Author's Notes - So very close. 'reaches for last part'

Anywho so not much to say here, thanks as always for the reviews and you should add in an extra lil thanks to Talia and Rachel because I was talking to them and both gave me ideas that in a way led to me finally deciding what Zedd's damage is where Zordon is concerned and really I find I like it a lot more then my original idea as this explains why Zedd is always saying doing the right thing only gets you hurt, why he has a soft spot for Tommy, and even gives his and Tommy's 'relationship' whatever it is some back meaning.

'drums fingers' what else…what else… hm, oh Zedd is calling Zordon a jerk off not telling him to go do that. Yeah on that note enjoy the part.

Summary – Taking Tommy's advice Zordon does his best to make some form of amends. Zedd takes it less then happily.

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Doing the Right Thing

Zedd

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(Command Center, Day 5)

"I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU WOULD JOIN ME."

Stepping into the main chamber, dressed in my leather pants, boots, and one of the boy's white t-shirts, I give the old windbag an easy smirk.

"Sorry for the delay, pesky little disembowelment kind of kept me out of commission for the past few days." Not to mention the electronic locks on the kid's door took longer then I thought to break through.

"I ASSUME YOU ARE RECOVERED." Eyes going to my right hand which is holding the metal staff I'd snagged from the training room down the hall, he nevertheless keeps any thoughts on it to himself for now.

"Well enough."

"I'M CERTAIN THOMAS WILL BE MOST PLEASED TO HEAR THAT." Oh I'm sure the kid will be elated.

"You know what, it's just us right now so why don't you lose the Council Elder type speak and talk to me like a normal Eltarian." Lord knows he likes to play the part of higher-the-though mentor, but geez give it a rest, the kids are gone and like hell if I'm going to buy that crap.

Heaving a sigh, but thankfully dropping the perfectly pronounced speak, he continues tiredly. "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY ZEDD?"

Smiling once more and twirling the heavy staff with easy, I give him a cool look. "Please don't kill me might be a good start. Maybe we can work our way up to pleading and groveling if there's time." Though said groveling will be slightly disappointing considering all I can see is his head right now. Oh well beggars can't be choosers I suppose.

"YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED HAVE YOU. YOU'RE STILL RULED BY YOUR EMOTIONS. HONESTLY ZEDD HOW OLD ARE YOU AGAIN?"

Gritting my teeth at his own too calm demeanor, I give a testing swing of the staff. "Most people in your position wouldn't really put in extra effort to piss off their executioner."

"YOU WON'T DO IT. WE'RE BOTH AWARE OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF YOU DID. YOU MIGHT ESCAPE BUT THOMAS WOULDN'T. HE WOULD END UP PAYING FOR YOUR ACTIONS. MOST LIKELY BE KILLED. WE BOTH KNOW YOU WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN. NOT AGAIN." Damn it all! I mean it's not as if I didn't already think about that, and it's not as if I would have really smashed his stupid tube and killed him, but damn it he wasn't supposed to know that!

Doing my best not let my façade go, I take another swing, this time closer to his precious glass cage of sorts. "Is that what you think?"

"THAT'S WHAT I KNOW."

"Jerk off." Growling and left with little else to say and do as he's called my bluff perfectly, I throw the staff across the room rather annoyed as it merely clatters to the floor without even damaging a control panel or display case on the way. "And for the record his name is Tommy, not Thomas, I'm the only one that can call him that so get it right."

"YOU'VE GOTTEN HIM INTO A FINE MESS YOU KNOW. YOU'VE TURN HIM AGAINST ME, TURNED HIS TEAMMATES AGAINST BOTH OF US, YOU'VE CAUSED CHAOS, TURMOIL, MISTRUST, IN SHORT YOU HAVE DESTROYED EVERYTHING I WORKED HUNDREDS OF YEARS TO BUILD IN A MATTER OF DAYS." So it wasn't a complete loss. Alright not so pissed off anymore.

"Then I accomplished something. Good for me."

"ZEDD."

Matching his exasperated tone, I state his name in much the same manner. "Zordon."

"WHY MUST YOU BE SO AGGRAVATING?" Excuse me? Me? I'm the aggravating one? Right!

"I'm aggravating? Me? How about you? You want to talk aggravating, what do you call telling the boy that you know why I joined Dark Spector, huh? What the hell were you trying to pull with that little stunt?"

"THERE WAS NO 'STUNT' INVOLVED. HE'S A CLEVER BOY HE FOUND OUT MORE THROUGH HIS OWN DEDUCTION RATHER THEN MY TELLING." Hm, well I suppose that is possible. Still though it hardly lets him off the hook.

"Yeah well maybe next time you shouldn't aid in his deductions. That is unless of course you want him to know the real reason I did it. You think you have a rebellion problem on your hands now, I'm sure you can just imagine what he'd due if he actually knew what you were capable of, hm." Though the sudden thought of that tube being smashed to bits by the emotional teenager is definitely an enticing mental image.

"AND WHAT IS IT THAT YOU BELIEVE I AM CAPABLE OF, ZEDD?" Oh please.

"I don't know, death, destruction, ruin, manipulation, stop me if I miss one."

Sighing as he knows where I'm going, knows exactly why we are and always will be enemies, his response is one I expect. "SEVEN THOUSAND YEARS AND YOU STILL HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS DEATH." Trust me I hold you responsible for a hell of a lot more then just that.

"You murdered the one person in all the world who loved me. You took his life and ruined mine." Teeth and fists clenched in pain I've worked centuries to bury, I barely resist the urge to retrieve the metal staff I'd discarded, consequences be damned.

"I DID NOT MURDER HIM ZEDD. IF YOU REALLY WISH TO BLAME SOMEONE FOR HIS DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THE COUNCIL AND YOUR BANISHMENT PERHAPS YOU SHOULD LOOK TO YOURSELF. YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH ONE OF THE RISING GENERALS FOR THE EVIL ALLIANCE, ONE OF THE MOST EVIL BEINGS I'D EVEN COME ACROSS, YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH DARK SPECTOR'S SON. WHAT DID YOU HONESTLY EXPECT TO HAPPEN."

"I was in love with someone who wasn't given a choice! I expected you to help me save him!" Fuming and uncertain who I'm honestly more angry with him for his betrayal or me for my moronic notion that he would have helped me save him, I know it's an old internal conflict, one I've dealt with for years upon years. One I still have no clear answer for. "I came to you, confided in you because I believed you were my friend. I actually thought that for some reason the fact that we'd grown up together, shared our problems, confided in each other for help, that that would be enough for you to for once put aside the bull shit we were taught and be there for me. Help me save someone who deserved to be saved."

"I DID ATTEMPT TO SAVE SOMEONE WHO DESERVED TO BE SAVED. SOMEONE I FELT WAS WORTH MORE THEN ANY RULES OR REGULATIONS I WAS TAUGHT." Really, well by all means let me meet this person because they must certainly be the first and only one in existence who- "YOU." What?

Scoffing and certain he's either lost it or is now stalling for time, I run a shaky hand through my hair. "Me. Right. Me who you turned into our fathers along with the rest of the council. Me who you yourself called a threat, a weakness to our cause. Me who barely escaped imprisonment for treason, treason by involvement with someone who you and the Elders didn't approve of. Yeah, me. Right."

"YES YOU, ZEDD. YOU WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BY THIS PERSON WHO CLAIMED TO HAVE LOVED YOU. YOU WHO WERE TOO YOUNG, TOO NAÏVE AND INNOCENT TO REALIZE JUST HOW DANGEROUS OF A SITUATION YOU WERE IN. YOU WHO I WOULD HAVE SACRIFICED MYSELF TO SAVE. ALL THESE YEARS YOU HAVE HELD ME RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF SOMEONE WHO WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU GIVEN THE CHANCE AND I AM SORRY THAT YOU REFUSE TO SEE THE TRUTH OF THE SITUATION, BUT I AM NOT THE ONE WHO CAUSED IT OR YOUR PAIN."

Lost for how to respond for the first time in a long time, I in the end hang my head in defeat wondering just when my life completely fell apart. Here I stand wounded by my own creation, arguing with a complete moron who has yet just bested me in said argument, and finally unsure if I even have a reason to be angry with him anymore. I hate my existence.

"YOU HOWEVER ARE CREATING EVEN MORE PAIN FOR NOT ONLY YOURSELF BUT ALSO THOMAS. WHETHER YOU'VE DONE IT INTENTIONALLY OR NOT, YOU'VE MANAGED TO PLACE HIM IN EXACTLY THE SAME POSITION YOU YOURSELF WERE IN ALL THAT TIME AGO."

Head coming up at this, I fix him with a heated look. "So help me if you do anything to hurt that kid I will break you out of that fucking glass case and snap your neck with my bare hands."

"I'M NOT THE ONE WHO WILL END UP HARMING HIM ZEDD. YOU ARE THE ONE BRINGING HIM INTO YOUR WORLD, MANIPULATING HIM, USING HIM FOR YOUR OWN GAIN-"

Not about to listen to his all-knowing spew, I cut in quickly. "No, unlike you, I don't use people. I don't lie and I don't manipulate. If I want him around it's because I like him and think he's worth something, not because I see him as a pawn to be used in this stupid game. I'm not you."

"HE'S GOING TO GET HURT."

"I'll protect him." I couldn't protect Jacob, but like hell if I will let anyone hurt this boy. I am not losing another one. Not to Dark Spector, not to the Council Elders, and certainly not to Zordon.

"HOW WILL YOU DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE ASSIGNED TO HURT HIM?" Shaking his head at my glare, he continues almost too calmly. "IF YOU'RE BEING HONEST, AND YOU REALLY DO CARE FOR HIM THEN YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT THE BEST WAY TO KEEP HIM SAFE IS TO STAY AWAY FROM HIM. THE ELDERS DON'T KNOW YOU ARE HERE, NOR DO THEY KNOW MUCH OF ANYTHING ABOUT THOMAS BEING TAKEN BY YOU BEFORE. HOWEVER IF YOU CONTINUE TO PULL STUNTS OF THIS NATURE THEY WILL EVENTUALLY FIND OUT AND IF NOT ABLE TO GET TO YOU THEY WILL TAKE HIM." No, no I can protect him. I can find some way to keep him safe and still be there. But even as I try to convince myself of it I know it's a lie. He's right, I can't keep him safe forever. Not with both sides breathing down my neck and him unwilling to join mine.

"I hate you."

"YOU USED TO BELIEVE IN DOING THE RIGHT THING ZEDD. YOU WERE NEVER SELFISH OR STUPID. BUT STAYING AROUND THE BOY AT THIS TIME INVOLVES YOU BEING BOTH OF THOSE. JUST THIS ONCE PERHAPS YOU CAN BE THE PERSON YOU WERE AND DO THE RIGHT THING."

To be continued…….

-o-

Sigh so Romeo and Julie…er well male name for Juliet I guess. If anyone's wondering Zedd really was trying to save the guy, loved him a lot I suppose. Did Dark Spector's son love him back or was he just using him like Zordon said…hmm don't know yet. I'm sure it'll be talked about in story 3 of the series though.

Oh and why 7,000years you may ask? Well according to the first movie Zordon's team of warriors 6,000 years ago trapped Ivan Ooze in the hyperlock chamber, so this would have probably happened some time before Zordon was actually on the Council and actually commanding any team of warriors.