A/N: Guyyyyyyys! I know. I suck. I'm so sorry for such a long delay between chapters. My classes have started up again and I've been so swamped between everything going on. I am hoping to get back into the routine of everything so that I can be able to update more often. I want to thank everyone for your patience and for the sweet reviews I've been getting! Please let me know if you are enjoying the story.
As always, I own nothing. Though, if you are good at statistics, head in my direction ;)
Ranger Slayer
"Did they find him?" I asked, walking into the control room. Billy looked up from the monitor and glanced over at me before nodding. William stood next to him, his arms crossed as he viewed the movement on the computer.
"Affirmative. He was in the warehouse district as suspected. A confrontation broke out but they were able to negotiate with Tommy. They are heading back here now." William said. Sighing, he pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to face me. "I'm not certain of what his reaction will be on seeing your presence here. You may want to seek some time in another part of the Command Center."
"He's correct." Billy murmured. "Tommy has been through a difficult and emotional trauma. There's a high probability that he will try to attack you."
"No." Jason's deep voice said as he walked into the room behind me. He walked over and stood between William and I. "If the kid wants our help and wants to help us, he's going to have to know the truth right from the beginning."
"Imagine that." I muttered, eyeing him. He shot me an icy stare back before turning back to the two Crantsons.
"This isn't the same Tommy as our time, Kimberly. There's a good reason for that too." Jason said. I sighed.
"Drakon was Tommy first. Don't forget that." I said, shrugging my shoulders as I crossed my arms over my chest.
"They are approaching the landing pad." Billy said, shifting uneasily from one foot to the other.
It had taken some strong willed convincing (mostly yelling) to get Jason and Zordon to see that it was only right to tell the kids about Kimberly being alive in my world. Neither were too happy about it but both agreed it would be the only way Tommy would ever be open to helping with our cause. I knew Jason was still worried about Oliver taking off and trying to save her himself with the information but I felt it in my gut that it wouldn't be the case. Tommy might be young and reckless but not when it came to saving the woman he loved. He wouldn't put her at risk of being hurt. It was one of the differences I noticed between him and Drakkon. Though, I was unsure as to why Drakkon had kept my younger counterpart alive for this long. What was Drakkon up to? Was he truly just waiting to use her against Tommy? Or was there something more we didn't know?
When Trini, Jay, Z and Billy had learned of Kimberly being alive, shock was an understatement. There had been some relief and on Jay's part, guilt. I knew he felt awful about thinking she had died that day and not fighting with Tommy to find her. I wanted to reassure him that it wasn't his fault but I knew it wasn't my place. The Battle of Angel Grove Park was a sore subject for our team, especially when it came to my involvement. Trini was the only one who really spoke openly about it, mostly when she speaks of her mother and sister who had been killed by Drakkon that day. I believed it was the main reason she was so incredibly happy to hear that Kimberly was alive somewhere out there. Unlike what Jason and Zordon's fears predicted, the kids agreed without our help that it was best to group up and find a way to get Tommy to join our forces again before going out and trying to save her. With that, it was decided that they would track him down and talk to him once he made a move. And when we saw his tracking device making movement this morning, they followed after him at once.
While they were doing that, Tri, Zack and Jason went out to see what they could find out about our newly found crystal we had no clue about. Billy and William had run a whole slew of tests on the thing and the energy it was giving off but the only thing they could tell was that it was energy we couldn't tap into and it was seeking out someone. When they paired it to the DNA in their system, that was how they discovered that Tommy was what the glowing white rock wanted. I didn't trust the whole idea given what I had seen in my time working for Drakkon. Typically, glowing things meant trouble. But Zordon had requested Alpha to transmit him somewhere into space to see what he could learn about it from his ancestors. I had offered to seek out some information as well, thinking I could try the little connections I still had in Drakkon's forces but I was told to keep my ass here. It was annoying but I did as I was told, taking the time to clean my weapons and patch up a couple holes I had in my armor.
Something made a beeping sound on the computer and the monitor changed, allowing us to view the cameras on the outside area of our underground bunker. We watched as the ship landed, Alpha putting the shields up to help blend it into the environment around it. The hatch opened in the ground and the vehicle lowered into the hangar where the retired Zords were now resting, waiting for their time to shine again. The camera feed cut out and I rested my hands on my hips. In the distance, I could hear boots scuffing on the floor as footsteps approached us. The door on the far left side of the room opened and the younger rangers entered. Tommy was in the back of the group, looking around at the facility he was walking into. When his eyes swept the room, it only took a second for them to land right on me.
"What the fuck is she doing here?" He asked, stopping right in his tracks. Trini and Jay both turned to see what he was talking about.
"She's on our side, Tommy." Trini said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He pulled out of her grip and stepped towards me.
"Bull shit. She's the whole reason that bastard is here in the first place. If she hadn't come over here, he wouldn't have been able to cause all of this or take Kimberly." He said, reaching for his Dragon dagger. I didn't make a move for my weapon, knowing it would just cause more problems if I did. Both Jason and Jay moved to stand between the two of us.
"Tommy, that's enough. Kimberly has been helping us since that day at the park. She was under a spell when she was working with Drakkon. You know that she tried to save people that day." Trini said. "Her and the other Rangers from that time were the ones who were able to find traces of Kimberly."
"DON'T CALL HER THAT. She's not Kimberly. Of course she could find her! She would know better than anyone what the fuck is going on over on that side. I'm sure she's just biding her time until she can run back to her little Lord Drakkon and do his bidding again." Tommy seethed.
"Stand down, Tommy." Jason said, giving the young ranger a hard look. Tommy didn't move, the dagger still in hand. "If you want our help in saving Kimberly, you will stand down right now or I will have no choice but to put your ass in lock up until you learn how to behave. I get you've been out there by yourself a long time but there's no reason to come in here acting like a feral animal. So, either sheath your weapon or I will do it for you." The two shared a glare for a long moment before Tommy's glare turned back to me. He let out an angry huff from his nose before stepping back, putting the dagger back into his belt line.
"Rangers! Zordon is returning!" Alpha's squeaky voice said, cutting the tension in the room. Trini kept her place between Tommy and I, giving me a small smile. In the tube behind the panel, there was some dim flickering for a moment before Zordon appeared. It took a moment for his image to sharpen but soon, I could make out his facial features. Zordon glanced around the room at all of us as we shifted to look up at him. For a second, I wondered if he saw things the same way a goldfish sees things in a tank. I shook the idea away as Zordon cleared his throat.
"Power Rangers, I see you were successful with your mission." He said, his eyes peering down at Tommy who returned it with a gruff look. "Tommy, it is great to see you again."
"Right." Tommy said, crossing his arms.
"Zordon, were you able to find anything out about this crystal thing?" Jay asked. Zordon nodded.
"Yes. My sources told me that what we have taken from Lord Drakkon's control is part of the Zeo crystal." The being replied.
"That can't be, Zordon!" Alpha said, shaking his processor. "That is only a legend."
"I'm afraid some legends come from truths, Alpha." Zordon replied.
"What's the Zeo crystal?" Z asked. "Is it some kind of super powered rock? Is that what we have?"
"When our universe was created, each section was designed by an entity. This system was created by Remulon, the youngest entity in the tribe. The others in the tribe built their systems with the ideas of control and war in mind. Remulon was different. He wanted to create peace and unity between the planets he created. To do that, he embedded each planet with it's one element to harness its power. Over time, the others in his tribe saw him as weak and sought to steal the power in his planets. He tried to protect them but they began to take them over one by one until Earth was the only one left. To save it, Remulon created a crystal to house the element. By doing so, he also created a system to protect it. That is how the Morphing Grid was created." Zordon's voice said.
"The Grid was created to protect this thing?" Tommy asked, holding up the crystal in his hand.
"That's just a single piece of it." Alpha said. "The legend says that when the tribe leaders attacked Earth, the grid separated it to make it harder to find. The six pieces were casted into another dimension in hopes of keeping them safe."
"Then how did Drakkon find this one?" Jason asked.
"Rita." I replied, crossing my arms. Everyone turned to look at me. "Drakkon always said something about a hidden item that Rita had told him about. I wasn't sure what he was talking about. I always figured it was a lost power coin. I would bet anything Rita had one and he was able to find it."
"Kimberly is correct. Rita was in possession of a piece of the Zeo crystal. I have a theory she had this piece due to Tommy being connected to it. She more than likely hoped to use it when you were under her control, Tommy. She lost the ability to use it once you broke her spell."
"So what? We can power the grid with this thing now?" Trini asked.
"No. The crystals can only help those they are destined for. This crystal will be able to help Tommy morph but won't be strong enough to recharge the rest of the coins. We would need the rest of the crystals for that." Alpha said.
"If we get the rest of them and put them together, we will have enough power to take down Drakkon." Jay said firmly, looking excited.
"Not exactly. When the crystal shattered, the combined power of the crystal was lost. There isn't anything strong enough alive to put it back together. Not even Drakkon has the power to do that." Zordon seemed to frown.
"If we get the rest of these crystals though, we can morph and fight Drakkon and his forces out." The older Jason stroked his beard, gazing over at the control panel. "I mean, that would be the plan, correct?"
"Where are the other pieces?" Billy questioned.
"It will take some time to locate them. If legend is true, they could be located in different plains and universes that are around Earth." Zordon replied. "Alpha, assist Billy and William in locating the other pieces of the Zeo crystal. Once we are able to secure their coordinates, we will need to come up with a plan on how to retrieve them."
"Of course, Zordon. I will start right now." Alpha pushed some buttons on the computer, typing with his little fingers.
"A plan? I mean, wouldn't we just go there and grab them?" Z asked, looking up at the floating head with a look of confusion.
"It will depend on where the other pieces of the crystal are." Zordon replied. "Remulon hid the whole crystal in a place that was dangerous. If the legends are true, when the crystal broke apart, it shattered across the galaxy. We will need to track down the other pieces."
"How many other pieces could there possibly be?" Trini asked, crossing her arms.
"One for each power coin in existence of our time." Alpha replied. "According to the legend, when it was broken apart, it was divided into the six pieces that represented each of the sacred animals; dragon, phoenix, griffin, tiger, wolf, pegasus, and bear. Each of these animals stood for a different part of the planet and the people they were sworn to protect under the power of the Zeo crystal. Remulon had hoped that one day, a team would come together to protect Earth from those who wished to seek out it's powers to do harm to those who dwelled here."
"Locating these pieces will take some time, Zordon." Billy said, looking up at Zordon through his cracked glasses.
"That's okay, Billy." Jason said, the older ranger calling him gently on the back. "I think we can use the time wisely to bring Tommy up to speed on everything we know about Drakkon and his forces."
"That might be best." William said, giving me a small smile as he glanced in my direction. Unlike with the Trini of my time, it seemed William wasn't as hostile towards me now as he had been in the beginning. His loyalty was still with Tri though, especially when she was around. Now and then, however, he will have his moments where he lets me know that there might be a chance of normalcy between us. It's a small step but at least one in the general right direction.
"Will you help me with something quick?" Trini asked, getting my attention as the group moved to head out of the room. I gave her a confused look, wondering why she would want to miss out on a briefing like this.
"With what?" I asked.
"I think that it's wise for Tommy to be filled in by the Jasons and Z right now." She said in a hushed tone as she leaned in closer to me. "He will be more resourceful that way." I nodded, pulling back from her.
"Right." I replied. Tommy passed me, giving me a death glare as he moved on by to follow the rest of the time out of the control room. Once they were gone and the door was closed, I shook my head. "There's no way he is going to be able to trust me."
"You don't know that." Trini said. "He just needs time, that's all. It took all of us, including you, to come around to the situation here. He'll get there once he understands what happened to you while you were under the spell."
"Something tells me that there isn't going to be a time where he comes around." I muttered, leaning against the counter behind me. "I don't blame him for hating me. I would hate me too. Especially after he's spent so much time trying to track down Kimberly to find me here instead."
"You're here to help. That's all that matters right now. Part of this new world we live in is adjusting to the fact we need to work with those we don't like. Tommy will need to adjust to that if he wants anyone's help in finding Kimberly." I frowned, nodding. I didn't want to think what Tommy's reaction would be if this went south and we didn't end up getting to Kimberly in time. I was still confused as to why she was still alive and why Drakkon hadn't used her yet at this point. It was almost like he was hiding her instead, keeping her whereabouts and well-being hidden well enough to go undetected for so long. Why were they suddenly able to pick her up? Was Drakkon having the same kind of issues with his powers as these Rangers were? Did that mean that my powers were now on some borrowed time as well? For a brief moment, I thought about what life would be like as a normal person. It was a daunting idea if you asked me.
"I don't know what Drakkon has planned for Kimberly but I don't think it's going to be a good thing. I think there might be a chance that he's hoping to use her as bait to get Tommy to come out of hiding long enough. I don't like the feel of any of this, Trini." I shook my head. "Drakkon has something up his sleeve."
"Well, we will handle that hurdle when we get there." She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm going to lend Billy and William a hand. Do you want to help?"
"I think I'll leave the advanced spaced age computer stuff to those of you who know how to use it. I'm going to go to my quarters and see if I can contact any of my ears in Drakkon's forced. Let me know when we find anything out." Trini nodded, giving my shoulder a squeeze before I headed out of the room. As I rounded the corner in the hallway, I saw that Jay was standing there with Tommy outside of the open men's quarters door. Both looked up when they saw me, Tommy's eyes narrowing at me.
"Wait here for a sec. I'll get you some clean clothes." Jay said, eyeing between the two of us for a second before disappearing into the room. Tommy took a few steps towards me. I crossed my arms as the younger guy glared at me.
"I don't know how you were able to convince all of them that you're this better person but you can't fool me. We both know what you were trying to do when you first came over here. I was the person you nearly killed with your little bomb. This nonsense about being under a spell it's going to work with me. As someone who was under one for his fair share of time, I know exactly how much free will you have. The things you did weren't because you had to. It was because you wanted to. You can't deny that no matter how hard you try."
"You're right." I said. "You were under a spell like me. I did have some traces of free will. But it was my mind he had a control of and had convinced me that it was the right way for the two of us to be together. You two might not be the same but there's a part of him that will always be Tommy Oliver. And both of you have the same goal in mind; you'll do anything it takes to be with your Kimberly. Even if it means risking everything and everyone else to get it done."
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked. I took a step closer to him.
"It means don't go running off with a half-cocked idea about saving Kimberly by yourself. You might have no regard for your own life but your friends here are trying to save the rest of humanity. Don't put them at risk because of a girl, Tommy." He let out a dark laugh.
"Wow. It's almost like you are lecturing me about doing the right thing. How about you do less worrying about me and be more concerned about yourself? Last time I saw you, I told you I was going to kill you." He stepped closer, inched between us. "And I keep my promises."