Author's Note: Here's chapter 3. It's a pretty intense chapter, so be prepared. Hope you like it!


Outside Vatican City

Rome, Italy

One week later, Sunday

Local time, 2:10 PM

"Commander, what is the next move?"

The green ranger grunted as he yanked his Dragon dagger from the throat of an Italian soldier, stretching his neck from side to side to make his muscles relax.

"We continue with the plan. I want the area secure, do you hear me?" he barked over the link.

He wasn't able to hear the response of his soldiers over the deafening blast that came from his right that sent him flying backwards several feet. Blinking rapidly, Tommy climbed to his feet, shaking his head to clear his vision.

A large tank rested about fifty yards away from him, its turret pointed away from his lean form.

"Ferma! Mettere giù l'arma!"

Tommy cocked his head to the side, unsure of what they were trying to tell him.

A wry grin graced his lips. 'Does it really matter?'

Tommy raised his dagger over his head slowly before drawing it down quickly in front of his body. It looked as if nothing happened, but it wasn't until the tank began to shake and rattle that it was apparent something was different.

The green ranger watched in amusement as the top of the tank opened quickly, several soldiers climbing out in wild panic. The tank made a loud noise before it sagged in on itself, unbalanced from being cut straight down the middle. Grinning, Tommy used his power to lift the two halves of the machine into the air, sending them flying outward, to crush the bodies of several soldiers before dropping directly on top of the wounded nearby.

Tommy let out a low laugh before turning around, surveying the mayhem around him. The streets of Rome were covered with dead soldiers, shrapnel, and large puddles of blood. Nearby buildings burned.

The green ranger carefully made his way through the mess, treating it like a game of hopscotch as he used the bodies of the dead to avoid staining his white boots with blood.

It was incredibly difficult to get it out of spandex once it set.

As he made his way across, he saw a throng of soldiers surrounded the target of the invasion, each holding a different weapon as they protected the outer walls.

Tommy jumped off the body of the last dead soldier, landing deftly on the ground to stand amongst his soldiers who were waiting for his signal.

"You really ought to move," he said gently. "We don't want to kill you… but you're putting us in a really bad position."

The leader of the group, a tan man with jet-black hair and green eyes began to speak rapidly to him in Italian, his eyes darting nervously around at the Piranhatrons flanking the green ranger.

Tommy rolled his eyes behind his visor, turning instead to his head general. "Anything?"

Zedd wanted all weapons and texts from the conquered cities seized and handled with excellent care. Expensive items meant nothing to the emperor, but books and artillery were invaluable.

"We found some weapons in the nearby buildings when we were clearing out civilians. Omega team has the government officials secured, Commander."

Tommy nodded idly, eyes fixated on a metallic glint at the soldier's feet. "Hand me that, Kronon," he ordered the soldier.

Kronon nodded before picking up the object and handing it to Tommy.

The green ranger whistled lowly, thoroughly impressed with the craftsmanship of the sword. "This is quite a find, Kronon. I think I'll take this," he said more to himself as he sheathed his Dragon dagger.

The Italian soldier that had been talking before began to scream at Tommy when he saw him holding the sword, eyes blazing with fury. Tommy took in the man's flushed face and wild gesticulating before eyeing the sword.

"You must be pretty damn important for him to get all riled up like this," he murmured.

The Italian grew louder and more frenzied the longer Tommy held the sword, and the sound of his voice began to grate on the teen's nerves. With a low growl, Tommy reared back with the sword before sending it flying forward, satisfied when it sank deep into the center of the man's chest, effectively shutting him up.

Silence fell over them as the man fell backwards, blood spilling forth from his mouth to dribble down his chin. The other Italian soldiers looked on in fear as Tommy approached the fallen man, pressing a foot to his abdomen as he yanked the Falchion sword from his body.

Slowly, the green ranger leaned down, squatting over the man's body and pulling him up by his collar. The man let out a strangled gasp, and Tommy smiled when he realized he was choking on his own blood.

The green ranger noticed the glimmer of gold around the man's neck, and he quickly reached beneath the man's shirt, holding his necklace with the pendant of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in his gloved hand.

"You can't understand English," whispered Tommy. He lifted the pendant up to the man's green eyes. "But you understand this. We're taking the Vatican… your great city. And we're going to destroy it." He smiled behind his visor.

"But don't fret. You're not getting special treatment… the same thing is happening in Mecca and Jerusalem, in Tirumala and Tibet…" He played with the pendant briefly; it was suddenly engulfed in green flames before it turned into ashes. His hand found its way to the man's scalp and he pulled tightly, chuckling lowly when the man winced in pain.

"God won't help you now… there is only Lord Zedd."

With a quick jerk of his arm and a loud crack, Tommy dropped the now lifeless man back to the ground, his neck at an unusual angle. The green ranger grabbed the sword and wiped the blood onto the man's uniform.

"Dispose of them," ordered Tommy. Alarmed cries rang out followed by several thuds to the ground as the Italians soldiers fell to the ground dead.

"Go inside and secure the area. I've already shown you what the workers look like inside the Vatican. Make sure to release them."

"And the others?" asked Kronon. By others, Tommy knew he was referring to the clergymen who lived in the actual city.

Tommy lifted the Falchion sword into the air, the sun shining brightly off of it. He ran a finger along its long blade before turning back to Kronon.

"Kill them all."


Lunar Palace

Mess Hall

The Moon

Local time, unknown

"May I sit, Commander?"

Tommy looked up from his steak tips, meat hovering inches from his mouth as he nodded to Scorpina. His eyes trailed back down to the medium rare meat in his hand before shoving it into his mouth and chewing harshly.

He had departed from the battle in Rome nearly an hour ago, leaving only once he was sure there were no longer any people left in the Vatican City. He had been thorough in his search behind the great walls and had left Kronon in charge once he knew the city had been vacated.

"You seem rather hungry today," commented Scorpina.

He shrugged, piercing several potatoes on his fork before swallowing them quickly. "Worked up an appetite."

She nodded. "I gather from your being here that the mission in Rome went well?"

He nodded, pausing to gulp down a glass of water before returning to his food.

'I don't think I've ever been this hungry before.'

"Yes, very well. The city should fall by tomorrow morning."

He could feel Scorpina staring a hole into the side of his face and sighed, dropping his utensils onto his plate. "What is it, Scorpina?" he asked impatiently, running a hand along the side of his face tiredly.

He really needed to shave.

"Why did you go after those people today?" she asked quietly. "Our orders are to not harm civilians."

"Our orders," he began, voice tight, "are to spare the innocent and remove those who pose a threat to the empire. That's what was done."

"Those people were not government officials, Tommy. The leaders of Italy were already taken care of. What happened today was a slaughter."

Her voice had risen sharply, drawing the attention of those sitting close by, including Rygog.

He narrowed his eyes. "The people of Earth receive leadership from more than just government officials."

His comment visibly threw her. "Come again?"

He sighed, elbows resting heavily on the cool metal table between them. "Imagine a higher power, a higher being of more strength than anyone you've ever heard of, including our master."

Scorpina scoffed. "One doesn't exist."

Tommy gave a lazy grin, index finger wagging at Scorpina mockingly. "So you say… but what you think doesn't matter. Only what's here." He turned his finger, tapping it against his temple repeatedly. "The people of Earth believe in something called God. The details aren't important, only the knowledge that such faith exists."

"I've never heard of this God in my travels around the universe," she commented with a raised brow.

The green ranger chuckled. "God isn't a person or a place… you can't find him. You can only believe."

"That sounds incredibly foolish," said General Havoc. "To believe in something you can't see? Can't touch? Humans put their faith in nonsense."

Brown eyes flashed green in response to the general's words. "That nonsense is more powerful than you realize, Havoc. Millions of people believe in God… in different ways, but essentially it's the same concept. They believe a higher power exists, and they follow it faithfully." He paused. "More or less, anyway."

His attention went back to the now empty glass before him, and he traced its edge with his index finger.

"Lives have been lost in several battles on my planet because of people's faith, turning them against each other for no reason other than because they believe. Call it foolish, call it misguided… but don't doubt the power of faith."

Silence lingered after his words, and his gaze stayed fixed on the cup before him.

"What does this have to do with the death of those men?" asked Scorpina.

Tommy's eyes trailed upward to her face. "Simultaneous attacks were carried out today on cities of great importance in religious communities. They're the cities where their faith stems from or where a monument of great importance to their faith resides. By destroying them – "

"You've shattered their faith…in a sense," finished Rygog, who sounded unwillingly impressed.

The green ranger grinned, a lopsided smile on his face. "On the contrary, lieutenant… we've only pissed them off. Sure, destroying the cities has more than likely demoralized them, but it's their anger that I'm after. They need to be upset… to be angry at what's happened. When you take something precious from someone, they panic and become desperate. The first instinct that comes from desperation is anger. People lash out. The backlash won't fall on us; it'll fall on the governments, on the people that were supposed to protect them…"

"They'll be so busy dealing with the fallout from the citizens that it puts the governments in a weaker position than before," finished Scorpina.

"Precisely," said the teen. "The reaction will either be to give up… or to be so out of control that defeat is inevitable."

"An excellent plan, Commander," said Havoc with a sinister tone. "Impressive."

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "Good to know, Havoc… though I hope you are aware that your approval was neither sought after nor necessary."

The smile fell from Havoc's face, and Tommy had to hold back the urge to laugh. He turned back to his plate of food, quickly cutting a piece of steak. He could still feel the eyes of everyone looking at him. "Return to your meals," he ordered gruffly. "This discussion is over."

The clang of metal against metal was heard in the mess hall, along with the sounds of muffled conversation.

"He's right, you know," said Scorpina with a smirk. "That was quite impressive, Commander… and strategically the right move to make with the officers."

The green ranger paused. "What?"

His second-in-command rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Tommy. You know what you just did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're not oblivious to the rumors, and even if you were, Squatt and Baboo would have surely told you by now how some of the generals doubted your allegiance to Lord Zedd… especially Rygog."

He visibly bristled at the name of the second lieutenant commander.

"Letting them overhear our conversation was a clever way of getting them to trust you."

Tommy kept his eyes focused on his food, though he couldn't fight the twitch at the corner of his lips. "I'm not admitting anything."

She rolled her eyes. "You already did."

The green ranger shot her a roguish grin before swallowing the last bit of food and rising to his feet.

"I'm headed to my quarters, Scorpy. If anyone needs me, tell them it can wait until tomorrow."

"But what if it can't?" she asked as he picked up his tray.

"It can." Tommy dropped off his dirty dishes on the nearby conveyor belt as he headed out of the mess hall.

The mess hall was located on the lower levels of the palace on the east side, forcing Tommy to take what felt like a million-mile trek back to his room. He wondered if he could convince Finster to install an elevator in the Lunar Palace as he ascended the fifth staircase, slightly out of breath from the exertion.

'They just had to have nine stories… shit.'

The teen walked into the throne room, mesmerized by the eerie glow the Earth cast on the large room. It was strange to see the room so empty; the only time he came by was for a council meeting or to get to his room on the other side.

Slowly, he made his way to the balcony, hands resting on the cool railing as he stared out at the Earth. At this distance, it was impossible to see the hundreds of dead bodies littering the ground or hear the agonized screams from the various battles on Earth.

There was only calm, and he relished it.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the Repulsascope, a thin layer of dust covering the forgotten telescope as it rested in the corner of the room. Curiously, he walked over to it, blowing off the dust as he trailed a finger along its black surface. It felt cold against his skin. No one bothered to use the Repulsascope anymore since Rita was… taken care of.

Tommy pressed his eye against the eyepiece, confused when he saw nothing but darkness.

'Does this even still work?'

'Only one way to find out,' spoke up a voice softly.

The green ranger stood back, wracking his brain to remember the words Rita would say in the past when using the instrument.

"On," he tried, unsurprised when nothing happened.

"Go?" Nothing.

"Activate." Still nothing.

He sighed. "Knew it was a long shot. This thing hasn't been used in months. Why the hell should I expect it to find –"

The Repulsascope began to hum slightly, and it vibrated in its mount.

"–anyone," he finished lamely. "Hah… well, look at that." The green ranger looked through the telescope again, now able to see the Earth at the other end.

"Let's see…" said Tommy as he scratched at the short hairs growing along his jaw line as he thought of a person to test the instrument on.

He scoffed. 'Of course. He should be easy enough to find since he's always up to something stupid.'

"Find… Eugene Skullovitch. He should be in Angel Grove but…" He felt a bit ridiculous having a conversation with an inanimate object.

The Repulsascope gave off a low whistling noise before returning to its normal state of humming. When Tommy looked through the eyepiece again, he saw Skull laughing hysterically in Angel Grove Park with Bulk, more than likely at something stupid.

The green ranger pulled back, eyes narrowed as he pondered what to do next.

It didn't take him long at all. "Find Sandra Oliver. She's in Angel Grove as well."

The picture at the other end of the telescope became blurry for several seconds before refocusing to reveal the face of Tommy's mother.

Sandra was in the living room again, though now she was sitting in a chair near the window. She had moved the La-Z-Boy recliner to the other side of the room, feet tucked beneath her as she looked out of the window with red eyes. She was still wrapped up in Tommy's blanket.

He knew why she sat there, and he felt his stomach lurch to see the state his mother was in.

'She saw me there the other night… I wonder how many nights she's spent sitting there, waiting for me to come back…' He suddenly felt like throwing up.

'Look for someone else, Oliver. This isn't helping you in any way.'

Tommy nodded absently, blinking against the stinging sensation in his eyes as he thought of someone else to look for.

"Find… find the pink power ranger," he whispered softly. "Quickly."

He tried to come up with a valid reason as to why he was looking for Kimberly, but he knew he had none. The two hadn't spoken since the invasion of Paris.

Kim appeared in the telescope, hair tied back in a ponytail as she sat on a stool in what Tommy recognized as Billy's garage. She was holding what looked like a computer chip in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. Trini was next to her, wearing goggles and fire gloves. He couldn't discern what the two were saying, but it was clear from their mannerisms that they were chatting with each other. Kim started laughing at something that Trini said, and he could see her face become flushed as she threw her head back in amusement.

His fist clenched tightly as he watched her, anger pooling in the center of his chest.

He had been waiting for word from her for days, weeks even, and she was down there with her friends having a laugh? What the hell happened to staying in contact?

'What are you on about?' a voice asked lazily.

The green ranger scowled. 'I'm actually making an effort to handle this pregnancy and she's sitting there cracking jokes with the rainbow team? That's so selfish and such–'

'Bullshit,' finished the voice for him. 'You're chock-full of it.'

The green ranger backed away from the telescope in alarm. 'No, I'm not! I'm just–'

'Being an inconsiderate jackass,' said the voice firmly. 'You're not the one that's actually pregnant. Kim has a lot more to lose from all of this than you do. In a few months, everyone will know what she's done… as long as you keep her off the radar, you're scot-free. Don't blame her for not wanting to be around the guy that literally fucked her life over.'

The teen chose not to respond, opting instead to force the voice to the back of his mind and look back through the Repulsascope.

Kim was waving goodbye to Trini and Billy as she headed out of the garage. Her hair was loose now, chestnut locks caressing her slender shoulders. Her black sweater fit her snugly, and the low-rise jeans she wore did wonders for her hips and thighs. Her varsity cheerleading jacket hugged her frame as she walked in the direction of her house.

As his eyes scanned her lithe form, it suddenly hit Tommy how much time had passed since he had last been with a woman. The last time he had sex or physical intimacy of any kind was with Kimberly on that fateful day when everything went to Hell between them. He had never gone so long without a woman's touch before, and it startled him that he hadn't even noticed.

But watching the rhythmic sway of Kim's hips as she made her way to her house made it painfully clear what he was missing.

'Such a pig,' said the other voice in his head with disgust. 'Two minutes ago, you were cursing her out her name… and now you're damn near salivating over her. Make up your damn mind.'

"Shut up," whispered Tommy hoarsely as he was overcome with the familiar stirrings of arousal.

What he wouldn't give…

"Commander Oliver."

It took a few seconds for Tommy to realize he was being called, and even longer to process that it was Rygog calling him by his actual title.

He straightened up, still facing the Earth. "Yes?" he croaked.

"I wanted to discuss the battle in San Francisco with you. The city will fall soon, and we need to begin plans for invading San Francisco next."

Tommy cleared his throat awkwardly. "What about it?"

"Rome will fall soon, and I am asking for your… assistance in this upcoming battle. After Los Angeles and now San Francisco, my soldiers will need assistance. Given that you are more familiar with this region, I think it would be best if we worked together."

The green ranger's eyes widened slightly before he turned around to face the lieutenant commander. Rygog appeared to be in pain, and Tommy briefly wondered if it may have physically hurt him to ask for help.

Behind Rygog stood Scorpina who appeared to be smirking, no doubt amused by the situation. For a moment, Tommy considered teasing Rygog for needing his help, but the sight of Scorpina slowly shaking her head kept him from doing so.

He understood what she was telling him: Don't push it.

"Set up a time to meet with me in the morning with Baboo since he's in charge of my schedule. Tell him to give you the first available time before I head back to Rome, and we can discuss the details then."

Rygog nodded before walking off, but Scorpina remained where she was, a concerned look on her face.

"What is it?" asked the teen gruffly.

"Are you all right, Commander?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You look a bit… flushed."

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest before turning his back to her. "I'm fine."

Light scraping alerted him to her moving across the throne room floor.

"I didn't know this still works."

He blinked, slightly startled to see hear her voice so close to him. "What?"

"Rita's telescope." She ran a long finger along its length. "I thought it stopped working once I killed her, but I saw you using it when we came in."

He cleared his throat, unnerved with how close she was to the Repulsascope. If she looked through it, she would see Kim on the other side.

'If I push her out of the way, it'll look suspicious… and I don't have time to tell it to find someone else.'

"Yeah, it does. I'm as surprised as you are." He wracked his brain for an excuse as she bent down to look through the eyepiece.

"When I saw that it worked…" He saw her face scrunch up in confusion, no doubt confused as to why he was looking at the pink ranger. "…I decided to look and see what the power rangers were doing down in Angel Grove. I wanted to see if they've made any progress on their zords."

The silence that followed set him on edge, and he could feel the sweat gather on his palms as he waited for her to respond.

"I see," she said softly before moving to sit back up. "And have they?"

'Wow… I can't believe she bought that,' said the younger voice in confusion.

"Me either," muttered Tommy lowly, slightly bewildered.

"What was that?" asked Scorpina with a bemused expression.

"Nothing, um… as far as I've been able to tell, they're still working on getting Zordon back, but now I'm a little suspicious."

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "You think they're up to something?"

He bit his lip. "Most of their work takes place in their Command Center… haven't got a real clue what's going on."

The green ranger suddenly felt very embarrassed for his failure to keep an eye on the power rangers for so long. All this time, his attention had been devoted to fighting in the war; he hadn't given much thought to what needed his attention the most.

"Perhaps another breach of their base is in order?" she asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Break into the Command Center three times?" He laughed. "They're not that stupid. We've captured over twenty cities so far. The power rangers have been inactive since this invasion started, and I can't imagine them letting it continue for much longer. You've seen the reports; the nations of Earth have been crying for help and after this latest attack…"

The power rangers had to know that the Dark Empire could see them from the moon. If Rita could with all of her incompetence, surely they could figure out that Lord Zedd was more than capable of doing the same.

And suddenly, Tommy was hit with a chilling thought.

'What if you're only seeing what they want you to see?' asked the older voice in his head.

With how fucked-up things were with Kim, he had no way of learning what the rangers were truly up to. Granted, the likelihood of her telling him would be low even if they were on good terms, but the possibility of seducing the truth from her certainly used to put the odds in his favor.

He tried to think back on what he saw a few moments ago through the Repulsascope.

'They were working on something, I could clearly see that… though it is weird for them to be laughing and joking at a time like this. Their sense of honor wouldn't allow them to stomach being so complacent while Earth was being invaded. Kim was entirely too pissed off before about the invasion to just sit around fixing computer chips…'

His eyes narrowed dangerously as something occurred to him. 'Why the hell would Kim even be touching a computer chip? She knows nothing about computers… and Billy wouldn't let her near anything in his lab…'

'And now you're finally thinking like a commander,' said the voice, now thoroughly pleased.

"Tommy?" Scorpina looked at him in concern at his sudden shift in attitude.

Tommy's jaw clenched, disappointed that it had taken this long for him to realize this. "They're definitely up to something, Scorpina. What exactly, I'm not sure, but they are. I know it."

'And I should've known it earlier… shit,' he berated himself mentally.

"What do you want to do, Tommy?"

His nostrils flared briefly in irritation. "Alert all generals to an emergency meeting to be held tomorrow evening. They'll need to be on the watch for an attack by the power rangers. Something big. The rangers have had damn near a month to attack and haven't when I know they should be able to by now. It shouldn't take a month to find Zordon… it didn't before. And if he's back, their zords should be operational."

His eyes flashed green. "They're saving up for something powerful, and we need to be prepared." The green ranger stalked off, already coming up with a list of agenda items to be discussed in the next meeting.

"Understood, though I'm not sure there is a reason for much concern," she said.

Tommy paused. "What?"

"There are five of them… and even if Zordon were back and up to full speed and their zords were operational, it can't be expected for them to stop a planetary invasion now. We've hit too many cities in too many different regions of the Earth for them to stop our progress."

The green ranger remained silent, considering Scorpina's words carefully before turning to face her.

"If there's one thing I learned from serving under Rita, and trust me there was little to learn, it was to pay attention to what's in front of you. Her greatest problem was not recognizing a threat when it was staring her right in the face."

His voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "They've done nothing in retaliation for weeks, Scorpina. I know the people behind those masks, and there isn't a damn thing that would keep them from defending this planet with their lives… that's why they took the job. So doesn't it strike you as a little strange that they've basically let the Earth go straight to Hell without lifting a finger?"

The more he talked about it, the more Tommy was hit with the sickening feeling that something was going to happen soon. He really should have paid more attention.

"You're right. I'm just having difficulty imagining a great threat from five people, powers or not," said Scorpina.

Tommy gave a low snort before turning, heading out of the throne room to head to his quarters. There would be no sleep for him tonight; he needed to plan. Before he left the room, however, he paused in the open doorway.

"Scorpina?" he called out.

"Yes, Tommy?" she answered.

"Something else I learned from Rita? Don't underestimate the power rangers. As soon as we do that… we've already lost."


Outside of Little Italy

San Francisco, CA

Next Thursday

Local time, 7:01 PM

This was one of those times when Tommy Oliver really wished he was wrong.

The heat from the nearby burning building hit him in waves, and he felt as if he might suffocate underneath his power suit. He could feel the sweat dripping down his tanned face beneath his helmet, and he wished he could wipe away the beads that found themselves in the five o'clock shadow he now sported.

He really should have shaved beforehand.

They had been fighting in San Francisco for about three hours. He and his army were assisting Rygog with the takeover of the city. Things had been going fairly smoothly for the first hour, when it was just the U.S. armed forces they were fighting.

Imagine their surprise when the rainbow brigade decided to show up with friends.

Tommy had been expecting to see Jason and the others at some point, and of course, the red ranger never failed to be predictable. Naturally, he was flanked by his teammates, each in a different ridiculous pose.

To their right, however, was a whole other group of power rangers. They had the same colors as the Earth team except for black; that ranger was replaced by a green ranger. Their power suits were different in design from the Earth team, each having an arrow of their respective color in white trimming on their chest. The cuffs of their gloves and boots were silver with black lining. Tommy remembered Goldar vaguely mentioning something about other teams, and he now regretted not paying attention back then.

"Jason! How wonderful for you and your lackeys to finally make an appearance and help out around here. I thought you guys would never show," taunted Tommy. "And look at this, you have friends… isn't that cute? And who might you be?"

Their red ranger stood forward. "We are the Time Force rangers."

Brown eyes narrowed behind the green ranger's visor in confusion. "Time Force? What the hell are you doing here? It's not like you brown-nosers to break the rules."

His knowledge on other ranger teams was limited, but he knew for sure that Time Force was not supposed to be here.

"We made an exception for you, green ranger," hissed the blue Time Force ranger.

Tommy grinned beneath his helmet, hands moving to free the two weapons at his side: his Dragon dagger and newly acquired Falchion sword.

"Then by all means…" His voice dropped to a whisper as his hands began to glow green. "Come get me."

Two hours later, Tommy found himself covered in ash, sweat, and blood. His arms were covered in lacerations from a brutal fight with the red and green Time Force rangers and their stupid Chrono sabers.

"Give up, green ranger?" asked a feminine voice.

Tommy smirked when he saw the pink Time Force ranger appear suddenly in front of him.

"My fight's not with you, little girl… though I'd be more than happy to kill you if you insist on getting in my way," he snarled.

"Don't call me little girl. There's nothing little about me," she hissed coldly.

"Wanna prove it to me?" he said with a leer. He used the pink ranger's momentary lapse at his words to his advantage, quickly throwing his dagger at her and embedding it into her shoulder. She gave a startled cry of pain.

"Jen!" Tommy heard a voice yell, and he rolled his eyes when he saw the red Time Force ranger run over.

'Is every fucking red ranger in love with the pink ranger?'

"Are you all right?" asked the red ranger.

The girl, Jen, nodded. "I think so, Wes."

"For fuck's sake… I didn't even hit anything major! The only thing she could possibly die from is you smothering her," Tommy commented nastily.

The red Time Force ranger growled angrily as he summoned his Chrono saber, charging wildly at Tommy. The green ranger barely managed to get his sword up in time to block the blow.

"Somebody's angry!" yelled Tommy with a wild laugh as he ducked a swipe to his head, rolling on the ground to land next to the fallen pink ranger. Quickly, he pulled his dagger from her shoulder, rolling his eyes when she let out a cry of pain.

"Hey now," he said slowly, pointing the bloody dagger in Wesley's direction while keeping the tip of his Falchion sword at Jen's throat.

"Let's not be hasty, Wesley," said Tommy in a singsong voice. "I'd really hate to rip out poor Jenny's jugular, but if you keep coming at me, the sword might just… slip."

Wes stood still for several seconds before dropping his saber. "Very good."

A rush of footsteps behind Tommy caused him to whirl the sword around quickly, stopping Trini in her tracks. "Trini… I thought I taught you better than that. You're supposed to be light on your feet."

He had the distinct feeling that Trini was scowling at him beneath her helmet, and the thought put a smile on his face.

"Now," he turned back to Wes, foot pressing harshly against the wound in Jen's shoulder as she cried out in agony. "Get down on the gr– "

Tommy's body went soaring through the air about thirty feet before he slammed into the front of a discarded army car, left arm dislocating upon impact. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head to clear himself of the blinding pain. In the distance, he could see Jason holding the Power Blaster, its barrel still smoking from firing.

A rain of bullets came at Tommy suddenly and he winced when one pierced his arm. He dropped down to the ground, dragging his body beneath the car as he crawled over to the other side. His left arm radiated pain in waves, and he grit his teeth as he pulled himself out on the other side. Pulling up into a seating position, Tommy clenched his jaw as he reset his arm, eyes watering slightly.

Breathing deeply to ease the pain, he took a chance and looked around the side of the jeep, only to turn back quickly when a missile flew at him, exploding upon impact with a decimated tank nearby.

"Shit," he breathed hoarsely.

Cackling in his ear caught his attention. It sounded like Kronon.

"Kronon! Kronon, can you read me?"

The sound of static was all Tommy heard for some time before Kronon's voice came over the line. "I read you, Commander."

"Status report?"

More static. "We're under heavy fire…" Static covered Kronon's voice. "…red zone… immediate… evacuation to…"

The green ranger groaned; he couldn't understand the message. He needed to find Kronon so they could regroup, but he had no idea where his general was. Teleportation was useless given that the enemy seemed to be everywhere at once.

"Kronon, listen. Don't stop trying to get in contact with me. I can't read your signal where I am, but keep trying until I get back in touch with you."

He needed a diversion.

Closing his eyes, Tommy concentrated on creating several little balls of energy in his hand, each no larger than a marble. Rearing back, he threw the balls overhead as far as he could, and they exploded on impact, shaking the ground in their wake.

Tommy took that time to run full speed to the nearest building. He ducked behind a parked SUV, wincing when bullets shattered the glass windows. He shook off the glass, looking around quickly to see if he could find anything nearby he could use to his advantage.

Frightened faces in a nearby pizza parlor gave him an idea, and he ran as fast as he could to the small brick building. The people inside backed away in fear as he approached, and he jumped headfirst through the window, wincing when he felt shards of glass piercing his skin. He landed on his left arm, and groaned in pain.

'Get up, Tommy. You need to keep moving.'

He knew they wouldn't shoot inside the restaurant, not with so many civilians nearby. Tommy caught sight of a middle-aged woman, and he roughly grabbed her by her leg. She screamed loudly in fright while frantically trying to kick him off.

"Shut up," he growled, twisting her arm behind her roughly.

Bending low, he grabbed a large piece of glass from his thigh, raising the bloody weapon to her throat. His gaze fell on the men huddled up on the ground in fear.

"You six, stand around us in a shield. If they try to shoot me, I want one of you getting hit first."

The men sat still, and Tommy wasn't sure if it was from shock, fear, or defiance.

"I don't have time for this," he grunted lowly. Angrily, he pointed a hand at one of the men before sending a bolt of green energy at him, blowing a hole through his skull. Screams rang out in the small building when blood and tissue landed on the wall behind the now dead man, and the woman in Tommy's arms began to cry hysterically.

'What the hell happened to no civilians killed?' asked the young voice in alarm. 'Have you lost it?'

'He hasn't lost anything,' the older voice spoke up happily. 'If anything, he's finally found it. Lord Zedd will understand why those people had to die.'

"Shut the hell up, I'm not going to kill you!" the teen yelled at the frightened woman in annoyance, grip tightening on her considerably. The combination of her screaming and the voices in his head was making him restless.

'Because that'll surely calm her down…' said the younger voice irritably. 'You're only proving just how much of a lunatic you are. She has every right to be scared… you murdered the Pope!'

'That was different,' argued Tommy.

'Well, I mean obviously you're right,' continued the voice sardonically. 'Because who wouldn't get that you're clearly stable… which is why you just blew a hole through a defenseless guy in front of all these people here for not wanting to take a bullet for you…'

The green ranger had no response to that, and chose instead to focus on the situation at hand.

"The five of you… stand up and act as a goddamn shield, or you'll be just like him." The men rushed to their feet, arms linked together as they surrounded Tommy and the woman.

The teen would have taken the back door, but the likelihood that it wasn't guarded by now was extremely low. Teleporting to the roof was pointless; he could hear the helicopters outside. He needed insurance that they wouldn't kill him on sight, and these people served that purpose.

"Now, what we're gonna do is walk to the door and talk to the nice people out there… okay?" He didn't wait for their response as he forced them outside onto the sidewalk.

"Let them go, green ranger!" Jason yelled from behind a barricade.

'This has all the makings of a setup,' warned the dark voice. 'You can't trust anything that bastard says.'

"So you can shoot me?" asked Tommy incredulously, glass piercing the skin of the sobbing woman's throat. "You're even stupider than you look!"

"If you release the hostages, we'll let you go," promised Jason. "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

'He wants you dead, Tommy, just like before. Think… look around you.'

The green ranger's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he briefly caught sight of the setting sun's reflection off of something high up from the building across the street.

"You're a terrible liar, Jase," he hissed before yanking the crying woman in front of him and ducking, unsurprised when she fell over in a heap, a bullet hole in her forehead.

Tommy grabbed one of the men in his human shield, a strong hand holding the man to him by his throat. The people in the restaurant were sobbing loudly at the sight of the dead woman.

"You want someone else to die, red ranger? Call off the snipers!" shouted Tommy angrily.

The rigidity in the red ranger's posture let Tommy know that Jason was pissed, but he saw Jason lift a stiff hand and wave to signal for the snipers to stand down. Tommy wasted no time in believing anything they did, using the man in front of him to back inside the pizza parlor.

A rush of feet alerted Tommy to someone running at him from behind, and he quickly moved out of the way. The sound of flesh being ripped filled the air, and he looked on in amusement when he saw his previous hostage staring down at a butcher knife in his stomach.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. 'I didn't even know they used butcher knives for pizza. Interesting.'

The wounded man fell to his knees in shock, blood pouring out of his wound. Tommy yanked out the knife irritably before slamming it into the man's skull, killing him instantly.

'He was going to die anyway… better to end it now,' reasoned the older voice.

The green ranger grabbed the attacker by the scruff of his neck. "See what you did?" he hissed.

'Make an example out of him, Tommy. They need to learn what the penalty is for defiance.'

The teen pointed at the men who were in his human shield. "You four… stand guard at the wall. I want them to see your faces."

He looked around at the other frightened patrons. "As for the rest of you…" Tommy turned to the man he held in his grip, breaking his neck swiftly before dropping his body with a thud. He landed next to a small family, and they cried loudly when he fell.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you: don't try to be a hero. Stay down on the ground, hands behind your head." The people moved to do as he said while Tommy moved to the back of the restaurant into the kitchen.

'Jesus Christ... look at their faces, Tommy; they're terrified of you!' The green ranger looked out at the horrified patrons, tears streaming down many of their faces.

'As they should be,' growled the older voice. 'The power of the green ranger should strike fear into all enemies.'

'Enemies?' repeated the younger voice incredulously. 'These people aren't his fucking enemies! They were hiding in this goddamn parlor to get away from the fight that he brought to them while they were out trying to live a normal life! He pulled them into this!'

'There are always casualties of war,' said the sinister voice coolly. 'He knows this.'

"Stop arguing," whispered Tommy fiercely. They were giving him a headache.

"Commander."

Tommy sighed in relief. 'Finally.'

"Yes, Kronon?"

"Scanners indicate you are in the heavily guarded building on the perimeter. I suggest that you leave now."

Tommy looked around the small kitchen. The ovens were still on, and he could smell the pizza cooking inside. He took in the many pipes along the walls and ceilings, specifically the large one leading to the oven.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the men guarding the entrance attempting to leave. Tommy grabbed a knife from the counter quickly, throwing it at the man with alarming speed so that it dug into his calf. The man gave a startled cry as he fell down to one knee.

'I guess I should be grateful you didn't kill him, too,' said the young voice snidely.

"I told you not to move!" shouted Tommy. "Now stand up and guard the fucking door!"

"The black ranger is leading an ambush of the building from the back. You'll be outnumbered."

Tommy rolled his eyes. 'Typical Zack… sneaky little shit.'

"Can you break the barricade?"

"Not in time to stop them, sir."

The green ranger closed his eyes briefly. "How much time do I have?"

"About a minute and a half, sir."

He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Great. Kronon, send me your coordinates." Light beeping inside his helmet indicated that the coordinates were received. "I'll see you shortly. Oliver, out."

Tommy stretched his neck tiredly as he headed out of the kitchen, walking around slowly to stand in the middle of the room of hostages. "I'm really sorry about all this," he said with an apologetic sigh.

"Bet this isn't what you all were expecting when you came here today, huh?" he asked with a genuine laugh.

No one else laughed with him.

"Help is on the way. A team is coming to rescue you… but they won't be here in time." Tommy played with the gold shield of his suit idly. "I'm going to blow up this building."

'Are you serious?' the young voice asked in disbelief.

Panic spread like wildfire in the small room, and Tommy raised a finger to the mouth of his helmet as he shushed them.

"Calm down," he said soothingly, both to the hostages and the voice in his head. "I'm going to let everyone leave, though I suggest you do it quickly. You only have about… oh, ten seconds or so."

The rush of people to the door made Tommy chuckle as he closed his eyes, and he whistled softly to himself. Playfully, he pointed two fingers toward the kitchen, opening one eye to line them up with the small white pipe near the ceiling. He waited until he could hear the rustling of footsteps at the backdoor before making his move.

Concentrating intently, the green ranger let out a short green beam of energy that shot to the back of the kitchen, colliding perfectly with the pipe.

The pipe full of natural gas.

"Boom," he whispered before teleporting out of the restaurant, landing seconds later next to Kronon on the other side of San Francisco.

The faint explosion from the other side of the city barely registered in his mind.

"What's going on?" he asked his general.

"Very little, sir," admitted Kronon. "It appears that the bulk of their armed forces went after you on that side. We're only fighting a small troop over here and a few of the rangers."

Tommy nodded, choosing that moment to survey the area. There were about forty U.S. soldiers fighting on this side of the city, along with the yellow Time Force ranger, the blue Earth ranger…

And her.

His stomach did an unsettling roll when he saw Kim launch herself at a nearby enemy, running up his body with ease before wrapping her legs around his neck and flipping him over.

She was incredibly sexy when she was being lethal.

"Kronon, hand me a weapon," asked the green ranger without breaking his gaze away from Kimberly's supple form.

When he felt the cool metal in his gloved hands, though, Tommy looked down in excitement. "Oh, I like these…" he said huskily, twirling the curved blades in his hands. The weapons looked like katana, except the blades were black, as if carved from onyx. Along the blades were words etched in silver. From the style, it looked Xybrian in origin.

"Where the hell did you get these from, Kronon?"

The Piranhatron general shrugged. "Killed a Xybrian soldier some time ago. Spoils of war... never use 'em, though."

The green ranger nodded distractedly, mesmerized by the weapons. "Mind if I take them off your hands?"

Kronon shook his head. "Not at all, sir."

"Excellent. Oh… one more thing?" He pointed over to the north side of the city. "My dagger and sword are over there in the red zone. Have someone retrieve them for me."

"Yes, sir."

The green ranger gave him an appreciative nod before running full speed into the battle towards the small group of soldiers. A flurry of bullets came his way and he ducked down on the ground, flattening his body so that they didn't hit him. Thinking quickly, Tommy grabbed a nearby dead body, holding it in front of him to use as a shield until he could find cover. He could feel the body in his hands shake as it was filled with bullets.

Tommy took refuge in a large building that looked close to collapsing, and he rested his human shield on the ground at his feet. The green ranger tilted his head curiously before lifting the body against the wall, seating the dead soldier in an upright position.

Across from him was a group of about twenty soldiers hiding in a makeshift trench; the rest were out fighting in the open. Rubbing his hands together, Tommy created five golf ball-sized energy balls.

"Let's make this more interesting, shall we?" he asked his companion.

He turned to the dead soldier. "It'd be more fun if I could play with these like baseball or golf… but that'd cause a pretty big accident since they explode on impact. So I guess throwing will do."

"Do you think they'll make it?" He frowned when the soldier simply stared at him with lifeless eyes. "You're just a chatterbox, aren't you?"

With a sigh, Tommy turned back to the balls before jumping out behind the wall and throwing them out into the open. Two of them landed in the trench while the other three went off in the open area, creating a large dust cloud. He grinned when he heard the pained cries of several soldiers.

"Alright… now they're out in the open." He grabbed the katana. "Wish me luck, man."

When the soldier said nothing, Tommy crouched down, patting his cheek gently. The man's head lolled to the side, blood seeping from his neck.

The green ranger sighed. "I so enjoy our talks."

Tommy stalked off into the dust cloud with purpose, eyes searching carefully for any movement. He paused when he heard the loud crunch of boots on gravel, and he waited patiently for the person to show himself.

To his surprise, it was not one but four soldiers huddled together as they tried to maneuver their way through the dust. Tommy grinned widely as he hid himself in the cloud, blending in as he stalked them.

He waited for one of them to almost back into him before grabbing them around the shoulders and slitting their throat slowly. He caught the body as it sank to the ground, and then dragged it into the shadows.

The next soldier that came near him met a more gruesome fate, having found himself impaled with both katana, one in the neck and the other in the stomach. The green ranger pushed him off his blades with his feet, and they hit the ground with a loud thud. The sound caught the ear of the remaining soldiers, and Tommy waited until they were in the right position before swinging the blades skillfully, decapitating both.

Tommy stared down at the bloody blades in his hands. "These are awesome," he said with a breathless laugh, adrenaline coursing through him.

The teen felt almost drugged from the pleasurable rush of killing the soldiers. The smell of blood and death was usually quite gross to him, but now there was an almost… arousing quality to it.

The snapping of a twig caught his ear, and he once again disappeared into the shadows. He proceeded to hunt the remaining soldiers in the thick cloud, thoroughly enjoying the game.

It wasn't until several minutes later that the dust finally settled, leaving one remaining soldier in the area. Tommy's limbs burned furiously and his suit was bloodied as he made his way to the soldier, intent evident in his posture. The soldier, startled from the green ranger's sudden appearance, fell backwards in fright, gun tumbling from his hand. Tommy used his powers to incinerate the gun, leaving scorch marks where it once was.

"Don't do it," said a voice from his left, and Tommy turned to see Billy with his power lance trained on him.

"We don't want to fight you," said another voice. "Just let him go."

Tommy blinked when saw the yellow Time Force ranger at his right, Chrono blaster aimed at him.

He laughed darkly behind his helmet before removing the katana from his right hand and pointing his hand palm upward at the soldier.

"Tommy, NO!" Billy shouted.

A burst of energy came from his palm, blowing a hole through the soldier's face, leaving him dead on the ground. The blood and tissue flew outward, landing in a wide spray on Tommy's suit. He grunted in disgust when he realized his visor was covered in blood. 'Great.'

The green ranger sighed dramatically. "I guess now you just have to fight me. Oh well."

The yellow Time Force ranger stood stunned before shaking her head solemnly. "The legends do you no justice, Oliver. You really are sick."

Tommy turned to her with genuine surprise. "Legends? There are legends about me in your time? Please, tell me more."

"There's nothing else to tell," she snarled. "Only that you live up to your reputation."

He shrugged. "I guess that's good." Tommy scratched the back of his neck. "What's your name, yellow ranger? I'm at a terrible disadvantage. You seem to know my name, but I have no idea who you are."

"Katie," she said shortly before shooting at him with her Chrono blaster.

Tommy jumped out of the way at the last second, allowing the beam to graze his shoulder. His eyes flashed green in anger. "You really shouldn't have done that."

He ran at her with a fierce cry, swinging the blades skillfully as he put her on the defensive. Tommy realized quickly that he was overpowering her, and he laughed loudly when she stumbled from a vicious blow. A quick movement to his side caught his attention and he turned with wild eyes, only to jump back when a swirl of dust came at him.

The green ranger wiped fiercely at his helmet, panicking when he could no longer see a thing. The dirt had mixed with the blood on his helmet, causing it to stick to his visor. It was already getting dark with the sun setting completely; with the dirt, he was practically blind.

"God dammit, Billy!" he shouted as he feebly wiped at the dirt, only succeeding in making it worse.

"Can't fight if you can't see," he heard the blue ranger taunt before feeling a hard kick to his stomach.

The green ranger gave out a grunt before flying backwards when a powerful blast followed the kick. His head slammed against the ground hard, and he let out a pained gasp.

'Get up, Oliver. Don't let them capture you,' hissed an angry voice in his head.

"Commander! Commander, are you all right?"

Tommy coughed weakly. "Just fine."

"I'm sending in a unit to –"

"No," ground out Tommy angrily. "Don't send anyone. They're mine."

"But sir –" Tommy never heard what Kronon had to say as he ripped off his helmet, throwing it off to the side in anger. He climbed up to his feet, katana in each hand. His eyes were solid green, and he could feel the anger radiating from his body in waves.

"Nice trick blinding me, Billy. Thought you guys were above cheap shots."

"Sometimes we do what we must when it is demanded of us," replied the blue ranger tersely.

A startled gasp caught both men by surprise, and Tommy was confused when he saw the yellow ranger backing away from him slowly.

"Katie?" Billy's voice was laced with concern.

"You? You're Tommy Oliver… I didn't… oh God…" Tommy had the sneaking suspicion that if her helmet were off, she would be staring at him with wide eyes.

He grinned. "Well, who else would I be? Didn't think I'd be so handsome in person, huh?"

The yellow ranger didn't respond, still in seeming shock at seeing Tommy's face.

"Katie," said Billy, his voice stronger now.

"You never told us it was him!" she accused the blue ranger angrily.

"I don't see why that matters. You came to us knowing who he was," said Billy defensively.

"There's no documentation of his face," she said fiercely, gaze still locked on Tommy. "We never knew what he looked like."

"Well, now you're aware… but that shouldn't change anything, Katie," reasoned Billy, confusion evident in his voice.

She finally turned to the blue ranger. "It changes everything, Billy!"

Tommy watched them curiously, confused by the yellow ranger's reaction to seeing him without his helmet on.

"This explains so much…" she said weakly.

"What do you –?"

Tommy let out a loud growl. "I'm still here, you know… and I don't like being ignored."

The two rangers turned to him, as if finally remembering he was, in fact, still there.

The green ranger sprang into action, charging at them quickly. They managed to block his blows, though he could tell it strained them to fight him while he used his powers. Tommy could handle fighting both rangers at once, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to last long. The injuries to his arms, while not life-threatening, were still serious enough to put him at a disadvantage if he fought for an extended period of time.

A piercing cry of pain followed by an explosion across the battlefield caught his attention, and his eyes widened when he saw Kimberly on the ground unmoving, in a pile of rubble. Scorpina stood over her, sword in hand.

'No!'

He shoved Billy back several feet before focusing his attention on Katie. Tommy delivered a fierce kick to the yellow ranger's head, sending her crashing to the ground before slashing Billy across his torso with the katana. The blue ranger fell on the ground with a cry, hands brushing against the cut on his chest.

The green ranger knew he could kill both rangers then and there… but with Scorpina coming after Kim, he had no time. He took off towards them quickly, pushing his legs much harder than he ever had before.

"Scorpina!" he yelled forcefully when he reached them, startling her so much that she was momentarily paralyzed.

The lieutenant commander shot him a bemused glance before turning back to the unresponsive Kimberly, sword ready to deliver the deadly blow. Tommy jumped in front of her blade, blocking her with his katana and shoving her back. Scorpina looked at him heatedly before making another attempt to kill the pink ranger, only to be stopped again by Tommy pushing her back.

"Commander, what are you doing?" she yelled in frustration, weapon turned on him.

"The blue and yellow rangers are over there. I want you to take care of them. I'll handle the pink ranger," he rasped as he pointed at them in the distance, gaze never breaking from Scorpina

Scorpina looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fury. Her sword hovered near his face and he refused to lower his blades. The two faced off, chests heaving from adrenaline as they maintained defensive postures. From the corner of his eye, he could see the shallow rise and fall of Kimberly's chest as she lay on the ground; he needed to check on her to see if she was all right.

'You don't need to do anything, Tommy,' reminded the young voice. 'You're choosing to… I wonder why…'

Tommy could feel the stares of nearby soldiers on them, and he knew they were confused to see the two leaders so combative. Still, they wouldn't approach them unless he and Scorpina started fighting.

"You were handling them when I arrived, Commander. I don't see why we have to suddenly switch places." Her grip tightened on her sword, her knuckles white.

Tommy repeated, "I will take care of the pink ranger." His body was tense, prepared to come to blows with his second-in-command if necessary.

Scorpina looked astounded. "You left them alive just to come over here and take care of her?"

'When she says it like that, it sounds incredibly stupid…' pointed out a voice.

The green ranger could feel the rage coming from her as he moved to stand over Kimberly, physically blocking her from Scorpina's gaze. "Go over there and get rid of the other rangers."

"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on, Tommy!" she yelled at him, getting in his face.

'Yes. Explain yourself, Oliver,' said a voice amusedly.

"I don't have to explain anything to you. I gave you a direct order, lieutenant commander," he hissed coldly, face inches away from hers. "I will not repeat myself. You are wasting time by talking to me and letting them escape. Go now."

The two remained locked in an intense stare, and it was only when Kim softly moaned at their feet did Tommy look away. Scorpina's eyes traveled between the pink and green rangers, and Tommy swallowed thickly when he saw her eyes go cold.

'Shit…'

"Yes, sir," Scorpina snarled out through gritted teeth before stalking off to the other rangers. Tommy didn't miss the disgusted look she sent his way; he had never seen such anger on his second-in-command's face.

He waited until she was several feet away before dropping his katana and grabbing Kim by her shoulders. The pink ranger let out a small cry of pain at his touch.

"Kim, are you all right?" he asked lowly, only getting a faint moan in response.

Glancing around, he saw that the soldiers were distracted by the appearance of the rest of the power rangers and knew this was his one shot at getting Kim to safety without being seen. Tommy noticed a nearby building and quickly scooped her up, pulling her with him behind a nearby wall out of anyone's sight. He unclipped her helmet and pulled it off of her, disturbed to see her pale face as she gasped desperately for air. Her chestnut locks were stuck to her forehead from sweat. She was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"Shit, Kim…" he muttered, checking her over for any serious injuries. "Were you hit in the stomach?"

Kim shook her head before wincing.

"I'm surprised you're letting me touch you," he admitted.

"That's because my arm's broken," she ground out.

He raised an eyebrow, now noticing the way she cradled her unnaturally bent arm to her body. "Let me see that," he said, grabbing her arm gently.

She wiggled, trying to get away from him without doing more damage to herself. "Dammit, Kim! I'm trying to help you. I can't stop you from fighting while pregnant, but I can at least keep you alive. I saved you, didn't I?"

She stopped moving, gasping softly when her arm was engulfed in a green glow. Seconds later he released her, and she rotated her arm experimentally, surprise evident in her face.

"See?" He smiled lightly at her.

His smile disappeared when she cocked her fist back, slamming it directly into his left eye. He stumbled backwards, falling on to the ground with a groan. Tommy gasped harshly when Kim pounced on him, arms flying at a rapid pace as she began to hit him repeatedly, fists connecting with any part of him she could reach.

"Kim – ow – god dammit – get OFF of me!" he yelled, hands wrapping around her thin wrists to keep her from hitting him.

She was breathing harshly as she straddled him, and he sat up, face centimeters from hers.

"Whatis your probl–"

Kim slammed her head into his hard, forcing Tommy to release her as stars exploded behind his eyelids. He grimaced at the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, tongue throbbing in pain where he accidentally bit it. The pink ranger resumed hitting him as hard as she could, and he could feel pain radiating from his jaw. Thinking quickly, he carefully shoved her off of him, rolling onto his stomach before climbing to his feet.

He gave a startled gasp when he felt her jump onto his back, and he winced when she used her powerful thighs to squeeze hard around his middle, crushing his ribs painfully. Her arm was wrapped around his neck and he wheezed as she cut off his air supply. Tommy stumbled back into a wall, slamming her into it repeatedly until she broke her grip.

He fell to his knees, desperately gasping for air, only to gasp when she delivered a swift kick to his face. He rocked onto his back cradling his face, and he could feel the blood pouring from his nose. Kim lifted her leg to kick him again, but he grabbed her ankle, yanking hard so that she fell down onto her back. She cursed when her head slammed into the ground, and Tommy took the chance to crawl on top of her. She tried to hit him again, hands searching for his face. Tommy gripped her wrists hard, forcing them down so that her arms crossed her chest in an 'X'.

"What the fuck is your problem!" he yelled at her before spitting out blood on the ground beside them. "Jesus, Kim! Are you trying to bash my skull in?"

'I think that answer's pretty obvious,' commented the young voice wryly.

"That would be the point," she said nastily, wiggling to get from under him. "Why did you save me? How did you even know I was in trouble?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked angrily, dodging her questions. "And what the hell were you thinking taking on Scorpina in your condition? You're supposed to be smarter than that."

She rolled her eyes. "You know the answer to that question."

He pushed her arms down hard, causing her to groan. "No, I don't. I've been trying to work out this fucked up situation with you, and you're not even trying. I checked under the rock four times and nothing… I can't make things work by myself."

He heard a groan in his head. 'Do you just have an infinite list of things to say that will piss her off?'

Kim's eyes widened in fury. "Make things work? What the hell do we have to work out, Tommy? You're fucking insane. You think I'm going to let you anywhere near my child with the shit you've done?"

"Our child," he corrected as his face scrunched up in confusion. "And what you do you mean what I've done? I haven't done anything!"

She stared at him in shock. "Tommy… you killed the Pope! Your army burned down Mecca! Jerusalem is in ruins, along with the other dozens of cities that have been terrorized by your empire!"

He growled. "It's my job, Kimberly! That's what I have to do!"

"Then why the hell do you have to be so fucking good at it!" she screamed at him with wet eyes in frustration before sighing, calming herself. "As a mother, it's my job to keep my child safe from harm."

"Our child," he stressed. "And that's why you're fighting, right?" he questioned in a caustic tone. "Because that makes perfect sense."

"I'm fighting to keep the world safe for my child," she stated, and he bristled at her use of the word my. "To keep my baby away from the people that threaten that world."

"Even if it's their father you're keeping them from?" he asked.

"Especially if it's their father," she hissed. "My child will be nothing like you if I can help it."

His stomach tightened at her hateful words. "You can't keep me from our child, Kim. I won't let you."

She laughed at this. "And how will you manage that, Tommy, hmm? Gonna kidnap me? Take me back to the Lunar Palace and lock me away in your room? I'm sure that'll go over well with Zeddy."

"This isn't funny!" he shouted at her.

"Nothing about any of this is funny, Tommy! I made a horrible mistake by sleeping with you, and I'm paying for it now. My baby won't suffer because of what I did."

"Our baby," he corrected sharply again, annoyed at her constant refusal to acknowledge his part in the child's conception. "This is my child, too."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't even want this baby, so stop trying to use that line on me. It won't work."

'Ehh… she's got a point there, bro.'

"So you can read my fucking mind now?" he asked harshly. "You don't know shit about me or how I feel about the baby, Kim."

"I know that my child –"

"Our child!" he nearly screamed at her, forcing her into stunned silence. "Stop calling our baby yours like I'm not the father!"

Kim stared at him intently for several seconds. "Do you want to be a father to this child, Tommy?"

He was surprised by how soft her voice was and by the frankness of her question. "I-I mean…"

"Then do what a father would do, a good father," she stressed, not giving him the chance to answer. "You're too much of a coward to leave Zedd, you've already proven that, and by now, I know better than to expect you to have an epiphany and do the right thing."

He scowled. "And what would that be?"

"Stay out of my child's life." Her tone was pleading.

The young voice growled. 'There she goes with that my shit again… unless it was an immaculate conception, she really needs to stop saying that. It's your baby, too.'

"Tommy, I'm begging you… leave us alone. I don't expect anything from you. I just want my baby to be safe, and the only way that's possible is if you're gone. This child deserves a father who is sane and puts them first… that person isn't you."

Tommy's eyes flashed green in irritation, irritated by the truth in her words. "Who do they deserve then? Someone like Jason?" he spat out bitterly.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "But I can't give them that now."

The green ranger said nothing, pushing himself off of her angrily to sit back.

Kim stared at him with guarded eyes, pulling herself up to sit across from him. She looked at him for some time before rising on shaky legs so that she stood over him. "You won't have a part in this child's life, you understand? At most, you're a sperm donor."

'Damn… she's vicious,' spoke up the more youthful voice. 'I like her.'

Tommy felt as if he had been slapped, and he looked up at her with a hateful expression.

Her hand made its way to her stomach. "I don't want this baby to know what kind of monster their father was and the horrible things he did."

The green ranger stood slowly, the familiar feelings of anger coursing through his body. He glared at her with malice, eyes flashing green before turning and heading back into the fight.

"Where are you going?" she asked suddenly.

"Said it yourself, Kimberly, I'm a monster. Where the fuck do you think I'm going?" He scooped up his katana off the ground as he walked away from her. "To do what I do best."

'Really? You're leaving just like that? You're weak,' said the darker voice in disgust. 'You let a woman control your emotions… how disappointing.'

'Shut up,' seethed the green ranger. 'I know a losing battle when I see one.'

'If you were a stronger man, you would have killed her for speaking to you like that,' said the voice tightly.

'Get out of my head,' he commanded. 'I don't need your shit right now.'

The teen stepped out into the open, eyes adjusting to the darkness. A small part of him had hoped that Kim would follow behind him, grab him by the arm and try to makes amends.

But of course, she didn't. She just let him walk away.

'And why should she stop you? There wasn't a single thing she said back there that wasn't true,' accused the youthful voice. 'Don't get mad because the truth hurts.'

It did hurt, and that's what was most upsetting of all. Her words hurt more than they should, more than he cared to admit, but he wouldn't let her see that.

Tommy's fists clenched tightly around the hilts of the katana, and he allowed his anger to feed off of the pain he felt. He noticed more soldiers in the area than before and noticeably more tanks. Rygog was in the middle of a fight with Zack and the red Time Force ranger about 200 yards away, and behind him, soldiers on both sides were shooting at each other in the darkness.

The blades in Tommy's hands were engulfed in green flames as he watched on from a distance, channeling his frustration and anger in order to fuel his powers. The light from his powers caught the attention of some of the enemy troops across the field, and he saw three of the tanks turn their turrets on him.

The green ranger raised his blades in front of him in an 'X' before bringing them down quickly to his sides, sending out two large waves of green energy at blinding speed towards the tanks. The vehicles were surrounded by the green energy before they exploded, charred metal and severed limbs flying everywhere.

Tommy ran towards the fight as quickly as he could, not giving anyone time to react. He jumped high into the air, landing deftly behind an unsuspecting soldier. He quickly thrust his swords into the woman's back before throwing her fiercely off of his swords onto the ground. Bullets hit his torso and he laughed maniacally when he felt them embed into his under-armor. Some of the bullets found their way into his arms, but he forced himself to ignore the pain.

The soldiers stopped shooting when they saw him still standing, and Tommy wondered what a sight he must be to them, still standing after being shot at in close range.

He looked at them with glowing eyes, katana dripping with their fallen friend's blood.

"My turn."


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