A/N: Hello there! Wow, I can't believe it's been over three months since I updated this, but you know how life can be. But anyway, hopefully, this chapter makes it up to you. It's really long and packed with stuff, so you've been warned.
Thank you to everyone keeping up with this story! Your support is hugely appreciated! Special thanks to dguice, and DT:Legacy's first anonymous reviewer, Tierra, for their response to my question at the end of last chapter. Your answers were a great help. Tierra, I'm afraid I can't incorporate what you want into this fic, but, if you're amenable to it, I can have that as a rumour running around Reefside High and have them confront it, or have some close friendship-y scenes with them in it. Up to you which you prefer. And further thanks to F-35 Phoenix for the support/encouragement and advice on handling this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers. That honour once again belongs to Saban.
Golden Boy:
October 6, 2004:
Tommy's chalk tapped against the board as he wrote up his notes. It was Wednesday morning – hump day. Behind him, students were generally more interested in getting through the day intact than paying attention, but that also wasn't too different from any other day. Hump day was just the day the most homework was due and the day that signalled the approach of the weekend.
"Now, what I want you to remember for the test is – Nathan, please bring up whatever you're working on that is not class-related and put it on my desk. You can have it back when you leave."
The boy in question flushed guiltily and shuffled forward, placing a packet on Tommy's desk. The teacher glanced down at it and shook his head.
"That's the sixth 'Government in Action' packet I've confiscated this week. I suppose I should just be glad you're actually doing your schoolwork, even if for another class."
Slightly nervous laughter spread through the classroom. The 'Government in Action' projects were among the largest grades for Reefside's mandatory AP US Government and Politics class, so of course, most of the students had procrastinated on it, meaning that everything else this week took a back burner as they scrambled to finish it. A lot of the stricter teachers had been handing out detentions like candy when they caught students working on it in class.
"Now, back to the diagram. I know from our K-W-L that most of you have encountered trophic levels in other classes, but as a review…"
Tommy turned back to the diagram he'd drawn on the board and continued teaching. Heads bowed and pencils scratched on paper as the teens copied down the writing on the board. Two months of having Dr. Oliver had taught the teens that while he was many things, such as absentminded, laid-back, and easygoing, he was also very serious about teaching and brooked no quarter from disrupters or slackers.
"This is going to be our last topic before the unit test on Tuesday – groan all you want, you have Fall Break right after that."
"And Parent Conferences," a girl added.
Tommy inclined his head. "Those, too. But, staying on topic-"
The fates seemed disinclined to allow Tommy to keep teaching, though, as a shrill wail cut through the morning air.
The monster alarm.
What a wonderful way to start the day.
"Everybody remain calm and line up, single file," Tommy ordered, "Leave your belongings here."
All students are to report to the basement of the building during the monster attack. This is not a drill. All students to the basement, immediately.
"Everybody out! Down the hallway, stairs on your right. Go! The teachers will direct you further."
Tommy stood at the door watching his students pass by him worriedly, until only three remained. Tommy brought his communicator to his lips.
"Hayley, what's going on?"
"Monster attack, downtown, a few blocks in from the coast," Hayley replied, "The Cyberspace is packed with people taking shelter."
"We're on it," Conner replied, and the three teens got ready to morph.
"Dr. O, aren't you coming?" Ethan asked, when the teacher made no move to leave his position by the door.
"I can't," Tommy replied urgently, "I need to stay here and look after the other students."
Conner nodded. "We can handle it."
"What if we need Zords?" Kira asked.
"Hayley or I can send them out remotely, don't worry. Now, morph and get downtown."
"Right! Dino Thunder, Power up!"
Tommy closed the door behind him after the Rangers teleported out. Scanning the hall, he saw Principal Randall heading towards him.
"Dr. Oliver! Have you cleared the hallway?"
"I was just getting to that, Principal Randall," Tommy replied, his eyes darting to all the likely places for teens to hide.
"Well, hurry it up, man! The last thing we need is for one of these foolhardy brats to get caught in the crossfire of an attack!"
Tommy nodded curtly, pushing down his immediate reaction to say the students weren't brats. Now was not the time.
I'm beginning to understand why some of the teachers back at Angel Grove were so uptight. It must have been a nightmare having to do this as often as they did.
"The hallway's clear, Principal Randall," Tommy reported a few minutes later.
She nodded and muttered into her walkie-talkie, "Smithson, the science wing is clear. Over."
"Roger that, Principal Randall. All the other wings have been accounted for. Over."
"Good. Make sure the students stay down until the all-clear. Randall over and out."
"You're taking this very well, Principal Randall," Tommy said as they made their way down to the basement, "Most new Principals wouldn't have half the presence of mind you do."
Randall gave him a sidelong glance and replied curtly, "Flattery will get you nowhere, Dr. Oliver. Though, I could say the same about how you're handling the situation."
You try to say something nice and it blows up in your face… There's just no talking to some people!
Tommy shook his head. "I lived in Angel Grove during the monster attacks. This is something I'm very used to."
"Is it indeed," Randall murmured, before pushing entering the basement and snapping, "Creswell! What are you doing away from your class?"
Brianna Creswell, a junior, cowered before the school's austere Principal and pressed herself against the wall as the woman passed by. Tommy shook his head at Randall's retreating figure and knelt beside the trembling girl.
"Brianna. Hey, easy, Brianna, it's just me," he said gently.
The girl looked at him tearfully. "D-Dr. Oliver, I – my sister, she-"
Poor girl's five seconds away from hyperventilating.
"Take it easy, Brianna. Just breathe – slowly, slowly… That's it, in, hold, out…"
Tommy kept up his soothing litany to the girl until she calmed down. Brianna rubbed her eyes and sniffed.
"S-Sorry, Dr. Oliver. I didn't mean to freak out on you like that."
Tommy shook his head. "It's fine, Brianna. Mind telling me what's got you so upset?"
Brianna sniffed again and swallowed. "My little sister… I'm just worried about her. Her class is out on a field trip today, and if she got caught…"
And she's about to start hyperventilating again. Mesogog, I hate you.
"Brianna – Brianna, listen to me," Tommy said firmly, "Your sister's going to be fine."
"How do you know?" Brianna asked tearfully.
Tommy made sure to look Brianna directly in the eye. "I know, because Reefside has an excellent shelter system. There is no chance your sister's not in a safe place already. Besides, the Rangers are probably out there taking care of things as we speak. Have they ever let us down?"
Brianna shook her head. "N-no, I guess not."
Tommy smiled gently. "Exactly. Your little sister's going to be fine."
Brianna managed a weak smile, strengthened by Tommy's words. "Thanks, Dr. Oliver. I – I'm sorry about breaking down on you like that."
"Don't be. I'm always glad to help."
Brianna's smile grew a little as she shook her head and stood up. "I'd better get back to my class."
Tommy stood up with her, watching her until she made it back to her classmates. His gaze drifted over the rest of the students, taking in the troubled students and teachers. As he made his way over to a particularly frantic group of students, he was accosted by a teacher dragging a young boy – most likely a freshman – behind him.
"Oliver! There you are! You're good with kids; see what you can do with this one."
"Who-"
But the brusque teacher was already moving away, leaving behind a frightened Asian boy in front of Tommy. Stifling a sigh, the palaeontologist strained to hear what the young teen was muttering under his breath.
"-And we're all going to die and they'll only ever find our charred and broken bodies-"
Alright, who is this kid? I don't have him in any classes, but I've seen him with the other teachers. What was it, Edward? Eric? Yeah, Eric Jiang, that's it…
"Eric," Tommy said, cutting through the teen's litany, "You need to calm down. Nothing bad is going to happen to you here."
Eric blinked at being cut off and stared at Tommy for a moment, before demanding, "How do you know? Can you prove it?"
Ah. One of those types. Great.
"Reefside has twelve shelters and 27 safety zones manned by the very best of armed forces and Silver Guardians throughout the city. All the shelters and safety zones have been personally evaluated by former Rangers. The school's basement is actually a bomb shelter that was built during World War II under an administration paranoid enough to believe that the Japanese were going to bomb the mainland. Trust me, you're safe."
Eric stared at Tommy dubiously, but Tommy could see his words take hold in Eric's mind. Eric glanced around before returning his attention to Tommy and asking, "Former Rangers?"
Tommy nodded. "Carter Grayson and the Lightspeed Team – the only team of Rangers to make their identities public from the start – came down to Reefside to check everything out. It's on public record."
Eric nodded, mulling over the information. His panic had faded, leaving behind some mild apprehension that wasn't too out of place in a monster attack.
"Now that you're calmer, why don't you go wait for the all-clear with the rest of your classmates?"
Eric nodded again. "Yes, sir. And thank you."
Tommy shook his head. "Not a problem, Eric. That's what I'm here for."
As Eric melted into the crowd of students, Tommy continued looking around. Now that the initial panic had faded, most of the students were just waiting anxiously. The teachers were circulating throughout the area, keeping the students calm and reassuring them as best as they could. His students were towards the back, where Cassidy and Devin were attempting to film for the televised daily announcements.
Well, things are starting to settle. At least there aren't anymore kids crying – I spoke too soon.
A few yards to his right, a young girl, no more than twelve, was sobbing quietly into another student's shirt.
Why do we have a middle school-er in the mix?
He made his way over to the pair and crouched down beside them. "Christy? Everything alright?"
Christy Patterson, a senior at Reefside, looked up at Tommy and gave him a small smile.
"About as alright as one could expect, Dr. Oliver," she replied softly, stroking the younger girl's hair. The preteen sniffed, her eyelids dropping. Christy murmured gentle reassurances as the younger girl drifted off to sleep.
"Poor thing cried herself to sleep," Christy said softly.
"Who is she?" Tommy asked, keeping the same soft tone so that he didn't wake the sleeping child.
"Lindsey Hubble, my neighbour. She comes over from Reefside Middle School to take Algebra II here."
Tommy's eyebrows rose. "Wow, smart kid."
Christy smiled. "She's brilliant. She's so young, though – just turned eleven. The monster attack terrified her."
"I can imagine," Tommy replied, "You're taking it pretty calmly, though."
Christy's smile widened. "I lived in Angel Grove until about three years ago. This kind of stuff happened all the time."
Tommy looked at her, surprised. "Angel Grove, really? It's a small world, so did I!"
Christy's face brightened. "Really? Were you there for the monster attacks?"
Tommy nodded. "They started when I was a freshman at AGH."
Christy's eyes widened. "Freshman… Wow, Cassidy was right, you are young!"
The teens face promptly turned red as she realised what she had blurted out. Tommy simply chuckled.
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
There was a short pause before Christy's eyes widened again. "Wait, Oliver… would that make you Tommy Oliver?"
Ooh, apparently I'm famous.
Tommy raised as eyebrow. "It would."
Christy laughed. "Wow, it really is a small world. My little sister, Billie, used to take lessons from you and Adam Park in the Youth Centre."
Tommy searched through his mind to find a hazy memory of a young blonde girl studiously practicing her katas.
"Oh yeah, I remember her. She was pretty good, does she still practice?"
Christy nodded with a smile. "Yeah, she wants to become as good as you and Adam. You two were her heroes."
Tommy flushed slightly and chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Before he could say anything though, he noticed Christy's eyes slide up to look at something behind him. Turning around, he saw a nervous-looking Trent approaching them.
With a nod to Christy, he stood up and turned to Trent. "Trent? Something the matter?"
"Hey, Dr. Oliver, have you seen Kira around?" the teen asked, "Or Conner and Ethan, for that matter? I didn't see them come down with our class."
That's because they're out fighting the monster downtown.
"Ah, yeah, I saw the three of them a while back, actually," Tommy replied, "I'm sure they're around somewhere."
Trent nodded dubiously. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off as Tommy started beeping. The teacher patted his pockets and Trent asked amusedly, "Phone?"
Tommy smiled sheepishly and replied, "Yeah, I just need to remember where I – aha! Sorry, Trent, I have to take this."
Trent nodded, replying, "It's fine. I'm going to look for Kira and the others."
Tommy waved him off and put his phone to his ear, saying into his communicator, "Hayley? What's the status?"
"You're not going to like this, Tommy, but your Rangers just disappeared."
"They did what now?"
Tommy could hear the clacking of keys on Hayley's keyboard as she replied, "They were in the MegaZord fighting the monster, and all of a sudden, they vanished. I'm picking up some kind of residual portal energy… and they're back."
"They're back?"
"Yep, they just reappeared right where they disappeared in the first place."
Tommy sighed with relief. "Are they alright?"
"All diagnostics are normal," Hayley reported.
"Great. I'll find out what happened when I see them later today."
"Alright. I've got a café to take care of. I'll see you later, alright?"
"Yeah, seven sound good?"
"Make it seven-thirty. I think it's going to be a busy evening."
"Sure. See you then."
As it turned out, Hayley was right about it being a busy evening. It was a busy day in general, in fact, with teachers and students rushing to catch up on material and readjust to the flow of a normal school day. Conner, Kira, and Ethan had stopped by during lunch to regale him with the tale of their battle, which was "epic" as Ethan put it, and involved them being teleported to an icy wasteland before they cunningly broke the monster's spell and returned to Reefside to defeat it. Tommy shook his head. The three of them were probably just now coming down from their adrenaline high from the battle.
As Tommy pushed open the door the Cyberspace, he found himself barely a foot away from a very harried Trent Fernandez.
"Whoa, easy there, Trent, the world's not ending just yet," Tommy said as he stepped back so as not to collide with the teen.
Trent skidded to a halt, grasping his tray tightly so that nothing fell and turned to his teacher wearily. "Hey, Dr. Oliver, sorry about that. It's just, things have been unbelievably hectic here, and Karen's sick today, so I've got to take of her shift, too, and the Government in Action Project with Eth-"
"Trent, breathe," Tommy interrupted gently, "Why don't you give me the tray and take a five-minute breather. You look like you need it."
Trent looked torn between taking a much-needed break and continuing his work to help Hayley. Tommy shook his head and made the decision for him, pulling the tray from Trent's hands.
"Now go sit down."
Trent flashed his teacher a grateful smile and sank down on a nearby chair. "Thanks, Dr. Oliver."
"Don't worry about it," Tommy tossed over his shoulder as he made his way over to the counter.
"Delivery for you Hayley," Tommy announced, startling the redhead.
"Tommy! Oh, thank god you're here!"
"Busy day?" Tommy asked amusedly.
Hayley rolled her eyes at his tone a replied, "Like none other."
Tommy chuckled. "So, what can I do to help?"
Hayley glanced around the café. There were tables that needed to be cleaned, couches and chairs that needed to be straightened and put up, a floor to be swept… Her gaze fell on her employee in white sitting bonelessly a few tables from the door.
"Can you take Trent home? Normally it's Karen or Andy, but since he's the only one who came in for work today…"
Tommy nodded. "Sure. You going to be okay on your own?"
Hayley rolled her eyes. There were only a few people left in the café, nothing she couldn't handle on her own.
"Tommy, I ran this café on my own long before you got here. Now go."
Tommy held up his hands in an appeasing gesture and moved back over to Trent. "Hey Trent, get your stuff together. I'll give you a ride home."
Trent sat up, startled. "Huh? Uh, what about-"
"I'll handle clean up, Trent," Hayley cut in, "You head on home."
Trent blinked at his employer. "You sure?"
Hayley gave him a mildly exasperated look and replied, "I'm sure, Trent. You've done a great job today. Go home and get some rest."
Trent flashed her a bright smile and nodded. "Alright. Thanks, Hayley!"
Hayley chuckled. "Don't mention it. I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and Tommy? Pick up some paper towels on the way back, would you?"
Tommy nodded as Trent left to get his things. "Sure."
Trent returned wearing his jacket and backpack and the two of them left for Tommy's Jeep.
"Thanks for the ride home, Dr. O," Trent said as they walked out, "Dad would have freaked if I got home late again."
"No problem," Tommy replied easily, "Hey, speaking of your Dad, there's something I've been wondering… All those years working with your father, and uh, he never mentioned he had a son."
Hell, sometimes, he'd joke about adopting one of the younger interns just so that he could have a child.
Trent shrugged. "Well, he didn't – y'know, have one, that is. Him and my real parents worked on a dig a few years ago. There was a cave-in… my parents never got out."
Way to go, Tommy. Stick your foot in it, why don't you?
"I'm sorry to hear that," Tommy replied softly.
"Yeah… He's been great, though. He's taken me in, given me everything… a home, a life – not a lot of people would have done that."
That's Anton for you, though. The Anton I remember, at least.
"Yeah," Tommy agreed, as he buckled his seatbelt and started the Jeep.
"So, uh, how long have you known my Dad?" Trent wondered as they drove, "He doesn't really talk about you, well, ever."
Tommy's lips quirked. "Well, your Dad and I first met when I was an undergrad, about five, six years ago. I interned for him while working on my degree, and started working for him full-time as soon as I got my Bachelor's. He helped me through grad school, but we fell out of contact a while back. There was an accident where we were working… I honestly thought he was dead until I saw him again."
Trent's eyes widened. "That's about the time I lost my birth parents… why did you guys lose contact?"
I ask myself that every day.
Tommy shrugged. "I wish I knew. We used to be really close… but, I suppose, after the explosion, it took a while for Anton to get his bearings again, and then he just got caught up in work."
And hopefully, the fact that I blew up his island had nothing to do with it.
As Trent mulled over the information, Tommy asked, "So how's he been doing?"
"Pretty good," Trent replied, "I grew up in Cuba, so Dad and I stayed there for a while after my real parents died, just so I could get back on my feet. We moved to Manhattan after that, so Dad could get his company back in order, and then we moved over here. Reefside's my first time back in a public high school since my birth parents died… Dad hired tutors for me before."
That sounds like Anton, alright.
"I'm glad he's doing alright," Tommy said softly, "And I'm glad you both are getting on well, as well."
Trent nodded. "Yeah, he's been great. I mean, he's given me back my life, y'know? And in light of that, whatever tension we have over my artwork just pales in comparison."
Tommy shook his head. "Now that's something I don't get. I remember Anton pinning up pictures from Becker's three- and seven-year-old nieces to our wall – Becker was one of my co-workers. He had no problem letting any of us express our creativity, really. One of my other co-workers, Natasha, had a habit of doodling on any scrap of paper she could reach. Anton used to decorate the walls with her doodles… I guess people just change over time. I'm sure he's just doing what he thinks is best for you."
Trent sighed, and Tommy had the feeling Trent had heard that line far too many times. Trent shook his head and asked, "So, what did you and my Dad work on?"
Tommy smiled, accepting the change in topic. "Pretty much the same things as your parents, I'd expect. Just going out for digs all over the world, hunting for dinosaur bones and whatever else we could find buried beneath the earth. Our last dig was in Peru, actually…"
Trent listened avidly as his teacher regaled him with stories of places he'd never seen, people he'd never met, and a father he'd never known. He had to wonder, though, at the faint undertone of sorrow in his teacher's voice – the kind he heard in his own voice when talking about his parents – and at the stark change in the man he'd come to call father.
There was a lull in the conversation and the two of them drifted back into their own memories as Tommy drove down a quiet country road. The past for both of them was bittersweet, with families lost and gained.
Tommy glanced over to the rearview mirror and was promptly jarred to alertness.
What is that?!
"What… Trent, look – do you see a-"
"Big gold guy running like, fifty miles an hour, right behind us?!"
Tommy slammed on the brakes and the gold creature collided with his Jeep, denting the back and shoving it forward a few feet.
I am really glad for seatbelts right now.
He and Trent quickly unbuckled their seatbelts and stepped out of the Jeep to see a humanoid gold creature lying flat on the road.
Please don't be a part of Mesogog's newest plan, please don't be a part of Mesogog's newest plan…
"Oh man," Tommy said with a groan, "My insurance company's never going to buy this!"
What am I supposed to tell them? 'Well, ma'am, the reason the back of my Jeep is bent in half is that a gold robot-looking thing ran into it at fifty miles per hour.' Yeah, that'll go over well.
The gold creature clenched his fists and pivoted itself upright and Tommy and Trent shifted back a little.
"Which one of you is Dr. Oliver?" a metallic voice demanded.
Trent's eyes moved over to his teacher. "Uhh…"
"That'd be me," Tommy replied, stepping in front of Trent.
"Then prepare for your demise," the creature warned, cracking its knuckles.
Tommy's jaw clenched and his expression immediately hardened. This was definitely one of Mesogog's creations, and he was not about to let it anywhere near Trent.
Tommy pushed the teen back as the creature charged, warning, "Hang on!"
He lashed out with a kick to the creature's chest, inwardly wincing as it felt like he'd hit concrete, and followed up with a series of punches that were easily blocked, to the point that the creature twisted his arm and pushed it against his chest along with his other arm before switching hands and punching him back.
Well, that hurt. No holds barred, then.
The next time the creature rushed at him, Tommy swiftly ducked under his arm, coming back up on its other side, following with two kicks. It still felt like hitting concrete, but at least he was able to dodge the creature's two punches.
What is this thing made of?!
The creature grabbed his shirt and kneed him in his solar plexus, completely knocking the breath out of him. Before he could breathe again, his opponent had grabbed the collar of his jacket and thrown him to the other side of his Jeep.
Come on, Tommy, get it together!
His entire torso throbbed with pain as he dragged himself over to the front of his Jeep, gasping for breath as he sat up. His mind had switched into high gear, analysing his opponent for weaknesses and trying to create a battle strategy. The problem: his opponent had no discernible weakness and he had a civilian to protect.
And he couldn't morph, either, not with Trent right there.
"Alright," he grit out, "Better call for back-up."
A shadow fell across him as his communicator flashed. Cringing in pain, he looked up to see the creature standing over him, fist raised, declaring, "You must be destroyed!"
"No!" Trent cried out, rushing forward.
The teen leaped over the spare tire on the back of the Jeep, tackling the creature and throwing him over the side of the road. Trent rushed over to his teacher as the older man pulled himself up.
"No, Trent! Stay back!" Tommy warned urgently. Anton would kill me if anything happened to you. Hayley, and possibly Kira, too.
"I can help!" Trent insisted, and Tommy bit back a rebuttal as pain flashed through his torso. Trent wasn't a practicing martial artist; he was a street-fighter at best. He'd stand no chance against their opponent!
Trent rushed forward again, despite Tommy's warning, punching at Goldenrod and having his attacks easily blocked, before getting knees in the gut and thrown across the road, much like Tommy had. Trent, however, proved hardier than Tommy expected – or perhaps the creature simply hadn't thrown him as hard – and leaped up to fight again.
Move, Tommy! Don't let a kid take the fall for you!
"No!" Tommy cried out, stumbling at the side of his Jeep as Trent was thrown across the road again. He had to get up, had to fight, regardless of the ribs he was sure he'd cracked.
The golden monster approached Trent as he scrambled back, only to be diverted by laser fire. Tommy thanked several Earth-based and alien deities as the Rangers parked their Raptor Cycles and leaped off, rushing towards them.
The Red Ranger reached him first, asking worriedly, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Tommy replied, forcing himself not to wince. Conner had more important things to worry about than him.
The Red Ranger nodded and the three Rangers moved on to Trent. The Yellow Ranger knelt down beside him as the Red and Blue Rangers moved past her to stand between them and the monster.
"Trent?" she asked, surprised, "Are you alright?"
Tommy winced. That was a surefire way for Kira to disclose her identity.
"Yeah – Hey, how do you know my name?!"
"Uhh…"
The Red and Blue Rangers, on the other hand, were working together in beautiful harmony, their movements sure and in sync. A well-timed kick from the both of them sent the creature sprawling back flat on his back.
Tommy pushed himself up. He had painkillers in the back of his Jeep, as well as a first aid kit.
He just needed to make it that far.
A green flash lit up the area, and a very familiar cyborg appeared in front of the golden creature.
"I was wondering when you would show up," the Red Ranger snarked, unknowingly voicing Tommy's thoughts. Tommy pushed his pain to the back of his mind. He had to focus on the impending fight.
The golden creature stood up behind Zeltrax, who turned his head to the side, and snapped, "You! Return with me at once!"
"But, Father! My mission in not yet complete!"
FATHER?!
"Now! Do as you're told," Zeltrax ordered.
"Yes, Father," the creature replied with a half-bow, and the pair disappeared via another Invisiportal.
There was a beat of stunned silence in the wake of their departure, before the Red Ranger asked, "Father? Did he just call him Father?"
Tommy was just as stunned. How exactly did a cyborg produce a son?
"I think so," the Blue Ranger replied.
"That's what I heard," Trent said, pushing himself up.
"Whoa, take it easy, man," the Blue Ranger said, darting towards Trent, "You're injured."
Trent shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. Just a little banged up."
"You sure?" the Yellow Ranger asked dubiously.
Trent nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. You should worry about Dr. Oliver more."
As one, the three Rangers turned to him. Tommy cringed inwardly before shaking his head. "I'm fine."
He was met with three soft snorts of disbelief. He rolled his eyes. Overprotective teens. "Seriously. Nothing a good night's rest won't cure."
The Red Ranger shook his head. "Right. So what did Golden Boy want with you guys, anyway?"
Trent looked over to Tommy, who replied a little shakily, "He was after me. Kept saying something about destroying me."
The Rangers stiffened, and Tommy made a small motion with his hand. They would discuss this later.
"Well, then," the Red Ranger said, "Dr. Oliver, was it? If you want, one of the Rangers could escort you to, uh, wherever you're going."
Tommy shook his head. "Its fine. I'm just dropping Trent off at home. I'm sure you guys have more important things to be worrying about."
Like the 'Government in Action' projects due this week, the AP Calculus BC unit test for Ethan, the AP Latin vocabulary test for Kira, and the homework for my class that all three of you have.
The Rangers nodded and left, and Trent turned to Tommy. "Man, Dr. O, my Dad's so going to freak when he hears about this."
Ooh, somehow, I don't think telling Anton about this is a good idea.
"I, ah, I'm not sure you want to do that, Trent," Tommy ventured, "Anton can get pretty… protective, I guess you could say."
Trent paused, considering Tommy's statement. His eyes widening, "You're right! If Dad found out, he wouldn't let me out of the house for a month!"
Tommy nodded. "Come on, let's get you home, before he worries even more."
October 7, 2004:
Tommy begged off helping Hayley close up, who gave him the evil eye for all of thirty seconds, before plying him with various painkillers and telling him to get lots of rest that night. He was more than happy to follow her instructions, heading to bed early that night and letting the Power work on healing his injuries. It was a pity that his rapid healing only kicked in during times of high stress and danger.
The next day passed uneventfully, except that Conner, Kira, and Ethan kept an eagle eye on him throughout class and stopped by during lunch and their free periods to make sure he was alright, as they had after he returned from Mesogog's lair. It took him fifteen minutes not persuade Kira not to call Dana again.
He also confiscated twice as many 'Government in Action' packets than the day before. It got to the point that he threatened to not return the confiscated papers after class.
He had a meeting as well, reviewing the school's response to the monster attack the day before. There had been very few complaints from the parents, and only a few teachers complained about hysterical students. For just a moment, though, Principal Randall's tough façade cracked, and Tommy could see the weight of being solely responsible for the 900-odd people within Reefside High's halls bearing down on the young woman. An instant later, though, she was back to her usual brusque, sharp-tongued self.
Principal Randall wasn't the only one under pressure, though. As Tommy sat down at the counter of the Cyberspace with a cup of white coffee, Hayley slammed down a paper beside him.
"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed.
Tommy's eyes snapped up immediately at the anger and despair in his friend's voice. Pressing down the urge to go beat into the ground whoever hurt his friend, Tommy looked at the paper.
"Junk mail?" he asked, though he knew it probably wasn't.
"I wish! Check this out."
The paper had the letterhead of the Reefside City Hall on it. Tommy picked it up curiously.
Ms. Hayley Ziktor;
This letter is to inform you of the purchase of the land at 1507 McGalliard Avenue by Dr. Anton Mercer…
A block of lead settled in Tommy's gut. Anton, why is it that I want to hit you for just about everything I learn you do?
"What's it say?" Ethan asked.
"A letter from the city," Hayley replied bitterly, "It seems as of tomorrow, I have a new landlord."
"And not just any landlord," Tommy added, "Anton Mercer."
"He's going to rebuild the whole café," Hayley continued, "And he's going to replace me!"
The Cyberspace was Hayley's lifeblood, just as Rangering was Tommy's. She wouldn't be able to survive without it.
"With who?" Ethan wondered incredulously.
Tommy knew. The letter detailed exactly what was going to happen to the café when Anton took over. Hayley looked to the side, and Tommy caught the flash of anger and betrayal on her face.
A sullen Trent Fernandez stood a few feet away from them.
"So you've heard," he said flatly.
"So what's the deal, man?" Ethan demanded, a trace of disgust in his voice, "One rough day at the office, so your rich Daddy buys it for you?"
"It's not like that," Trent replied, "I had nothing to do with this."
Trent looked at the letter, a pained expression crossing his face. Hayley's gaze softened. She knew Trent. He wasn't the type to go running to his father over a rough day, especially not when he enjoyed working at the Cyberspace so much.
"Look, I've got a friend at City Hall," Tommy said, the letterhead on the paper sparking a memory, "Maybe we can check out the deal and see if Mercer missed something."
Trent shook his head and replied sadly, "I've known my Dad long enough to know he doesn't make mistakes."
Tommy's eyes glittered as he remembered long days under dust and sun. "And I've known your Dad long enough to know that he does."
He remembered an Anton who could get too caught up in his work that he forgot to take care of his employees. He remembered an Anton who nearly got scammed out of a quarter of a million dollars, if it weren't for some timely intervention. He remembered an Anton who was just as human as everyone else, just as prone to making mistakes.
I'm sorry Anton, but I'm not going to let you do this.
"Come on, Ethan-"
"W-Wait," Trent interrupted, "I'm going with you. This is because of me… I'll do whatever it takes to fix this."
Hayley pressed her lips together for a moment, before nodding. The expression in Trent's eyes was the same she'd seen in Tommy's, the same he was wearing right now. They'd fix this. Whatever it took.
"City Hall, here we come," Ethan muttered.
Outside the café, Tommy pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Eleanor Sanchez's office, Maria Davis speaking. How may I help you today?"
An image of a skinny girl with brown hair in pigtails and scabby knees flashed through his mind.
"Hey, Maria, this is Tommy Oliver. Can I ask a favour?"
"Tommy? Holy crap, I haven't heard from you since the Drescott House protests! How've you been?"
Tommy grinned as he gestured for Trent and Ethan to get into his Jeep. "I'm fine, Maria, just teaching at Reefside High. Look, I need to talk to Councilwoman Sanchez ASAP."
Maria laughed. "ASAP as in…"
"As in, before 5 PM today."
"Would you like me to move mountains for you as well?" Maria huffed.
"Please, sis."
"Alright, alright. Looks like she's getting out of a meeting right now, I'll keep her schedule clear."
"Thank you. If I leave now, I should be there in about ten minutes."
"Alright. Who should I say is coming?"
"Dr. Tommy Oliver and two students," Tommy replied, looking over at Ethan and Trent, who nodded.
"Alright. See you soon, little brother!"
By two weeks only, thank you very much!
Tommy chuckled and replied, "See you soon, Maria."
"So, you have a sister?" Ethan asked as Tommy drove them to City Hall.
"No, not biologically, but Maria and I grew up together. She works for Councilwoman Eleanor Sanchez of the 33rd District, so I called in a favour."
Ethan's brow furrowed and Trent guessed, "Orphanage?"
Tommy nodded. "Drescott House, out at the crossing of State Road 375 and State Road 462. Spent the first thirteen or so years of my life there. Maria got out about a year earlier than me."
"Drescott House… that's what the protests a while back were about, right?" Ethan asked.
Tommy nodded. "The city wanted to tear down the orphanage and turn it into a movie theatre. Suffice to say, the current and former residents of Drescott House were not happy. A lot of kids who passed through Drescott House still live in Reefside, so there was a strong public outcry about it."
Ethan's brow furrowed. "I thought Drescott House was, well, kind of a nasty place. Mom used to tell me some seriously whacked out stuff about it when I was little."
Tommy's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, before he sighed softly. "Drescott House… didn't have the best of reputations, no. It went through a change in management while I was there… The older caretakers were… well, they were straight out of Oliver Twist. Their replacements were much better, but they had too much on their hands repairing the damage their predecessors caused to really be of any use to the kids."
Tommy paused, using the turn in the road as a chance to gather his thoughts. Drescott House held so many memories for him, both painful and beautiful.
Making the turn, he continued, "Three years ago, one of the caretakers died and the other fell deathly ill. There were a record low number of children at the orphanage, too, so the city just wanted to shut it down and use the land for something more "productive". The only problem was that the nearest children's home outside Reefside was more of a nightmare than Drescott House had ever been. There was no way anyone who'd been through Drescott House would subject a child like them to that."
Trent shook his head, muttering, "I hear that. The orphanages back home were a nightmare, too."
Tommy glanced over at Trent momentarily as Ethan gave him a curious look. Trent seemed to realise what he had said, and explained, "Sorry, I'm originally from Cuba. Anton Mercer's my adopted father. After my birth parents died, I was put in a group home for a while… and well, it was pretty much a drug house. I can't imagine letting anyone else go through that if I could help it."
Tommy gave the teen a soft smile. "Drescott House wasn't that bad, I don't think. The current caretakers are much better, and we've managed to create a board of former members of Drescott House who oversee the actions of the management, so that everything runs smoothly – And here we are."
Tommy parked his Jeep and the teens jumped out.
"Man, I hope there's something we can do," Trent said as the crossed the pavement.
"Me, too," Tommy replied, before smiling slightly.
Several yards in front of them, a woman in a dark orange business suit walked down the steps towards them.
She smiled, and stretched out her hand. "Dr. Oliver. My office said you were coming down."
"Councilwoman Sanchez. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us."
Eleanor nodded, and as if right on cue, Zeltrax and his so-called son appeared behind her.
Oh, you've got to be kidding me. Now? Really?
"There," Zeltrax growled.
"I see him!" his son chirped, bringing up his fist and firing an enormous laser blast at them.
Tommy and Ethan dodge out of the way, somersaulting to the one side. Eleanor screamed as she and Trent dove to the other side.
Okay, let's not get a city politician dead.
"I will make you proud, Father," Zeltrax's son said confidently.
Zeltrax nodded. "Go, Goldenrod."
Goldenrod started firing at them again, and Tommy head Eleanor's stifled sob. Rage shot through him, dark and vicious. He hated this, hated when civilians got caught in the crossfire. Sometimes it was easy to distance himself, think of them as a faceless mass to be herded out of the way… And sometimes not.
"Trent! Get Councilwoman Sanchez where it's safe," he ordered, while gesturing for Ethan to call Conner and Kira.
"You got it!" Trent replied, shielding the older woman and herding her away from the danger.
Somehow, they shouldn't have been surprised that Cassidy and Devin ran up right then.
"Yoo-hoo! Council-lady! Cassidy Cornell! We were here first!"
The pair of then ran in front of the steps, not noticing Zeltrax and Goldenrod behind them.
"Cassidy, get away," Ethan hissed, gesturing wildly.
"Huh?" The girl turned around, just in time to get blasted by Goldenrod.
"Cassidy! Devin!"
"They'll be fine, Ethan," Tommy said, stopping the teen from rushing to his classmates.
In fact, Devin was already picking himself up, and Cassidy's standard complaints were back in full force.
"We've got bigger problems to worry about."
Tommy and Ethan shifted into nearly identical fighting stances, before dashing forward to meet Goldenrod. They lashed out with a kick to Goldenrod's chest, before separating to attack from either side. Tommy struck first, kicking and driving Goldenrod back toward Ethan.
It almost worked.
Goldenrod pushed Tommy back and nearly dislocated Ethan's shoulder before shoving him away. Ethan rubbed his shoulder as Tommy faced off against Goldenrod again, each of his attacks blocked before Goldenrod shoved him back.
"Your son got a lot stronger," Tommy said, his mind working furiously.
We need back-up, and we need to morph.
"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Zeltrax replied mockingly, pointing his sword towards Tommy.
Tommy bit back a retort as the patter of feet reached his ears. Conner and Kira had arrived.
"We heard you guys were fighting City Hall," Conner said eagerly.
Not quite, no. Budding political activist, Conner?
"They must have meant fight in front of it," Kira retorted.
Tommy cut through their bickering before it continue any further. "You guys ready?"
"Ready!"
"Dino Thunder, Power up!"
As soon as the four of them were morphed, an Invisiportal opened up above them and a horde of Tyrannodrones dropped down.
Of course. It wouldn't be a party without Tyrannodrones, now would it?
"Tyrannodrones, attack!" Zeltrax commanded, "Destroy them!"
"ThunderMax Sabre!" Conner called out as they split up. He slashed away at Tyrannodrones, before facing off against Goldenrod himself. Sword met staff as Conner fended off Goldenrod's strikes and even landed a hit of his own. Of course, he got kicked in the chest for his trouble.
Kira fought her way through the Tyrannodrones around her, disabling the first wave of them out in a well-executed roundhouse kick. She summoned her Ptera Grips before resuming her attacks, even pulling off a flying kick Tommy had taught her just that week.
Ethan fared just as well with his Tyrannodrones, barreling through them using the building's columns as leverage to knock out a few of them. Tommy saw him fighting against the balcony wall and shooting his blaster out of the corner of his eye as he himself faced off against Zeltrax.
Now, isn't this a familiar routine?
His Brachio Staff clashed against Zeltrax's sword in a familiar routine, and he pressed down on the cyborg's sword, he jeered, "Hey, Zeltrax, you're sending your son to do what you couldn't?"
"I will take you on myself," Zeltrax growled.
Zeltrax pushed away from Tommy and turned to his son. "Goldenrod, attack the city!"
"Yes, Father!"
That something so vile and despicable as Zeltrax can inspire such loyalty and affection from another creature is almost beyond comprehension. But I guess I know better than anyone that evil and love aren't mutually exclusive.
Goldenrod lashed out at Conner, knocking him away so that he could teleport out to the city. The now-30-story child prepared to attack.
"That's our cue," Tommy muttered, "Brachio, do your thing!"
Almost immediately, Tommy felt the familiar mental presence of the BrachioZord, and soon, the other Rangers had left City Hall in favour of the MegaZord. As they fought against Goldenrod, Tommy resumed his battle against Goldenrod's father.
Zeltrax's sword slashes rained down, only to be blocked by Tommy's Brachio Staff each time. Tommy twisted and kicked Zeltrax's sword arm away, before following up with two kicks to Zeltrax's chest, driving the cyborg back. The two of them strained against each other, their weapons locked.
"Give it up, Zeltrax!"
"Never!"
Zeltrax shoved Tommy, who used the momentum to somersault over the cyborg and deliver a debilitating blow to Zeltrax's chest after he landed.
"That's not my only trick," Tommy warned, his blood pumping, before he rushed back to fight.
This time, however, Zeltrax was ready for him, landing a hit across his torso. The two of them kept fighting, mixing in a few kicks with their weapon strikes.
"Vengeance shall be mine at last!" Zeltrax crowed as their weapons locked again.
"You keep talking about vengeance – you sure you got the right guy?"
"I know that you are my sworn enemy for life," Zeltrax replied as they switched positions.
Somehow, that statement doesn't have as much of an impact on me as it should.
"I seriously don't know what you're talking about," Tommy returned. And I tend to keep good track of who I cross in case they come back to haunt me.
"Then I will explain it to you after I make you watch my son destroy your beloved students!"
Tommy's rage spiked again, snapping through all the barriers he'd erected to keep it under control.
You mess with me, I'll repay you in kind. You mess with the people I care about, and I will visit the wrath of Hell upon you tenfold.
"Sorry, not gonna happen!" Tommy retorted, somersaulting again and slashing down across Zeltrax's torso as hard as he could.
"Nobody messes with my students!" Tommy snarled, as Zeltrax stumbled and fell behind him, his circuits fried.
"Later days, Zeltrax," the Black Ranger tossed over his shoulder, not looking back, and not listening to Zeltrax's demands for him to stay and fight.
Tommy raced over to Goldenrod and the MegaZord. The fight was not going in favor of the Rangers. Suddenly Goldenrod turned away from them, only to try and step on Tommy like a bug.
You little piece of filth…
Tommy could feel that dark rage, that dark power he'd fought so long and so hard to put to rest pounding through his veins, demanding to be set free. He rolled out of the way, his hands tight around his weapon.
No. No, I won't. Not again. I have to stay in control.
He felt something else flowing beside the darkness, something old and infinitely wise, shielding him.
What…
Tommy glanced down at his Brachio Staff. He could see new symbols engraved on it now, for Earth, Wind, and Fire – his strongest elements. A dark smile stretched across his face. He now had an offensive power he could use when his physical skills wouldn't help him.
Goldenrod was going to die.
"Brachio Staff! Wind Strike!"
Tommy rammed his staff into the ground, Power surging through him. Gale-force winds burst from the staff, slamming into Goldenrod.
Immediately, Tommy twisted his staff and slammed it back down. "Earthquake! Strike now!"
The ground tore apart and shuddered, creating a crevasse that nearly swallowed Goldenrod whole, but Tommy wasn't done.
One last time, he twisted the staff and slammed it down, crying, "Fire Strike!"
All of his anger, all of his pain and hatred burned through him and he poured it all into his attack.
"Full Power!"
It was almost too much; Tommy's body strained, unable to cope with what he was forcing it to do. However, hatred and rage could become beasts of their own, wild and uncontrollable. The Power tore through him, racing towards its target: Goldenrod.
"Yeah!" the Rangers cheered as Goldenrod was finally destroyed, and a laugh bubbled up in Tommy's throat.
Until Zeltrax's words, carried by the wind, hit him. "He was the only family I've ever known…"
Tommy froze.
He'd killed a child.
'I will make you proud, Father!'
Bile rose up his throat. He'd killed a child, who had only ever followed his father's orders. Who had only ever wanted to make his father proud. He'd torn apart a family from someone who'd barely had one.
The Rangers were around him now, cheering. Why were they cheering? Didn't they understand what a monstrous act he'd just committed?
Conner clapped him on the shoulder as Ethan laughed and Kira said, "Thanks, Dr. O! Without you, we'd have been toast!"
And with that, the world made sense again. He fought for these three teens. For Trent. For Hayley. For their safety and their future.
And for the people he cared about, he would do anything.
Tommy demorphed, smiling slightly. Kira stiffened as she noticed how pale he was.
"Dr. Oliver…"
Tommy chuckled. "Relax, Kira. I'm fine. That last attack just took a little out of me."
The three Rangers demorphed, and Ethan scoffed, "Dr. O, your definition of 'fine' and everyone else's definition of 'fine' are, like, in two separate galaxies."
Tommy shook his head. "Not this time, Ethan."
He rolled his shoulders. "Come on, let's go find Trent and Councilwoman Sanchez."
"Ah," Conner replied, "Sorry, Dr. O, I gotta jet. I'm helping my Mom paint the garage. She thinks I'm taking a walk to clear my head of paint fumes."
Kira turned her gaze on Conner. "Yeah, we don't need those paint fumes destroying what little brain cells you have left, Conner."
Conner placed a hand over his heart dramatically, retorting, "Kira, Kira, you hurt me so. Anyway, later, guys."
The others waved as he disappeared in a blur of red.
"I've got to get back home, too, Dr. O," Kira said regretfully, "Mom's got some friends over, so I have to help her play hostess."
Tommy and Ethan both winced in sympathy.
"Good luck," Ethan said, "We'll fill you in later."
Kira nodded and teleported out.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Ethan."
Ethan grinned. "That's cool. Let's go save the Cyberspace!"
Tommy cast one last look at the ground – now closed over – where Goldenrod had fallen, before turning and walking away.
"Trent? Councilwoman Sanchez? Everything alright?"
Eleanor and Trent sat on a bench at the far side of City Hall. The Councilwoman looked up, her face brightening.
"Dr. Oliver, you're alright!"
"Yes, Ma'm," Tommy replied with a faint smile.
"Trent's has been explaining the situation with Anton Mercer and the Cyberspace."
Tommy nodded. "Anton's making a big mistake. The Cyberspace is a safe haven for the students of Reefside High. It would be a terrible thing to lose that."
Eleanor sighed. "Well, this is a marked change from the last time we talked about Dr. Mercer, isn't it? Especially with all the support he gave Drescott House."
Tommy's eyes narrowed. He's holding Drescott House over your head?
"Dr. Mercer's relationship with City Hall is… extensive," Eleanor replied, lips pursing slightly. "I'm not sure what I can do."
"Why don't you come to the café and take a look around," Ethan suggested.
Tommy nodded. "That's a good idea. Councilwoman, you were part of Drescott House' renewal after the protests. Trust me when I say, the Cyberspace? Is just as important for this city."
The Councilwoman looked at them for a moment. "Alright. I'll tell my assistant to clear my schedule."
Twenty minutes later found Councilwoman Sanchez and Maria stepping into the Cyberspace.
"Whoa, hey, let me get that for you, Hayley," Trent said, as the red-haired woman neared them with a large, full tray.
Hayley smiled slightly. "Thanks, Trent."
Hayley turned to the newcomer.
"Hayley, this is Councilwoman Eleanor Sanchez and her assistant Maria Davis," Tommy introduced, "Councilwoman, Maria, this is Hayley Ziktor, owner of the café."
"Pleased to meet you," Hayley said, shaking Eleanor's hand.
"Likewise," Eleanor replied.
Maria tilted her head slightly as she shook Hayley's hand. "I'm sorry, but have we met before? You seem familiar."
"Hayley helped out with the Drescott House protests," Tommy explained.
Maria grinned. "Oh! That's great!"
Eleanor shook her head at her assistant's exuberance. "Well, we managed to save Drescott House; let's see if we can't do the same for the Cyberspace."
Hayley brightened for the first time that day.
Eleanor lifted her briefcase. "I have with me the terms of Dr. Mercer's agreement with the city, as well some of our major policies. Why don't we see if we can work something out for the café?"
"That'd be great," Hayley replied, "If you could come back over to the counter… Tommy, Ethan, you guys need anything to drink?"
"Nah, I'm good, Hayley," Ethan replied.
Before Tommy could reply, a girl's voice cut across, "Dr. Oliver! Dr. Oliver, I-need-help! I-totally-missed-the-lecture-on-biomes-'cause-of-my-dentist-appointment-and-I-tried-reading-the-book-but-it-totally-sucks-at-teaching-compared-to-you-and-I-really-need-to-keep-my-grade-up-else-Mom-will-go-totally-nuclear-on-me-and-"
"Leslie!" Tommy interrupted, "Breathe, please."
The girl paused and took a deep breath. Before she could resume her string of chatter, Tommy had guided her back over to a table to look over her homework.
Hayley shook her head. "We're not going to see much of him for a while. Once Tommy gets into Teacher Mode…"
Maria chuckled. "It seems some things don't change over time. Tommy was always a sucker for a cry for help."
"Oh, absolutely," Hayley agreed with a grin.
The two women and Ethan moved over to the counter, and Eleanor handed a packet to Hayley.
"These are the exact terms of the purchase," she explained, "It's pretty airtight."
Hayley nodded and started reading. Trent joined them a few minutes later, reading over Ethan's shoulder.
"Hey, there's something," he said a while later, "It says here that the City Council has the power to put land purchases on hold."
Eleanor looked over where he was pointing and nodded. "You're right. We can't cancel Dr. Mercer's purchase, but this might be a good alternative. We'd need at least at least one hundred signatures for the petition to be acknowledged, thought.
Maria leaned back, looking at the other side of the café. "Uh, Hayley? Is Tommy supposed to be writing on your windows?"
Hayley, Trent, and Ethan looked over to see that Tommy had gathered a small crowd of students and was using the window as a chalkboard.
"Yeah," Hayley said ruefully, "He does that from time to time. He'll clean it up himself, though, so I don't mind too much. I don't know why he won't just let me get him a portable chalkboard."
Maria bit her lip, smiling. "Some things really don't change… Tommy used to write on the windows at Drescott House, too. Sometimes the walls, too, but we got in trouble for that."
Of course, that had been more because they had no money for chalkboards, and didn't want to get caught by their caretakers. Drescott children back then didn't have an easy life in the orphanage or out of it, and many had tried to forsake school altogether. Tommy was the one who'd come up with the idea to use the windows to teach so that they didn't waste paper.
Maria could clearly remember an eight-year-old Tommy surrounded by her and her friends, teaching them to write their letters, making sure no one wrote on the walls. The one time they'd done that that, they'd been caught... and the results hadn't been pretty.
Hunger. Pain. Loneliness. Paralysing fear.
Maria pushed aside the flashes of memory with the ease of years of practice, and shook her head. "That man was born to be a teacher."
"My ears are burning," Tommy replied, coming up behind them, "So what have got?"
"We're looking at starting a petition to put the purchase on hold… But, there's such a small window of time…"
Tommy glanced around the café. "We need at least a hundred, right? There are easily sixty people here, and there's still a lot of time before closing. You should be able get a hundred people, even if it means getting some morning signatures before you take the petition down."
"Actually," Eleanor cut in, "I think it would be better if Dr. Oliver presented the petition to the Council."
Say what now?
Maria nodded in agreement. "Tommy, the everyone on the Council was present during the Protests. They know what you've done for Drescott House. You're already well-known and well-trusted."
It was thanks to Tommy that Anton Mercer gave his support to Drescott House. It was thanks to Tommy that the public even knew what was going on, and were swayed to the side of preserving Drescott House. It was thanks to Tommy that the morale of the protesters stayed up until the end.
More importantly, it was thanks to Tommy that Drescott House even went through a change in caretakers all those years ago.
She had just turned twelve, right before Tommy. She remembered the police sirens. The officers arresting the scum that were supposed to run the orphanage. The sobs of relief and freedom from the children around her. She remembered Tommy, battered and bruised and holding up another boy, giving one of the officers a bloody smile and saying that the only twelfth birthday present he wanted was a caretaker for Drescott House not straight out of Oliver Twist.
Tommy looked back at his sister. He'd asked that he not be mentioned by name in the report, because he didn't want the publicity. He just wanted his family's safety and happiness. How the City Council found out about it was anyone's guess, but he supposed it had to be recorded somewhere.
Tommy nodded. "Alright. We need to get it written up and signed tonight, though, so I can submit it tomorrow morning before work. Councilwoman, can you get it pushed through before 6 tomorrow evening?"
Eleanor's smile was sharp. "Yes, I have a few favours I can call in to get it pushed to the top of the day's agenda."
Tommy paused and looked at the Councilwoman carefully. "You're not a huge fan of Anton Mercer, are you?"
"Let's just say that Dr. Mercer and City Hall's anti-corruption task force aren't on the best of terms."
Trent made a strangled noise and Tommy's expression tightened. Of course.
"Then let's get writing," he said, ducking behind the counter to get his own briefcase. Pulling out two notepads and two pens, he turned to Ethan and Trent.
"You two mind getting signatures?"
The boys glanced at each other before shrugging.
"Sure."
"Not a problem."
"Great. Trent, go talk to the customers. Ethan, go find Conner and Kira, and then any other students who would sign in the area."
Trent nodded and set of with a notepad and pen. Ethan looked at his teacher uncomfortably. "I don't really know who lives near Conner and Kira."
I'm sure you don't, hacker boy.
Tommy gave him a dry look. "Find out?"
Ethan's brow furrowed. "Wha – How?"
Tommy smirked. "The same way you found my house."
Ethan's eyes widened before he gained a sheepish expression. "Ah… this is payback, isn't it?"
Tommy simply patted his shoulder. Revenge was a dish best served cold.
"He found your house?" Maria asked, as her boss returned to looking over some forms.
"Hacked into the school directory from his PDA," Tommy replied, "I swear, the kid's practically the next Bill Gates."
"That he is," Hayley agreed, giving Tommy an amused glance, "Now, I've got customers to take care of, so…"
"Go ahead," Eleanor said, "We'll start writing."
In the end, they pulled together 483 signatures to save the café, well above what they wanted. Trent convinced several customers to contact their friends and call them down to the café, and Ethan had convinced Conner and Kira to help him gather signatures.
Students, parents – the community came alive that night to save the café.
It was strange, Tommy thought, as he sat down in front of his computer that evening, the different places the children from Drescott House ended up. Unfortunately, many had ended up in prison and dead-end jobs flipping burgers because they'd been dealt such a bad hand in childhood. However, just as many had gone on to be successful.
Maria was working for the city authorities, under a very shrewd woman. Their older brother Alan was the manager of Best Buy, and even older brother Duke wasn't even in Reefside anymore; last he'd heard Duke was working for the FBI in Albuquerque. Carter Grayson had become a fireman and gone on to join Lightspeed, becoming a Power Ranger himself. Three of the other boys he'd known had also gone into law enforcement. One of the girls was a chef. Two others had gone into teaching. One was a nurse, and another was in pre-Med. Many of the other orphans he'd only known for a few months, and lost contact with soon after, and others either refused flat out to have anything to do with Drescott House, or their adoptive parents did.
He still kept in contact with the ones he could, though, and tried to visit Drescott House as often as he could. He'd taught one of the younger boys to drive earlier that summer, before he left for Onyx. He was on the committee overseeing Drescott House's operations.
Tommy shook his head. Today was a day just full of reminiscing, wasn't it? Just as he finished that thought, a window popped on his monitor.
"Tanya! Hey, how's it going?," Tommy greeted.
"So, what's this I hear about you talking to Kylee Styles?" Tanya said by way of greeting.
Tommy blinked. "Talking to Kylee Styles? Oh, you mean when she was in Reefside on her tour?"
"Yeah, whatever you said to her really shook her up. She's… well, she's become really sweet, gotten rid of that 'pop diva' image. She said it was thanks to you – well, only after I told her I had a friend down in Reefside and we actually got to talking."
Tommy's jaw dropped. "Uh, wow. I wasn't expecting that to happen. I was just, well, talking to her. She had been spouting off some garbage about image and it was hurting Kira…"
Tanya laughed. "I think you should have gotten the Bear spirit instead of Aisha, Tommy, with how protective you are of those kids."
Tommy gave a noise of protest, to which Tanya simply laughed and replied, "You know it's true. Anyway, she's actually halted her tour for two weeks – to get back to her roots. She should have arrived in Reefside yesterday afternoon."
"Really? Huh, I wonder if Kira knows?"
"Kira?" Tanya asked, "Kira Ford? Oh! Your Yellow, right? Wow, why did I not make that connection before?"
Tommy chuckled. "You know how the Power works, Tanya. Kira's protected. Did Kylee talk about her?"
Tanya nodded. "Oh yeah. We had a long conversation. We'd met before, you know, same recording company, and all, but we'd never really gotten along, so she actually came down and apologised to me, and asked if we could make a fresh start, so I said yes, and we got to talking-"
"Tanya," Tommy cut in amusedly, "How much caffeine have you had in the past six hours?"
"Far more than we ever allowed her as Rangers," Rocky said, coming onscreen behind Tanya, "Hey, Tommy."
"Hey, Rocky. Where are you guys right now?"
"Seattle. Hence the caffeine," Rocky replied.
Tommy laughed, but before he could respond, his communicator went off.
Ugh. Trouble, again?
"Sorry guys, I have to take this."
Tanya and Rocky waved him off. "We know how it is, Tommy. Catch you later."
Tommy waved back them as he spoke into his communicator. "You've got Dr. Oliver. What's going on?"
Kira's voice came back, saying, "Uh, Dr. Oliver? Do you have a moment? It's not really an emergency, and I probably shouldn't be calling, but…"
Why does my Yellow sound like she's crying? I feel like I should be beating someone up for this.
"What's the matter, Kira?"
"Nothing," the girl replied, "Just the opposite, actually. I wanted to thank you."
Tommy blinked. "Er, you're welcome… What exactly for, again?"
Kira chucked softly. "You gave me my best friend back, Dr. O."
Tommy's eyes widened. "You talked to Kylee?"
It was Kira's turn to be surprised. "Yeah, I – How did you know?"
Tommy smiled, looking back at the computer screen. "I have some friends in the music industry."
Kira chuckled again. "I shouldn't be surprised. So, um, thanks. Kylee's… back to herself, mostly. I mean, she's changed, but just a little, y'know? Just like I have."
Tommy smiled. "I'm glad the two of you managed to reconnect. Hey, I just had a thought…"
"Yeah?"
"I can almost guarantee that Anton's purchase of the Cyberspace is going to get put on hold. So, why don't you have Kylee sing with you for your gig tomorrow? In celebration?"
"That's… a really good idea. I'll ask Kylee and see what she thinks."
"Sounds good. Get some rest, alright?"
He could imagine Kira rolling her eyes. "Yes, Dr. Oliver. You, too. See you in school."
Tommy simply chuckled.
October 8, 2004:
"Ethan, did you change clothes?" Kira asked the next evening at the Cyberspace.
Ethan looked sheepish and muttered something about chalk dust. Tommy snickered in the background.
"What did you do, Tommy?" Hayley asked.
Tommy just smirked at her, taking a sip of his coffee. Ethan and Trent had been sniggering throughout his class, until he threw a chalkboard eraser at them, at which point they were too busy choking on chalk dust.
He was surprised Kira didn't remember, but she had spent most of the class period biting back a smile, scribbling in her song notebook, and texting under the table. She was practically euphoric.
"Has anyone seen or heard from Maria to the Councilwoman?" Tommy asked, "When I went down to City Hall this morning, she said she'd call as soon as the Council gave their decision.
Hayley shook her head. "No, no word… You don't think the Council voted to let Mercer's purchase go through, do you?"
Tommy shook his head. "No, if that were true, she'd have called immediately."
As if on cue, the doors to the café opened and in came Eleanor Sanchez. Tommy and Hayley were at her side in a flash. The Councilwoman smiled.
"Sorry I'm so late," she said, slightly breathlessly, "The City Council has voted to put Anton Mercer's purchase on hold – permanently. It'll be official once I inform him of their decision in… fifteen minutes."
That's the best news I've heard all day.
"Oh thank goodness," Hayley said, relieved, "Thank goodness."
"You need a moment, Hayley?" Tommy said gently.
Hayley shook her head, blinking rapidly. "Ah, no, I'll be fine. Can I get you anything, Eleanor? Coffee? Juice? A muffin?"
Eleanor smiled softly. "A muffin and some juice would be lovely, thank you."
Tommy smiled as they women made their way back to the counter. He turned and wove his way through the students gathered, stopping beside a young girl in yellow.
"Kira, why don't you and Kylee start getting ready?"
Kira turned to him, eyes wide. "You mean the café's-"
"It's not official yet, but yes. Keep it to yourself, alright? I want to surprise the others."
Kira nodded with a grin. "Alright. I'll go get Kylee and the others."
Tommy watched her go with a small smile. The smile promptly dropped off his face though, as none other than Anton Mercer entered the café, surrounded by construction workers and men with rolled-up building plans.
"Okay," the businessman declared, "Let's, ah, get these walls torn out; you can save the computers."
"Hang on," Hayley cut in angrily, "You don't own it yet!"
"Hayley," Anton said, shaking his head, "You know, as much as I hate to say this, you really can't fight City Hall."
Anton couldn't have given Eleanor a better opening if he tried.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Dr. Mercer," she replied, stepping away from the counter and walking towards Hayley.
Anton cleared his throat, crossing his arms to listen reluctantly.
"My name is Eleanor Sanchez, Councilwoman for the 33rd District. It is with great pleasure I inform you that the City Council has voted to put your purchase of this land on hold."
Tommy stepped up behind her in a show of support. She really didn't like Anton, and Tommy could barely wrap his head around the idea that Anton was buying Council members.
Anton glared at him. "Were you a part of this?"
Tommy stayed firm, trying not to balk at the restrained anger in his former mentor's voice.
"Actually," Eleanor cut across, smirking towards Mercer, "We had your son to thank."
Anton groaned.
"He made me realise," Eleanor continued with conviction, "That a place like this, a safe haven for learning and interaction for the youth of community, is something that shouldn't be disturbed or changed in any way."
By now, Ethan, Conner, Kira, and the other teens at the café had gathered around, showing their support for Hayley. Anton's gaze swept over them and he bit out, "I was only trying to do what's best for my son."
Eleanor gave him the barest of nods, showing that she didn't really believe him, but maybe he did, on some level. Tommy's mind flashed back to the fight against Goldenrod. If he had been in Anton's position, what would he have done? Would he have gone through with the purchase if he thought it was in Trent's best interests, even if it hurt Trent?
Anton's jaw clenched and he swallowed. "Well. I'll just be going then."
He turned back, and the café erupted in cheers.
"Yeah!"
"Thank you," Hayley said to Eleanor again, pulling the other woman into a hug.
"You're very welcome, Hayley," Eleanor replied.
"This is awesome!" Ethan cheered from the door.
"Has anyone seen Trent?" Kira wondered behind Tommy.
"Not since class," Tommy replied.
"He came in a little bit earlier," Hayley informed them, "But he said he was going home to try and convince his Dad not to come down to the café."
Tommy glanced over to the door. "Hey guys, I'll be back in a little bit."
"Where are you going?" Hayley asked.
Tommy gave her a slightly bitter smile. "Anton was supposed to meet with me today at 6… but I think he was going to work on the Cyberspace to avoid me."
Hayley winced. "Go after him."
Tommy nodded. "Yeah. I'll be back in a little while."
Tommy smiled as he passed an exuberant Ethan. Outside, Trent held a hand to his head, looking pale and disoriented.
What happened to him?
"Trent? Everything alright?"
The teen looked up at him, blinking as if to clear his head. "Uh, y-yeah, I'm… Yeah, I'm fine, Dr. O."
Tommy gave him a disbelieving look. "Are you sure about that?"
Trent gave a weak laugh. "Yeah, I'm sure."
"Alright," Tommy acquiesced, clapping the teen on his shoulder, 'You'd better get inside. Hayley's about to hang up your drawing."
Trent's brow furrowed. "My drawing?"
"Yeah, the one of Kira."
Tommy bit back a laugh at the panicked expression on Trent's face.
"What the – how did she get a hold of that?! Excuse me, Dr. O!"
Tommy stepped aside and chuckled as the teen dashed past him into the café. He righted one of the plastic chairs that had been knocked over on the patio as he crossed over to parking lot.
"Anton!"
The businessman stopped, his posture screaming reluctance and displeasure.
"What can I do for you, Dr. Oliver?" he said coldly, as Tommy approached him.
Tommy pasted a genial smile on his face. "Well, your secretary scheduled a meeting for us today at 6, but I, ah, guess you forgot about it."
"Oh. Of course," Anton replied flatly, and Tommy could see in his eyes that he hadn't forgotten at all.
Anton made a show of looking down at his watch. "Well, as you can imagine, I'm a very busy man, so-"
"Damn it, Anton," Tommy snapped angrily, "Don't play this game with me. I know you better than that."
Anton clenched his jaw. Tommy ignored the bodyguards looming threateningly at the edges of his field of vision, ready to step in with a signal from Anton.
"Anton, you have to have been in Reefside long enough to have seen the havoc Mesogog and the Tyrannodrones have been causing! Our experiments-"
"Tommy," Anton cut in with a sigh, "If what you believe is true, then perhaps you're better off talking to the authorities, or someone more… capable… of dealing with the situation."
Tommy understood the words unsaid: the Power Rangers.
Anton's gaze bored into him as the older man continued, "Our partnership produced many things, good things, but that's in the past. It's time to move on. For both of us."
Anton turned to enter his car, looking away from Tommy's stricken expression. Tommy closed his eyes.
Get it together, Oliver. Anton or no Anton, you still have bigger concerns. You still have a city and a planet to protect, and a monster to destroy. You can't afford to fall apart because of an obstacle in your path.
When Tommy opened his eyes, they were calm and determined. He gave the car a curt nod, not questioning whether or not Anton could see him, and turned back to the Cyberspace. This evening was going to be one of celebration, after all.
He entered the café in time to hear Kira say, "-with a friend of mine a long time ago. I hope you like it."
Kira strummed her guitar and leaned towards the mike. "Best friends, they come and go depending on your highs and your lows…
"My best friend decided not to be there when I needed her the most…"
Tommy felt a rush of pride as he listened to her sing. That girl is something else. She's going to go far. They all are.
"I thought you'd be there for me, then why did you lie to me, using me to get what you want?"
Conner and Ethan smiled up at Kira from the crowd. Trent weaved his way through the crowd and looked up her with a grin.
"Then I couldn't believe it happened… No, I couldn't understand…"
Kylee Styles stepped onto the stage beside Kira, crossing over to the other mike and drawing surprised and enthusiastic cheers.
"Did you know Kylee would be here?" Conner whispered to him as he applauded.
Tommy nodded with a smile. "I did. I asked Kira to bring her to celebrate."
"True love, it broke my heart, you made my whole life soar," the girls smiled at each other, Kylee's descant lacing Kira's rich alto.
"He said he'd be my baby, then why did he betray me? Temptation got to his head…"
Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy saw Cassidy give a soft laugh, reaching out to Devin.
"Then I left him, yeah – and this is what I said…"
Kira's voice rang out alone, "It feels like it's gonna be okay…"
"Gonna be okay," Kylee echoed.
"It feel like… it just feels that way," Kira sang, grinning at Kylee again.
The taller girl grinned back and picked up, "It just feels that way…"
Their voices joined again as the song wound down. "It feels like it'll be a better day, 'cause I believe that in that in the end, good things are coming my way."
The Cyberspace exploded with cheers as they finished. Tommy grinned, clapping his hands loudly as Kira and Kylee hugged. No matter what dangers they would face in the future, no matter what obstacles stood in their path, as long as they stood together…
Good things were coming their way.
A/N: Whew. Done. So, what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Too long? Too rushed? Let me know, please!
I stretched Golden Boy over a few days, because, while I don't know the workings of the city laws too well, I know that people would be given a fair amount of notice to move out if their land had been purchased, and petitions are the best way to make the city government listen. At least, that's how it work where I live.
Further, if anyone thinks Tommy's moral crises were not adequately addressed, worry not. They'll be back. Anyway, please leave a review!