A/N: And now we actually get to Diva in Distress! There's actually quite a bit of stuff going on in this chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much to everyone who read/reviewed/alerted/favorited this story!
Diva in Distress:
October 1, 2004:
A soft smile rested on Tommy's face as he listened to Kira sing.
"-I'm over you, better believe it's true…"
She frowned and her gaze drifted to the side for a moment, but she kept singing, "All I see in your eyes are the times that you lied. I'm over you…"
Tommy looked over to where she glanced, but only saw a few teens playing foosball, so he turned his attention back to the singer. Conner and Ethan seemed to be enjoying her music just as much as he did, and he was relatively certain that Trent was behind the counter drawing something of her.
"-I'm over you… Darling, I'm done, I'm through. You can say it again that you wanna be friends, but when we get to the end and back, I'm over you."
Kira ended the song with a dissatisfied expression on her face.
What's wrong, Kira? That was really good!
The three male Rangers applauded heartily, along with a few people around them.
Ah. That's probably it. Not many people were paying attention.
"That was awesome," Conner said as Kira took off her guitar and sat down with them. "Is that something new?"
"Yeah," Kira replied, "I'm still working on the hook, but I think there's something there."
Ethan grinned and nodded, saying, "I'm telling you, if this superhero gig doesn't work out, you definitely have a musical career to fall back on."
Absolutely, since being a Power Ranger doesn't actually earn you any money. Sorry about that.
Kira shrugged and replied morosely, "It's kind of hard to have a musical career when you can't even get anyone to listen to you play."
Trent, who had just appeared at Kira's elbow with a drink for her, immediately said, "Well, I was listening, and I think you rock."
You also have a crush on her.
Kira looked over at the notebook Trent was holding. "What are you working on?"
Trent immediately hid the picture from view, deflecting, "No, not till it's done."
Kira simply smiled and replied, "Fine."
And she has a crush on you right back. This right here is why I teach high school. High entertainment value.
"Nobody appreciates good music anymore," Tommy said, "All you hear on the radio anymore is that pop garbage." Seriously, what happened to good old rock 'n' roll?
"Yeah," Hayley agreed, coming over to their table, "Like what's her name… Kylee Styles?"
The expression on Kira's face tightened and Tommy remembered from his conversation with Justin and Tina that Kira and Kylee had once been good friends.
"Hey, Kylee Styles has some good music, Dr. O," Conner replied.
Tommy grimaced and made a slightly disgusted noise as Ethan added, "Translation: He thinks she's fine."
Why am I not surprised?
"No, I don't," Conner denied.
Ethan gave him an amused look. Conner folded. "Alright, yeah, yeah, I do, but, that has nothing to do with it."
I'm sure it doesn't, Conner.
"She used to be a really good songwriter," Kira commented, "She was really sweet, too. Now, she's all about image."
Really? I get her being sweet, Tina told me so, but I always pictured you being the songwriter of the two.
Ethan's brow furrowed curiously. "You say that like you two are friends."
"Oh, we used to be," Kira replied.
Similar expressions of disbelief crossed Ethan and Conner's faces. Kira snapped, "What? It's true! We were in a band together. Then, she got discovered by this agent, and now she's this huge pop diva."
Kira sat back, annoyed, and Conner replied, "Oh, come on, you don't expect us to believe that, do you?"
Hurt flashed in Kira's eyes. "Believe what you want. It's true."
Ignore them, Kira, they're idiots.
"No matter these two think," Tommy cut in, "I believe you Kira." I mean, Tina even showed me pictures of you two when you were younger.
Kira smiled gratefully, though the hurt didn't completely vanish.
"Aah, here's your chance to prove it," Ethan said to Kira, "According to her fansite, she's going to be in town to promote her new CD."
"Oh, we are so there!" Conner piped up immediately.
"And," Conner continued, "Since you two are such good buddies-"
"Hey!" Trent called out, waving to someone behind Tommy.
Tommy turned around, shaking his head at his students' line of conversation, and all thought promptly vanished from his mind.
Anton Mercer had just entered the Cyberspace.
Tommy didn't hear the rest of Conner, Kira, and Ethan's conversation, or even really remember that they were there. He was barely even aware that he had started moving.
Anton Mercer was standing in the Cyberspace.
Which meant that Anton was most certainly alive, and had most certainly been ignoring Tommy for almost two months.
Why, Anton? We were so close. Why didn't you contact me? Were you angry? Did… Did someone threaten you? I just want to know why!
Trent was already at Anton's side, patting his arm. Anton looked at the teen with a warm expression, something similar to the way he used to look at Tommy. The veteran Ranger felt a pang of hurt go through him, warring with the relief and confusion at seeing his old mentor again.
Then Anton's gaze fell on him and cold, distant expression fell over his face. It felt like a punch to the gut to Tommy.
Don't look at me like that, Anton. Rage at me, hate me, but please, don't look at me as if I'm not there.
"Anton Mercer… I can't believe it…"
Tommy held out his hand for Anton to shake, suddenly very conscious of how different he and his old partner were dressed. Anton was wearing an expensive black business suit, and he was wearing jeans, a tank top under an old shirt and his very old green jacket.
Get a grip, Oliver. Anton never cared what you wore, not unless you were giving a presentation.
"Tommy," Anton said reluctantly, shaking Tommy's hand with barely concealed displeasure. "Tommy Oliver. How've you been?"
Oh, I've been fine, Anton. I blew up an island, swam to the mainland, spent the next year preparing morphers and other Ranger technology, got a job teaching high school science, helped three students become Power Rangers, and recently became the Black Ranger myself. How about you?
Trent looked between the two curiously, asking Tommy, "You know my Dad?"
Wait, WHAT?!
Tommy's brow furrowed. "Your Dad?"
Tommy glanced over at Anton, who still had that cold, distant expression on his face, this time tinged with a hint of defiance, as if daring Tommy to say something.
Anton? Anton's your Dad? The one I've been mildly tempted to deck for trying to suppress your artistic talents? Something's not right here… The Anton I knew used to happily pin drawings from three-year-olds on his wall.
"I had no idea! I mean, your last name is-"
"It's Fernandez," Anton cut in, patting the teen's shoulder. "It's a long, complicated story, Tommy. More importantly, how are you?"
Oh, now you care?
Just then, Hayley came up behind the three of them, pleading, "Trent, can you help out with Table Three? There's been a bit of a… mochaccino… incident."
She flashed a quick smile at Anton while she was speaking, recognition dawning in her eyes.
"Uh, y-yeah," Trent replied, as she dashed off, "I'll be right there."
Trent looked between his father and his teacher again, before squeezing his father's arm gently and saying, "See ya."
Tommy's gaze tracked Trent for a moment, before turning back to Anton, who was looking everywhere else but Tommy at the moment.
"I don't understand," Tommy said, "I thought you were dead. I mean, the island, it was destroyed!"
He could still remember feeling the ground shake beneath his feet. He could remember the heat of the flames at his back as he jumped off. He could still remember hitting the water and feeling it close in around him as he struggled to force his exhausted body to move.
"Well, I was lucky, Tommy," Anton replied, giving Tommy a once-over, "From the looks of it, we both were."
"Why didn't you call?" Tommy demanded, "Send a message?"
Do you have any idea how worried I was? The horror and despair I felt when I had to make that call to the police to report you missing? Do you have any idea how devastated I was when they declared you dead? And then, your company shows up and you don't bother to reply to any of the calls and messages I left you!
Anton's expression closed over and he looked away. "Yeah, well you know what it's like… starting over… trying to get your bearings…"
Anton looked back at Tommy with an expectant expression. Tommy could only nod. "Yeah, I do."
But you've had plenty of time to get your bearings, Anton. I need you now. We have rampaging experiments to worry about.
Tommy stepped up to Anton and said softly in his ear, "Anton, the experiments we were working on… some crazy things have been happening… We need to figure some things out."
Like how Mesogog got a hold of technology in the first place, and what we can do to stop him. You'd be a great help to the Rangers, you know, and you did tell me how much you liked working with Lightspeed.
"Yeah. I suppose you're right," Anton murmured in reply, never losing his carefully neutral expression.
The businessman looked at his watch and replied, "Look, I'll clear some time next week, if that's alright with you."
Tommy's brow furrowed in confusion. What? Anton… do you not understand what's going on? You had to have seen the reports of the Tyrannodrones and monsters plaguing Reefside, and recognized them as our old experiments!
"But-"
"It's good seeing you again, Tommy," Anton continued, clasping Tommy's shoulders. A flicker of happiness finally appeared in his expression. "Truly, it is."
Anton turned and left, giving Tommy a half-smirk so different from the warm smiles they used to share that it hurt. Tommy stared at the doorway a moment more, before turning away with a confused, slightly hurt expression.
What just happened?
"Hey, Dr. O, who was that?" Conner asked when Tommy returned to the table.
Tommy shook his head, clearing away his troubled expression. "Ah, just someone I used to work with. I hadn't heard from him in a long time, so I was surprised to meet him again."
Ethan sat up. "Meet! Oh, before I forget, Dr. O – my mom wants to meet you."
Tommy blinked. "Parent-Teacher conferences are on the 13th."
Ethan looked a little uncomfortable. "No, she wants to meet you, like over lunch meet you."
Uh… that's unexpected.
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"
Ethan shrugged. "I don't know. She got this really weird look on her face and asked me your first name. She said she knew of a Tommy Oliver a few years ago."
Tommy's brow furrowed. Given the eight-year age gap between him and Ethan, there was no way his mother was a former classmate.
"I don't think it's you, though," Ethan continued, "Because we've always lived in Reefside, and you just moved here."
Actually, I grew up here, but that's another matter entirely.
"What's your mother's name?" Tommy asked.
"Linda."
Linda James… Nope, still not ringing any bells.
"Maiden name?"
"Uh… Taylor, I think."
The blood drained away from Tommy's face. I'm dead. I'm so dead.
"Linda Taylor?" Tommy asked, sitting down.
"Did you know her, Dr. O?" Kira asked.
"Maybe… Ethan, this may sound strange, but did you have an uncle pass away a few years ago?"
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. "Yeah, Uncle Zack, my mom's younger brother… But, how did you know that?"
Tommy's eyes clouded over and he picked at the hem of his black tank top. "Zack Taylor… was one of my best friends. He, ah, he was one of the original five Rangers – Black Mastodon, to be specific."
Kira, Conner, and Ethan gaped at their teacher.
"No. Way…"
"Uncle Zack was one of us?" Ethan demanded, "Really?"
"Yes, really. He was one of the best," Tommy replied softly, his eyes clouding over in memory. "Sometimes, it's hard to believe it was a drunk driver that killed him… Anyway, depressing talk. You guys have a celebrity to meet. Ethan, ask your mother if Saturday or Sunday afternoon would be good. I'm going to go see Hayley for a bit."
"Sure thing, Dr. O," Ethan replied as they started packing up.
As Tommy left them, he heard Ethan enthuse, "Wow, do you think my mom knew?"
She knew, Ethan. She knew… And I am so, so dead when I meet her.
"So what went down between you and Anton?" Hayley asked as Tommy leaned against the counter.
"If I knew, I'd tell you," Tommy replied with a sigh. "He was so cold, Hayley, nothing like I remember him."
"Did you tell him about the experiments? I mean, I don't really see how he could have missed the fact that his own technology was running around the streets, harassing the population."
Tommy shook his head. "Yeah, I told him. He said he'd 'clear some time next week.' He… I don't even remember him treating his business associates he didn't like so coldly, Hayley!"
Hayley bit her lip. She could tell Tommy was deeply troubled by the short conversation he'd had with his old friend. She knew how close they'd been. She'd even had a few lunches with them, and knew Anton to be warm and personable. The man who'd walked into her café, on the other hand, exuded such a cold, businesslike air, she almost hadn't recognised him.
She squeezed Tommy's shoulder gently. "Tommy. I know Anton. I'm sure he's just as concerned about what's going on as you are. He probably didn't want to discuss it in out in the open, that's all."
Tommy nodded. "You're probably right. I'm glad he's alright, though. And, apparently well enough to look after a child."
Hayley's brow furrowed. "Anton has a kid?"
"Hey, Hayley," Trent said, coming up to them carrying a tray with broken glass and dirty cloths.
"Oh, sorry," Hayley said, stepping aside, and allowing Trent to pass behind the counter.
I still can't believe Anton adopted Trent. It seems like just the kind of thing he would do, though. I wonder where they met…
"Oh, hey, Dr. Oliver. Did Dad leave already?"
Tommy turned to Trent. "Uh, yeah, he did."
"Huh. I wonder why he came do – I'll be right there, Jess!"
Trent looked to the two adults apologetically. "Sorry, duty calls."
Hayley stared after Trent in shock. Turning back to Tommy, she demanded, "Trent is Anton's kid?"
Tommy nodded. "Blew me away, too."
Hayley shook her head. "There's got to be some kind of story behind that."
"Yeah," Tommy agreed as a large crowd of students entered the café. "Well, looks you're going to have your hands full. If you don't mind, I'm going to head back home. Now that Anton's back, I should start getting my reports together to show him… I'll be back around seven to help you close up, alright?"
"Sounds good," Hayley said, pasting a smile on her face, "I'm going to go deal with my customers."
As Tommy parked his jeep, he noticed flashes of red, blue, and yellow in the woods.
What on Earth?
As if on cue, the three Raptor Riders burst out from the woods and raced to him, bowling him over.
"Whoa! Hey, hey, easy guys!"
Tommy chuckled and sat up, scratching the Red Raptor under its chin.
"What are you guys doing out here? You know you're supposed to stay in the caves, or the deep woods. People could see you if you come this close to my house."
Tommy received a sense of disbelieving amusement in response.
"Yeah, okay, I live in the middle of nowhere," he replied, standing up and walking towards to back entrance to his basement, "So what's going on?"
Tommy frowned at the turbulent emotions he received in return. "You guys feel like something's wrong, huh? Well, I'll check the scanners when I get into to the lab. Have you guys eaten?"
No, they hadn't yet, and they were hungry. Tommy chuckled and shooed them away, telling them to go hunt.
Now, I wonder what's got them so spooked.
Ten minutes later, Tommy decided he was going to buy a Mesogog-shaped punching bag and beat the stuffing out of it.
You irritating mutant dinosaur, WHY couldn't the dominant part of your brain have been the reptilian side that didn't know anything about programming?
Tommy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Every time he looked at the footage or schematics of the Tyrannodrones, he couldn't help but feel angry, and guilty. No matter what his best friend said, that was still his project running around out there. Mesogog had no right to steal and manipulate his technology like that.
Why do I do this to myself? I could just as well let those files collect dust on my desktop until kingdom come. Oh, that's right, I'm doing this for Anton. Knowing him, he'll be just as upset as I am.
But did he know Anton anymore? The earlier conversation he'd had with Dr. Mercer played through his mind again. That man… That man wasn't the Anton he knew. Tommy stared at his computer screen blankly. Should he even be doing this, then? Could he entrust such precious information to a near-stranger?
Jeez, what am I thinking? This is Anton, for crying out loud! The man I've trusted my deepest secrets with, the one who supported me when two of my best friends died, the one who ranks among the few people on the planet I'd trust with my life!
Tommy shook his head and sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He'd just have to wait until Anton, or, as was looking more likely, his secretary, called, and told him when would be a good time for them to meet. Tommy massaged his temples.
Mesogog, re-programmed experiments out to destroy the city, hormonal teenagers, a potentially psychopathic boss, deadlines, civil unrest on another planet… what else am I supposed to deal with?
As if on cue, an alarm sounded, alerting him that Mesogog had sent out another monster and several Tyrannodrones.
Idiot. Someday, I'll learn to stop tempting fate.
The monster was at the Mall. Wait, weren't the teens over there, meeting Kylee Styles? Conner and Kira were fighting, but they wouldn't be able to morph because of Kylee… Oh dear.
Tommy watched as the monster – a donkey? Really? – shot beams of energy at Kylee and turned her old. It then used the ensuing distraction to escape into the city, shooting out its beams at any civilians in its path.
Alright, this is getting out of hand. Where's Ethan?
"Ethan, are you at the mall?" Tommy said, opening up a communication link with the Blue Ranger.
A few moments later, Ethan replied, "No, sorry, Doc. My mom called me away for an errand. I'm just leaving Wal-Mart right now."
"Alright, come back to the lab when you're done. We have a situation."
"Sure thing, Dr. O."
Switching channels, Tommy said, "Conner, Kira, are you alright?"
"Uh, what's your definition of 'alright', Dr. O?" Conner replied.
"All internal organs and appendages where they belong? You didn't get hit by the beams, did you?"
"No, but Kylee did. Man, she does not age well."
Tommy rolled his eyes. "Kira, take Kylee back to Hayley's. Stay with her if you need to. Conner, come back to the lab. Let's try and figure this out."
"Sure, Dr. O."
Tommy winced as Kylee's wails increased in pitch and hit the mute button.
Thank god Tanya and Cassie never turned into that.
Conner appeared in the basement a few minutes later.
"So, what's up, Doc?" he said with a grin, "What is that thing?"
Heck if I know, kid.
"By the looks of things, it's shooting some kind of lightning at the civilians, altering their genetic make-up somehow… I don't know if my sensors are capable of detecting what exactly it is, though, and how to reverse it."
"Stuff's moving backward," Conner said, "The donkey-thing hits the person with whatever energy he's shooting out, then almost immediately, stuff from the person goes back to the donkey, and you can't really tell if it's moving, except for these really quick spurts… what?"
Tommy was staring at Conner with a mixture of pride and interest.
Impressive, Red, very impressive.
"Your powers are developing. Your body's gotten used to moving at high speeds, so your powers are branching out to the way you perceive things. You're able to detect things moving at much higher speeds than anything a human eye can."
"… Dude. That's awesome! Will the others' powers do the same thing?"
Tommy nodded. "Probably. With Kira, I'd guess that she'd be able to control the pitch, intensity, and range of her Ptera-scream, maybe even be able to use it to convey spoken messages. Ethan, I suppose he'd be able to harden his entire body."
Conner looked at his teacher curiously. "What about you?"
"Never gave it much thought, really, but I assume I'd be able to turn other things invisible."
Conner grinned and shook his head. "That's awesome. How come you didn't tell us this before?"
"I wasn't sure anything would happen, to be honest. Besides, why do you think I push you to use your powers during training?"
"Because you don't want us to die in battle before we morph?" a new voice suggested.
Tommy and Conner turned around to see Ethan enter the lab. The Blue Ranger waved. "So, what'd I miss?"
Tommy's computer beeped and the three of them turned to look at the main screen.
Well, that's new.
"Conner's powers are developing. And, the stuff going back to the donkey is youth energy."
"Say what now?!"
"Your sensors can detect youth energy?"
"Youth energy, and yeah, they can. I had a bit of a problem with one of my former teammates ageing too quickly, so it's a valid precaution."
Ethan stared at the screen. "A donkey that can extract the youth out of people? That is wrong in so many ways."
"Mesogog's probably found a way to harness youth into energy. We have to figure out a way to fight it."
"Where's Kira?" Ethan asked.
"She's taken Kylee to the Cyberspace," Conner replied, "I think she's having a meltdown over seeing her all old and shrivelled up. I gotta admit, it was kinda brutal."
Tommy's eyebrows rose. "We'll talk about respect for the elders later. Right now, there's something we need to take care of."
The teens nodded and got ready to morph.
"Dino Thunder, Power up!"
Cassidy, what do you think you're doing?!
There was a time and a place for things, and Tommy could say with absolute certainty that a battle that three Power Rangers together were losing was neither the time nor the place to be interviewing an evil monster bent on stealing youth energy – if there even was an appropriate time and place for such a thing!
And then, of course, the monster had to go and suck out Cassidy and Devin's youth.
Tommy picked himself from where he had fallen. Conner was fighting the monster alone.
"Hold on, Conner!"
Before he could reach Conner, however, his favourite cyborg appeared.
Oh for the love of… Who invited you?
"Zeltrax!"
Zeltrax pointed his sword towards Tommy. "We still have a score to settle, Black Ranger, or have you forgotten?"
"I told you – I have no idea what you're talking about."
Zeltrax growled and sent a blast of lightning from his sword, knocking Tommy off his feet.
Ow. Need to remember to dodge – LIKE NOW!
Tommy rolled away as Zeltrax bore down, his sword hitting the concrete inches from where Tommy's neck had been.
Why do the evil villains always go for the neck?
Tommy picked himself up, blocking another sword strike.
I suppose I should be glad that my main weapon was a sword for so many years. Even if my suit can withstand a sword strike, I somehow doubt martial arts would the smartest course of action.
Tommy lashed out with his Brachio Staff, hitting Zeltrax's shield.
Okay, that shield has got to go.
Ranger and cyborg traded blows, matched strike for strike.
Of all the people to evenly matched against in terms of skill, why did it have to be the one with a grudge against me? Wait a minute, we're not matched in terms of skill. Focus, Tommy!
Tommy wrenched Zeltrax's shield away, putting them on even footing as their fight continued.
Why do I always end up with your sword in my face?
Tommy pushed Zeltrax away and continued striking. He gave the cyborg a running kick, sending him flying back several feet and disarming him. Tommy brought up his Brachio Staff and pointed it at his opponent.
"Give it up, Zeltrax."
No, really. Give up so I can go keep the boys from getting their butts kicked by your donkey friend.
Tommy winced as a sharp cry rang out, resounding within his helmet.
A little warning on the Ptera-scream would be nice next time, Kira. If you blow out my eardrums, I won't be able to hear you sing!
Tommy ducked as Zeltrax, having picked up his sword, swung at him again.
"Man, don't you ever get tired?"
"I will not rest until I have my vengeance!"
Hey, Kira's pretty handy with a tennis racket. I wonder if she ever took lessons.
"What vengeance?! Y'know, the least you could do is tell me what I did!"
Tommy's staff met Zeltrax's sword as it bore down and Tommy drove his knee into the cyborg's gut, knocking him off his feet.
Stay down for a bit, would you? Now, where did the others go?
Tommy turned just in time to see the monster grow the size of a large building.
Mesogog, you irritating mutant freak.
"Dr. Oliver?" came Kira's voice, "This might be a good time for some heavy metal."
Zord time it is.
"You got it! BrachioZord! Now!"
Tommy could feel the BrachioZord's acknowledgement through their mental bond, as well as a warning. Just in time, too, as Zeltrax was up and ready to fight again.
"This is getting tiresome," Tommy grunted.
"I couldn't agree more," Zeltrax snarled, "Why don't you make it easy for the both of us and surrender?"
"In your dreams!"
Tommy launched his most ferocious strike against Zeltrax yet, slashing him across the torso.
"Whatever your problem is, I don't have time for it right now."
"This isn't over," Zeltrax warned as he retreated.
Is it ever?
Tommy sighed and rolled his shoulders. It felt like he'd pulled a muscle fighting, and it'd probably bother him for the rest of the day. He turned back to main battle to see the Thundersaurus MegaZord defeat the monster once and for all, ball of energy flying out from it.
Now, hopefully, everyone will revert to their normal ages.
"Good job, guys," Tommy said as the teens landed in front of him and they all demorphed.
"Thanks, Dr. O!"
Kira sighed. "I'd better get back to the Cyberspace… Make sure Kylee's alright."
"We'll go with you," Ethan said, "I want to meet this, er, old friend of yours."
Kira rolled her eyes as Tommy chuckled. "Come on, let's head back. I think I want a smoothie."
"Good luck with that. Kylee's probably got Hayley and everyone on staff waiting on her hand and foot by now."
"Don't be too sure of that, Kira. Hayley's stood up to more powerful and influential people than Kylee Styles."
"Really?" Conner asked, "Like who?"
"Do you guys know who Astronema is?"
The three teens stopped and stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Astronema?"
"As in, the Princess of Evil, and Conqueror of the known Universe, before the Space Rangers defeated her?"
"The one who turned good and was really the Red Space Ranger's sister?"
Tommy grinned. "That's the one. Her real name's Karone, and she's also a very nice woman. She does, however, have a tendency to brood. One time, Hayley got tired of it, and you should have heard the talking-to she gave Karone."
"No. Way."
"You're kidding, right? Hayley yelled at the most powerful woman in the galaxy?!"
Tommy shook his head. "I kid you not. So trust me, if Kylee thinks she going to get anything from Hayley, she's going to be sorely disappointed."
"Alright, now this I have to see!" Ethan cheered as they continued on their way.
The four of them walked into the Cyberspace to see Kyle stomp her foot and exclaim petulantly, "But I'm Kylee Styles!"
"That is what it says on your birth certificate," Kira replied dryly.
Kylee turned around sharply and squealed happily, "KIRA!"
Kira found herself being hugged tightly by the young blond pop star.
"Oh, look, Kira," Kylee chattered, "I'm me! I'm beautiful again! I'll be able to go on 'You Request It!'"
Kira smiled weakly and patted her friend. "That's great, Kylee. Really great."
Tommy moved past the teens, towards his own – very harassed-looking – friend.
"Hayley! Whoa, slow down there."
Hayley's eyes lit up when she saw him. "Tommy! Oh, thank god, someone sensible!"
I'm sensible? When did this happen and why wasn't I made aware of it?
"Kylee really got under your skin, huh?"
Hayley shook her head. "That girl… She's been standing there, crying for a strawberry smoothie, no matter how many times I tell her we're fresh out of strawberries! Argh! I'm at my wit's end with her!"
Tommy chuckled. "This from the woman who told the most powerful woman in the galaxy to – what was it, again?"
Hayley rolled her eyes. "Karone's got more sense in her smallest fingernail than Kylee Styles has in her entire body! I love Kira, and I know Kylee's her friend, but the sooner Miss Styles is out of my café, the happier I'll be. But, anyway, what about you? Kira said something about a donkey?"
"Yeah, a donkey that sucks out people's youth. As far as battles go, it wasn't anything big. All civilian casualties reversed, minimal property damage, and it barely took, what, thirty minutes?"
Hayley shook her head. "Yeah, thirty most unpleasant minutes of my life."
It was Tommy's turned to roll his eyes. "I'm sorry, Miss Ziktor, we'll try to be faster next time."
"See that you do," Hayley returned officiously, before the two of them dissolved into snickers.
Ah, Hayley, you're like a balm to the soul, you know that?
"Alright, alright," Hayley said, getting herself back together, "Now go save your student. Conner and Ethan certainly aren't about to."
Kira was looking increasingly uncomfortable as she talked with Kylee. Conner and Ethan's eyebrows suddenly rose and Kira started walking away, leaving behind two stunned boys and a confused girl.
Uh-oh. What's going on here?
"Kira? Is everything alright?" Tommy asked, intercepting the aspiring singer's path.
Kira looked up at him, her eyes bright. "Yeah. I'm fine."
"Right. And I'm a flying chimpanzee."
Oh crud, I hope I'm not turning into Goldar – that would suck.
Kira's lips quirked up a little. "I – I'll be fine, Dr. O. Don't worry about me."
I'll always worry about you, kid.
"I'll be forty in a few years, but that doesn't mean anything. What happened back there?"
Kira sighed and clenched her fists. "She was my friend, Dr. Oliver, one of my closest friends – and I don't even know who she is anymore!"
Tommy guided the young girl to a quiet corner table and sat her down. Kira wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
"The Kylee I knew… She should have gotten an award for being one of the sweetest people in the city. You know, we went to a private school together, until about eighth grade – Dad switched jobs then – along with Cassidy and Devin. Back then, it wasn't Cassidy and Devin. It was Cassidy, Janet McCarty, and Bill Wallace… Then, Jan and Bill went off and did… Well, Cassidy and Devin can give you the full story, but they left Cassidy alone and heartbroken. Kylee wrote a song for her, to make her feel better – because that's what Kylee did. She used her music to help others… Not this shallow crap she's spewing now."
Kira paused and looked over to her former friend. Conner and Ethan were nowhere to be seen.
"I mean, she actually stood there and said in this totally fake whisper that she wasn't sure what Conner and Ethan were going to do for my image – while they were right there! I miss the old Kylee… Sorry, Dr. O., you don't need to hear me vent."
Tommy smiled gently. "Hey, don't worry about it, Kira. Besides, I know a little how you feel."
Kira looked at him a little curiously, as if unsure whether she should ask. "Yeah?"
Tommy nodded. "Before I moved to Angel Grove, I lived in LA. I met a guy there, at school, and we became really good friends. I mean, we practically planned out our futures together – we were both really into martial arts, and we were going to compete internationally together… big dreams. But then, my family moved to Angel Grove. We kept in touch, or tried to, but his letters started getting rarer and rarer until they stopped completely."
Tommy paused and shook his head. Ah, Jeremy…
"When I finally got a chance to see him again, he spoke to me for maybe two minutes. He said he couldn't afford to be seen with a mixed-blood like me. He was white and no one knew what I was racially, since I was adopted. Last I checked, he was in prison for grand larceny."
Kira stared at her teacher in shock. "That's… that's horrible. I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. It's long in the past. It hurt me, I'll give you that, but I also had friends in Angel Grove that I could actually count on. Just like you do."
Kira looked over at the rest of the café again, to see Conner and Ethan talking to Trent and casting surreptitious glances her way. Kylee was nowhere to be seen.
"Yeah. It's funny, I would never have thought I'd be such good friends with Conner and Ethan, but really, they're some of the best friends a person could ask for. Don't tell Conner I said that, though – his ego doesn't need any more inflation."
Tommy chuckled. "Your secret is safe with me."
Kira gave a weak chuckle. Tommy reached out and squeezed her arm gently.
"Hey. You're a strong young woman, Kira, but it's okay to hurt and it's okay to tell Kylee 'no' and stand up for your own beliefs. Just don't forget that you have other people you can count on, alright? I'm always available if you need anything."
Kira smiled again, a truer smile this time. "Thanks, Dr. O."
"You're welcome. Now come on, I need to meet this girl."
Right on cue, a voice called out, "Kira! There you are!"
Kylee sauntered over to them, running her eyes appreciatively over the young teacher.
Please stop looking at me like that. I get enough from my students.
"Not a bad upgrade, Kira. Definitely better than Tanner and the geek."
Kira's fists clenched and she stood up. "Actually, Kylee, Dr. Oliver is my science teacher. And Conner and Ethan are very good friends of mine. I'd happily hang out with them, no matter what it did to my image."
With that, she walked away to find the boys. Kylee stared after her, confused, and then turned back to Tommy with an awkward smile.
Tommy simply looked at her, and said mildly, "You know, Miss Styles, if Kira had been hit with the monster's beam, she would still have been out there, trying to help the other civilians cope with the damage. She protected you at risk to herself, and brought you to a safe place because you were her friend. Ask yourself this: what would you have done if the situations had been reversed? Would you have stayed and helped, or would have driven away in your limousine, because it wasn't your problem?"
Tommy stood up and pushed in his chair. He kept his eyes trained on the young diva, his solemn gaze boring into her.
"Consider this as well: Kira was the only one who stayed for you after the attack. Not your fans, not your road crew or agents. When it came down to it, it wasn't the people who are paid to be with you that were at your side in a time of crisis, but an old friend you had all but forgotten. What does that tell you, Miss Styles? Who will stand beside you in a time of crisis and why?"
Kylee opened her mouth to retort, but Tommy cut her off. "Don't tell me that nothing bad will happen to you because 'you're Kylee Styles'. I've seen worse things happen to people more influential and powerful than you."
Kylee scowled. "Why are you being so mean to me?!"
Because you're kind of insufferable and you hurt one of my Rangers.
Tommy raised an eyebrow. "I call it as I see it, Miss Styles. Look how many people are genuinely happy to be around Kira. How many people can say the same for you? Think about that."
Kylee looked over uncertainly at Kira, who was laughing with Conner, Trent, Ethan, and several other students.
"Kira told me you used to be a very sweet person. For your own sake, I hope that person is still in there somewhere. You'll have a sad, empty life if not. Have a nice day, Miss Styles."
Tommy turned and walked away. He could only hope his words had some effect on her.
A/N: Well, that turned out a lot more somber than I expected it to. Let me know what you think. Please, leave a review!