to call me that just because it pisses them off… but it's just strange to hear you say it."
Tommy pushed the drawer back in. "They don't know anything but Commander Oliver, but you were there when I was just the green ranger… you knew me when I was just Tommy. I don't know. It's just… different."
Scorpina stared at him strangely, and Tommy could feel the heat creep up his neck. He hadn't meant to be so candid with her, but once he got started, he just couldn't stop the words from coming.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "So what are you going to do about those bruises… Tommy?"
A slight smile graced his lips. "Gonna hit the shower."
Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "That's nice… but it doesn't answer my question."
He rolled his eyes. "They're not that bad, Scorpy."
Her black eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?" he asked in confusion as her glare intensified.
Scorpina shook her head in disgust. "Go take your shower. I'll be back with ointment for your bruises in a while."
The green ranger watched her leave his room, eyebrow raised at her low mumbling. Tommy slowly made his way to his bathroom, blinking hard when the bright light turned on and shined directly in his face.
It still boggled his mind how large his bathroom was, nearly twice as big as the room he used to live in a few weeks ago at the palace. The black and white checkered floor was a welcome change, and he thought it was cool that everything in his bathroom was made from black porcelain instead of the traditional white.
He set his clothes and Lord Zedd's package down on the toilet before heading over to the large bathtub. As Tommy sat on the edge of the large circular black bathtub, he noticed a small bowl of what looked like bath beads near his feet. The green ranger reached down, picking up the bowl and moving the beige beads around lightly with his fingers…
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
A smack followed by a hiss sounded loudly in the room. "Yes, and that's final."
Tommy groaned, head tilted back with a pout. "Mom, come on, you can't be serious."
Sandra Oliver shoved the small bag into his chest. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"
He rolled his eyes. "Really, though? Bath beads? Mom…"
"What's wrong with bath beads?" she asked in confusion.
Tommy shot her a look at the silliness of her question. "Real men take showers."
Sandra pinched the bridge of her nose, swearing softly under her breath.
Tommy had just come home from a particularly rough day of practice at football, limping considerably as he made his way through the front door.
"Tommy, baths work wonders when it comes to aching muscles. I assure you, your masculinity will remain intact if you take one today."
He scowled. "Doubt it."
Sandra closed her eyes for several seconds.
"I understand that you're not particularly fond of baths, given that you seem to think that your penis will fall off if you take one."
He snorted.
"But sweetie, seriously? You'll be fine, and you'll feel much better afterwards." She smiled lovingly at him.
Tommy looked at the small bag of beads for several seconds before shaking his head vigorously."Nope, can't do it. It's just not manly."
Sandra scowled. "Thomas, where did you get this silly notion in your head that baths are emasculating? I already explained to you that doesn't make sense – what part are you not understanding?"
'Well obviously the core concept,' he thought snidely, though he wisely chose to keep that comment to himself.
"You don't get it, mom, you're a chick," he told her in exasperation. "Look, can I just go take my shower, please? I feel gross."
He attempted to sway her using his wounded puppy look, but from the fierce glint in her eyes, he knew the battle was lost long ago.
"You have until the count of ten to head downstairs and take your bath."
"Can't you just-"
"One…" she started.
His eyes widened. "Really? You're actually going to count to ten."
"Two…"
"Mom, look-"
"Three…" her voice rose slightly.
"How about we get dad's opini-"
"Wiwih…" Tommy's mouth snapped shut when he heard her switch from English to Cahuilla, a clear sign that she was no longer playing games.
His mother only used her native tongue when she was deadly serious.
"Nemaqwánang…"
"I'm going…I'm going…" he mumbled as he brushed past her, bath beads in hand as he made his way to his bathroom in shame.
That night at dinner, he was too prideful to let her know that he felt much better than before and that her suggestion worked, but he had a sneaking suspicion from the smirk on her face that she already knew…
Tommy chuckled lowly to himself at the memory, twisting the handle so that hot water poured into the bathtub. His mother would be highly amused if she knew her grown son was taking another bath and this time of his own accord. She'd have that same annoying smirk on her face for sure, and he could almost hear the teasing comments she would come up with.
'I think the last thing your mother would do if she saw you right now is tease you, Oliver,' a voice spoke up softly.
The smile fell from Tommy's face as he acknowledged the truth in those words, knowing his mother was probably an absolute wreck with him gone.
Suddenly, the memory wasn't very funny anymore.
He toyed with the beads for several seconds before letting them slip slowly from his hands into the water, eyes focused on the white bubbles that began to form.
His briefs slid down his long legs, and he kicked them over into a corner of the bathroom before climbing into the tub, inching slowly into the hot water with a low hiss. The water was scalding against his skin, and he blinked rapidly to see through the thick steam in the air. Leaning forward, he shut off the water when the tub was full, reclining back once he was done and closing his eyes.
His muscles ached something terrible from the battle, and he inwardly sighed from the relief the water brought him. He had been forced to engage the German army in hand-to-hand combat when he realized the Dragonzord was too large to fit in the Spree River. He lost count of how many buildings he went flying through due to explosions after the fourth time, and if the bruises were any indication, he had taken several serious blows during the fight.
He could actually taste the dirt and sweat from the battle in Berlin on his tongue, eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids as he replayed the events over again in his head like a bad movie. The cries of frightened citizens and the agonizing screams of wounded soldiers were still fresh in his ear, and he winced from the intensity.
'Focus on something else…anything else.'
Tommy opened his brown eyes slowly, his thoughts shifting to the power rangers as he stared at the ceiling of his bathroom. As far as he knew, they were still inactive; he was a little surprised that they hadn't joined in the fight yet.
It wasn't like them… and it certainly wasn't like Jason to let the squeaky clean reputation of the power rangers be soiled.
The green ranger smirked at the thought of the red ranger.
He was anxiously waiting for the day he and Jason would fight each other once again. Battling soldiers and seizing cities, although fun and mostly amusing, did not provide the green ranger with the same thrill as fighting the red ranger. Jason was one of the few who could say they were matched with Tommy in skill alone. They didn't need to fight with clever words or rely on over-the-top weaponry to make a point – just the opportunity to fight uninterrupted until only one man was left standing.
His desire to fight Jason was strengthened by the red ranger's anger over the situation with Kim. Tommy had never seen his former friend so furious before. The pain and hatred in the boy's eyes was embedded in the green ranger's memory, and he wanted to fight Jason when he was consumed with that same rage. Jason usually held back when fighting Tommy, most likely out of guilt for being such a disgrace when Tommy needed him most, but that day in the garage when he walked in on Kimberly and Tommy…
That was the Jason that Tommy wanted to fight – the Jason that fought with everything in him, unhinged.
That was the Jason he wanted to remember when Tommy slit his throat.
The green ranger sighed, eyes drooping for some time before closing once more. He could see himself in his head, standing over a fallen Jason victoriously with his Dragon dagger in his hand, the tip dripping with blood. Jason lay at his feet, eyes lifeless as he stared blankly up at the sky.
'What would Kimberly think if she knew you still intended to kill the man she loves?' asked a voice softly.
The green ranger's eyes snapped open as he jerked violently, sending some of the water spilling over the edge and out of the tub.
'Do you really think that's a good idea, Oliver?'
"Son of a bitch," he muttered softly. "You won't quit, will you?"
Over the last few days, Tommy had begun to hear two voices in his head. Originally, he thought it was just his conscience speaking to him… something similar to the angel vs. demon duality that helped guide people through life like he saw in movies and television.
But now he wasn't so sure.
The voices started out that way, harmless enough, only appearing at times when he was having difficulty making decisions about what to do. And then they sort of… evolved into something more. Their appearances became more frequent and pronounced as time went on. Each voice had developed a distinct personality and spoke almost conversationally with him.
He wondered if he might be suffering from schizophrenia.
'You're no crazier than we are,' offered the nicer of the two with a chuckle. 'Does that make you feel any better?'
It didn't.
Quickly, Tommy ducked his head beneath the water, submerging himself for several seconds before coming back up, hoping that the action would somehow drown out the people living in his head. He ran his hands over his face tiredly before pushing back his long, thick hair. He sniffed a few times, eyes searching the bathroom quickly for a distraction before falling on the brown bag Scorpina had given him earlier.
Curiously, he reached out a wet arm, bringing the package to the side of the tub and ripping it open carelessly. Tommy stared at the object with narrowed eyes, unsure of what it was. It looked like a flask, completely black except for the silver insignia of the Dark Empire on the front. Opening it, Tommy sniffed its contents hesitantly, surprised to smell a sweet, almost sugary odor instead of the anticipated bitter smell of alcohol.
A flash of white on the floor caught his eye and he reached down, grabbing the small slip of paper that was crushed between two pieces of the bag.
Congratulations on a job well done, Commander. I expect more of the same. Emperor Zedd.
The green ranger felt warmth in his chest before he dropped the paper to the ground, eyes drawn back to the flask in his hand.
A sudden knock on his door startled him, and he nearly dropped the container on the ground as he swore loudly, knee banging against the inside of the tub painfully.
"What?" he grunted.
There was a pause. "I brought the ointment. I'll be waiting out front." He could hear the amusement in Scorpina's tone.
Rolling his eyes, Tommy carefully set the flask on the ground before rolling over and grabbing the nearby sponge to begin scrubbing his body down.
It felt good to clean himself. In reality, very little dirt got on him due to the suit he wore, but it still felt as if he was washing away the filth from the day. It was only when he was sure every inch of his body was clean that the green ranger rinsed himself off and climbed out of the tub, water dripping from his muscular form onto the tile floor. He squeezed out as much water as he could from his hair before allowing the water to drain from the tub.
Grabbing his towel off the rack, he dried himself off before getting dressed and heading out, flask in hand.
Tommy scowled when he saw Scorpina sitting on his leather couch, but the warrior merely raised an eyebrow in amusement as he made his way over to her. He sat so that his back faced her.
"You really ought to take better care of yourself," she chided, and he could hear her squirting the ointment onto her hand.
Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Thanks for the advice, Scorpy. I'll make sure to tell the enemy to take it just a little bit easier on me tomorrow. Why didn't I think of that one?"
He groaned when he felt her palms slap against the bruises on his back, followed by the use of unnecessary force when she massaged the cream into his skin.
"That hurt?" she hissed.
"Nope. Never better," he said through gritted teeth.
"You need to talk to Finster about your armor. It's supposed to prevent this from happening," she reminded.
Tommy shook his head. "He told me it keeps me from being fatally wounded. Bruises come with the job. It's not so bad."
She shook her head. "The emperor would be disgusted with how little you care for your health."
Scorpina extended his left arm, turning it slightly to rub the bitter smelling cream on his skin. Although Tommy was more than capable of doing this himself, he knew he never would out of laziness and pride, and was inwardly grateful for Scorpina's insistence on keeping him healthy.
"And that's why he won't find out, right?" he asked, only to be met with silence. Tommy sighed.
"Speaking of him, you know what this is?" He turned completely now, his chest toward her as he held the black flask to her face in hopes of changing the topic of conversation.
Scorpina plucked it from his hand and opened it, taking a quick whiff before smiling and giving it back to him. "It's a tonic. From Regda 2."
The teen made a face. "I don't drink. He knows that."
Tommy took a risk with many things, but willingly ingesting poison was not on his list of things to try. He was strict about his training, and he saw no benefit from using drugs or alcohol.
And even though Zedd seemed to be on good terms with him, he would be damned before willingly ingesting anything the emperor gave him.
Scorpina nodded slowly, focusing on rubbing the cream into Tommy's chest and right arm.
"It is rare that one turns down an offering of Daem, especially when it is so hard to find… and so expensive."
Tommy looked down at the flask apprehensively. "Really?" he murmured.
Scorpina chuckled lowly. "An offering of tonic is common amongst ranking officials after a successful mission in our empire, Tommy. Daem is the most expensive tonic in the universe and for good reason. It's extremely potent."
She massaged the last bit of the cream into his skin before pulling away slowly, eyes locking with his.
"I would think twice before throwing it away."
The green ranger stared as he watched her get up, frowning when she paused on her way out next to the leather chair. Scorpina bent over, picking up a piece of paper on the ground and unfolding it. Tommy narrowed his eyes, unsure of where the paper came from. His eyes trailed over to the camouflage jacket draped on the back of the chair a few feet away.
"Who's 'K'?" Scorpina asked.
Panic filled his veins when he realized that Scorpina was holding the note he received from Kimberly from a while back. He quickly made his way over to her, snatching the paper from her with his free hand before turning his back to her.
"That's private," he ground out.
He could feel Scorpina's black eyes on his back, and he silently willed her to leave.
"Right," she said hesitantly, and he could tell from her tone she wanted to push the issue. "Good night, Commander."
He followed her to the door, closing it softly behind her and resting his forehead on it gently.
'Close call, Oliver.'
Tommy looked at the note again, eyes searching to see if there was any way for Scorpina to glean Kim's identity from the few words scribbled there. 'She can't…there's nothing here that leads to Kim and she doesn't know about what happened between us…'
He let out a relieved sigh before pushing off the door, heading tiredly towards his large bed. His brown eyes dropped to the black flask in his other hand again before setting it down on the glass coffee table as he walked by.
"I'll keep you for now since I can't pour you down the drain," he murmured softly to the flask. "Maybe I can slip some into Rygog's drink while he isn't looking."
The thought brought a smile to the teen's face, and he stretched his long limbs as he shrugged on his over-shirt.
Tommy closed his eyes as he curled into his bed, snorting briefly into his pillow as he fell asleep with the image of a drunken Rygog at the next council meeting playing in his head.
Angel Grove Park
The Lake
Angel Grove, CA
Saturday, 6:52 PM
Tommy looked around him to see if anyone noticed his presence. It was hard enough getting away from the palace without all the peering eyes. Teleporting down to Angel Grove Park at sunset was hardly covert.
Quickly, he made his way over to the lake, eyes falling to the large boulder that rested near the water. Squatting, he pushed the rock onto its side, muscles burning from the exertion. Normally, moving the boulder wouldn't have caused the green ranger to bat an eye, but the fatigue in his limbs made the task difficult.
The battle in Berlin was still underway, much to his chagrin, and it was becoming particularly nasty to fight the Germans without bringing unnecessary harm to the civilians. The Germans were still fighting hard against the Dark Empire, though their numbers were dwindling; they were becoming more desperate, and in turn more vicious, with their attacks.
The initial use of smoke against his soldiers was a slight annoyance to the green ranger, but not something that wasn't manageable. The switch from smoke to tear gas was an unpleasant surprise for his troops, though they remained virtually unscathed due to their lack of mucous membranes. Tommy, on the other hand, had been nearly blinded when nearly a dozen gas bombs surrounded him, forcing him to teleport out of the area and back to the lunar palace to receive immediate medical attention.
The worst was the fight two days earlier, when he was hit with a gas bomb that nearly killed him. He had just finished setting fire to a platoon of soldiers in a nearby trench when he collapsed suddenly, body convulsing uncontrollably on the ground. His muscles had begun to contract involuntarily, and he was frightened to discover that he was unable to control the spasms. Luckily, one of his soldiers found him and ordered an immediate transport to the medical bay.
By the time he arrived, Tommy had already passed out from the strain on his body. He awoke the next day in immense pain and found he could barely move thanks to the after effects of a nerve gas. Scorpina had taken over for him in Berlin while he was recovering, determined to see that the mission was successful. Her physiology, while similar to humans, was different enough to allow her to fight in the presence of fumes that were highly toxic to him. He had also learned from Baboo and Squatt that Finster was working on integrating a universal gas mask into his helmet to prevent incidents like this from happening again in the future.
Tommy only wished it hadn't taken him nearly dying for Finster to realize his power suit needed an obvious upgrade.
He had been ordered to stay in the medical bay, hooked up to the various beeping machines and needles, until he recovered… which was exactly why he left as soon as he was alone for more than five minutes.
"Shit," he rasped when the boulder finally gave way. The teen sank to the ground tiredly, fighting down the bout of nausea that washed over him before looking down at where the rock used to be.
Nothing.
Tommy grunted in annoyance. This was the fourth time he had come to the park to see if Kimberly had left him a message, and once again, there was nothing there.
A heat coursed through his body, anger pooling inside of him at an alarming rate.
She was being incredibly stupid and selfish, in his opinion. Sure, he may have done some things that were admittedly questionable and possibly not the right thing to do by her goody-two-shoes standards, but she had no right to shut him out of their child's life like this. He was keeping her safe… and if she actually took the time to think about it, he was keeping their child safe, too.
Maybe he shouldn't have destroyed their zords or could have been a little more considerate of her feelings about Zordon, but he was keeping her out of the fight… keeping their child a bit safer.
She should be thanking him.
'Oh, get off your high horse, Oliver. You don't care, and you're deluded if you think you do.'
Tommy rolled his eyes in annoyance at the thought. 'I do care.'
'Really?' asked the voice skeptically. 'Funny way of showing it.'
The green ranger scowled. 'I'm here, aren't I? I could be back in the medical bay right now. I didn't have to check here for her stupid messages or prevent an attack on Angel Grove. So don't tell me I don't care when I do.'
He heard a soft chuckle in his head. 'You're so full of shit.'
The green ranger clenched his fists.
'You're Zedd's lapdog, Oliver. The only thing you care about is yourself. You're not protecting Kimberly because you care about her or your bastard child. You're making sure that no one else figures out that you knocked up one of Zordon's elite warriors. You're saving your own ass…as usual.'
The anger slowly began to drain out of him.
'The fewer people who know about Kim and your child, the better. You're not scared that her fighting in the war will kill your child… or even her. You're scared that someone might be able to figure out that the bump that'll be in her spandex suit isn't just gained weight. You don't want anyone to know you fucked up in the worst way possible.'
That was a fact that Tommy couldn't deny. Gaining the respect of his officers was a difficult task but most of them had begrudgingly began to trust him. There were still some lingering doubts about his leadership abilities and loyalties towards the Dark Empire, namely stemming from that pretentious asshole Rygog. Knowledge that the green ranger had been engaged in an affair with Zordon's precious pink ranger would be all the ammunition he'd need to bring Tommy down. News of a pregnant Kimberly would be more than enough to destroy everything the green ranger had worked so hard to gain.
But was that really his sole motivation for protecting Kimberly and keeping their child safe? He did tell her he had loved her… that had to count for something, right?
A loud snicker brought him out of his thoughts. 'You mean that fake declaration of love you gave a while back?'
'It wasn't completely fake,' he defended weakly. 'If things were different-'
'If things were different, a lot of things could be true, Oliver,' snarled the voice. 'But the fact of the matter is that what is true is things are how they are and you don't love her.'
'I could,' he shot back with no force.
'But you don't,' said the voice with such finality that it forced the green ranger into silence.
"I don't," he whispered aloud. "I don't love her." The words felt strange when he said them, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
Saying the words out loud didn't have as much of a punch as he thought they would.
'Maybe that's because you already knew the truth.'
At the time, it felt like the right thing to say to her. She said it first, and with everything going on, it was the least he could give her for all the shit he pulled. And technically, he hadn't lied to her. If things were different, he really could love Kimberly…
But he wasn't in love with her and didn't need that in his life. Not now.
He couldn't deny, however, that annoyingly persistent part of him that wanted him to acknowledge that he still felt something.
A snort in his head brought him out of his thoughts. 'Haven't figured it out yet? You're incredibly dense.'
This voice was different from the other. Youthful… but significantly more annoying.
'Excuse me?'
A chuckle reverberated loudly in his head. 'I guess you are this stupid if you're listening to anything he says.'
Tommy's face scrunched up in confusion. 'He? Who the hell is-'
'You're so sure you're not in love with Kimberly,' interrupted the new voice quickly.
'I'm not,' replied Tommy. 'You think differently?'
There was a pause. 'I don't doubt that you believe you don't love her…more than anything, I'm convinced of that.' More silence. 'But something doesn't add up.'
Tommy's eyes narrowed. 'What do you mean?'
'Your need to protect Kim comes out of the need to protect yourself, right? Keep her and the baby off the radar and Tommy stays safe?'
The green ranger nodded without thinking before realizing it didn't make sense to nod to a voice in his head.
'Then why go through all of this? Why pass secret notes and have late night meetings with her? Why go through all of this trouble when there's a much simpler solution to this problem?'
The voice dropped to a small, deadly whisper. 'Kill her.'
A cold chill ran down Tommy's spine suddenly, and he shuddered involuntarily. 'W-What?'
But he was met with silence.
He swallowed thickly, Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. Getting rid of her and the baby was the obvious way to solve the problem their affair now presented. But to actually kill her? That never even crossed his mind.
'Why not?' asked the voice in a tone that grated Tommy's nerves. 'It's not as if she matters to you…as if you love her.'
Tommy licked his lips. 'I don't but…'
'But what?' the voice pressed urgently.
The teen had no response.
He just couldn't kill her… and he didn't know why.
Why couldn't he?
'You know why…' whispered the voice tauntingly before laughing.
Tommy stared down at the Earth beneath his feet before scowling. "I'm arguing with voices in my head… what the fuck is wrong with you, Oliver?"
He pushed the boulder back to its original position before pulling himself painfully up to his feet, quickly knocking the dirt from the back of his jeans.
Those damn voices were always popping up when he needed them to be quiet. He knew he should probably see someone about them, but the last thing he needed was for the other officers to get word that he was losing his mind.
Mental instability would just be another mark against him in the long run.
Looking out at the sky over the lake, he could see the last few rays of sunlight falling behind the trees. He needed to get back to the lunar palace for his meeting with Lord Zedd, but there was something he needed to do first.
Something he needed to see.
Checking quickly to make sure he was alone, the green ranger teleported out of Angel Grove Park, landing a few seconds later outside of a two-story blue and white house. He reached out a shaky hand to touch the black Lexus GS 300 in the driveway. He ran a finger along the dent on the hood of the car, remembering fondly how he had accidentally slammed the car into a tree once during a family reunion in Arizona.
A flash of light in his peripheral caught his attention, and slowly, Tommy made his way to the large window at the front of the house. The white curtains in front of the window blocked his view, but he could see well enough to recognize his mother's form on the couch.
Sandra Oliver was curled up on the sofa wrapped up in a dark blanket. After a closer inspection, Tommy realized was his Bruce Lee mink blanket. Her long hair was hanging loose around her head, and he could make out the streaks of gray in it.
She was asleep, curled in the fetal position as the lights from the television played across her face. She looked older than he remembered her looking when he left, and he could tell from the puffiness around her eyes and how swollen they were that she had been crying.
Slowly, Tommy pushed the hood back from his head, stomach twisting painfully as he caught sight of the green t-shirt clutched tightly in his mother's fist. It was the shirt he wore at his first karate match when he was six-years-old. A ragged breath escaped him, and he swallowed hard at the sight of her looking so small. His eyes traveled back to her face and his eyes widened in shock when he saw hers were open and focused on him, filled with an emotion he couldn't understand.
Hurriedly, he slipped his hood back on over his head before turning and running around to the side of his house, wincing from the strain on his legs. The sound of the front door opening signaled that she was outside, and it was then when Tommy decided to teleport away from Angel Grove, determined to escape before she could spot him.
Over the cracking sound of his teleportation, he could make out the faint cry of his name right before he disappeared.
He was glad he wouldn't have to hear the sobs he knew had followed.
Lunar Palace
Throne Room
The Moon
Local time, unknown
"…are making it incredibly difficult for any type of decision to be made," Zedd said in disgust. "I don't even think the Eltarians want a treaty with the KAX Union. They only want to prevent my empire from reaching its full…"
Tommy stared blankly at the emperor as he ranted via the comm-link, knowing full well he should be listening to Zedd with rapt attention.
For the last fifteen minutes or more, Lord Zedd had been telling them about the state of things with the KAX Union, and the teen had heard none of it. Scorpina and Rygog were actively engaged in conversation with the emperor, asking the right questions and displaying all the characteristics of diligent lieutenant commanders.
He, on the other hand, was so far gone from the conversation that he couldn't even begin to pretend to be paying attention. Tommy's mind was filled with so many thoughts that it was difficult to listen to what the emperor was saying. His mind was fixed on the image of his mother curled up on the sofa.
The look on her face when she spotted him was burned into his mind.
If he were able to feel guilt, he knew he would be consumed with it right now. His mother was the one person who had done nothing wrong to him and was probably hurting the most from what he was doing.
He subconsciously ran a hand over his navel, vaguely recalling the burning sensation of remorse that used to build in that spot long ago.
All there now was a void.
"Commander?"
Tommy blinked rapidly when he realized he was being addressed. He cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Yes?"
Rygog tutted under his breath. "Were you even listening, boy? Our emperor was speaking of important matters, and you're off daydreaming."
"I wasn't daydreaming, Rygog, and I would like to remind you that you do not address your superior as boy," snarled Tommy.
Rygog growled low in his throat.
Zedd stared at Tommy for some time. "I asked you how the invasion was coming along, Commander."
Tommy nodded slowly. "We have fourteen cities under our control with six currently being invaded. Plans have been made to expand to sixteen more cities by the end of next week."
"Excellent," said Lord Zedd. "The civilian casualty? And our soldiers?"
"On the civilian side, we have managed to keep it below five thousand, sir. We have lost 129 soldiers so far in the war, and all families have been notified."
Zedd nodded. "Where will you be attacking next?"
Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "My troops will be moving to Rome next week. Though the city's population is not nearly as high as the others we have seized, if all goes well, we will be much stronger afterwards."
He knew the emperor did not understand what he was talking about, but it appeared that he trusted Tommy.
"I trust you to do what you feel is best, Commander. Is that all?"
"Yes," breathed Tommy tiredly. "I have nothing else to report on."
Zedd nodded. "Then this meeting is adjourned."
Tommy stood quickly, only to sit back down at Zedd's next words.
"Stay, Commander. I wish to speak with you… in private."
The teen tapped his nails rhythmically against the wooden table as the other two left, unsure as to what Zedd could possibly want with him.
"Is everything all right, Tommy?" asked Zedd after a brief silence.
Tommy blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
"Scorpina told me of the injuries you suffered while in Berlin. Though you are here speaking to me, I can see that you are not yourself."
Tommy subconsciously ran a hand along his jaw, bristling slightly at the feel of stubble against his hand. He would need to shave soon.
"'M fine," he muttered softly. "A bit sore here and there, but nothing I can't handle."
Zedd nodded. "And mentally?"
The green ranger shot a startled look at the emperor. "Excuse me?"
'He couldn't possibly know…'
"You were inattentive during the meeting, and as Rygog pointed out, it is disrespectful not to listen to your emperor," said Zedd coolly. "Care to explain?"
'No,' Tommy thought moodily.
He looked down at the wood before him, nails scratching the polished furniture slightly.
"The Germans hit me with some type of nerve gas… it's been fucking with my concentration ever since, though it's starting to finally wear off. I believe the after-effects were hitting me at the time."
The emperor nodded. "What did Finster say about your condition? A lack of focus is dangerous on the battlefield."
"I'll be fine," said Tommy in a clipped tone. He glanced up at Zedd, realizing his mistake immediately for speaking to the emperor that way.
"Sorry," he apologized. "I've just been on edge."
"Drink some Daem," offered the emperor lazily. "It should take the edge off."
"I don't drink," the teen reminded him. "Alcohol is bad for a fighter."
"Earth alcohol, perhaps… Daem is not the same as the tonics of your people by any stretch of the imagination. Drinking Daem is not the same as ingesting poison as your people are so fond of doing."
Tommy opened his mouth to ask Zedd what he meant but refrained from speaking. It didn't matter – he wasn't going to drink it.
After what he pulled before, Tommy didn't trust Zedd enough to drink anything he offered willingly.
"How bad are the negotiations going?" asked the teen softly. He had completely missed what Zedd had said before. It was best he tried to catch up now while he could.
"Terribly," the older man confided. "If I don't come up with something soon, KAX will be under their control. I can't let that happen. I won't."
Tommy knew how important the KAX Union was to Lord Zedd. Whoever they decided to work with would shift the balance of power in the universe. Everything was at stake.
"I'm sure the problem will be resolved. Is there anything else, master?" asked the teen.
Zedd stared at the green ranger for some time. "That is all for now, Tommy. You may leave."
Tommy rose to his feet, heading for the door.
"Do remember to take care of yourself, Commander."
The teen turned to reply, only to see that the link was now off, a black screen where Zedd once was.
"Thanks," he muttered lowly, slightly confused.
Things had been off between him and the emperor since he had begun the invasion of Earth. 'No…it was long before that. Ever since…' Ever since the day he and Kim were caught together.
'Everything seems to go back to that, doesn't it?' he thought wryly.
Lord Zedd appeared to hold no grudge against the teen over the incident, and even with the disturbing news of what Lord Zedd did to him to keep Tommy under his control, the green ranger harbored no ill-will towards the emperor, though trust was now lost. Tommy understood that he was put in a position where he had no choice but to fight for Lord Zedd, but was gladly reaping the benefits of serving under the Dark Empire, despite the underhanded way Lord Zedd kept him at his side.
Tommy knew that regardless of what Lord Zedd intended, his loyalty to the Dark Empire stemmed more from respect and admiration than fear.
'And yet…'
The green ranger made his way out of the study, shutting the door behind him only to groan when he caught side of the hideous beast perched against the wall.
"What do you want, Rygog?" asked Tommy warily. The teen ran his fingers through his hair tiredly as he headed to his room, not bothering to check if Rygog was following him.
He knew he would.
"The emperor may trust you so blindly, but I'm onto you, green ranger," hissed the creature. "I know you're up to something."
"Well I guess Lord Zedd is just lucky to have you around here, then," mumbled Tommy.
"I'm watching you closely…"
Tommy sighed. "You do that."
"…because I know you're not trustworthy. Looks can be deceiving… especially with you Earthlings," he rasped.
The teen inwardly sighed. The jabs from Rygog and others about humans were becoming tiresome. He wasn't particularly fond of xenophobes.
Tommy stopped, turning around so that he faced Rygog with a sardonic grin. "That's not necessarily true. One look at you made me think you were a complete jackass… seems I was right."
Rygog growled, stepping up so that he was close enough that Tommy could smell his rank breath. "My allegiance is to Lord Zedd only, Commander. Remember that."
The green ranger raised an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?" he asked calmly, and he was surprised at how even his tone was.
"Take it as you will."
The teen's eyes flashed green briefly before he grabbed Rygog roughly, shoving the being hard against the stone wall. The time for games had long passed. "Then take this as you will… I don't take threats idly, Rygog, nor do I appreciate your persistence in trying to undermine me."
Tommy pulled the lieutenant closer, lifting the shorter man off the ground with his powers.
"Come at me again with such disrespect… I will end you, Rygog," he whispered, voice devoid of emotion.
Rygog's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat, Oliver?"
"I don't make threats. It's a promise." The green ranger shoved the shorter man into the wall, leaving a large dent.
The green ranger walked briskly to his room, arms burning from lifting the heavy creature in the air. Only after he was in his room behind locked doors did he release the pained groan, limbs shaking as he rested against the door.
'What the hell was that, Tommy?' hissed one of the voices in his head. 'Are you mental? You can't go attacking officers just because they piss you off.'
'I know,' hissed the teen angrily in his head. 'I don't know what happened…I just lost it.'
His control over his anger was normally better than that. It was always difficult to keep Rygog from getting to him, but he had always managed.
Until now.
He wringed his shaking hands as he pushed off the door, willing them to stop shaking so much.
'This really fucking hurts,' he thought to himself as he slowly crossed the room to his bed, a trail of clothes following behind him as he stripped.
He let out a pleasured moan as he fell onto the silk sheets of his bed, eyes closing immediately when his head touched the large fluffy pillows.
Finster was going to murder him tomorrow when he showed up in the medical bay, and he mentally prepared himself for the tongue-lashing he'd receive from not only the Claydoian but Scorpina as well. His lieutenant commander had looked at him with barely-restrained fury when she saw him walk into the meeting two hours ago, no doubt aware that he had left the safety of the medical bay but was unable to give him a piece of her mind due to Zedd's presence.
Leaving when he was supposed to be healing his sore body was not something either would like, but since when did he ever do what was good for him?
'Enjoy the peace while you have it,' said the nicer voice in his head in mirth. 'You're gonna get it tomorrow.'
"Shut the fuck up," Tommy mumbled tiredly into the softness of his pillow.
He was out before the voice had a chance to respond.
As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll try to get chapter 3 up as soon as possible.