Chapter Twenty Four

They landed in New York far more tense than they had been in years. As much as they both would like to deny it- this home stretch was going to be rough on the both of them. Every sound set them on edge. Neither of them were going to sleep well until this was over and they desperately needed for this to be over.

"Well, he certainly cleaned out his stuff," Kimberly whispered as she looked at her, utterly empty, apartment. Greg had never been a stand up man- naturally he thought all of the things here were his. That was fine. They were just things. It was not worth what it might take to get them back.

"It's been a long day, let's worry about this in the morning," Tommy said as he gently nudged her further in to the apartment. He saw how much was obviously missing and felt it tug at his heart. Any other time, he would have been mad about it. Right now- he was just glad that the open space would give him a fighting chance.

"The blade?" Kim asked as he secured the door behind them and held up the case. "How…"

"You rest, I'll only stay up for a little while longer," Tommy said as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. She walked over to her bedroom and he closed his eyes before he walked over and barricaded the door. He sensed it and he was glad that she didn't. He was glad he could do this little bit to protect her. "You can come out now."

The man looked so much like Billy and so unlike him as he stepped out from the shadows. Tommy turned to look at him and the Green Dragon Crescent blade appeared in his hand. Apparently, it knew who was its master now.

"Well, you were certainly difficult to track down Mr. Oliver. Does she know what you are?" Atlantis asked and Tommy closed his eyes. He did not want to give any more away than absolutely necessary. "She does."

"She stays out of this," Tommy barked and he heard her try the door. They were already too loud. She had already heard them.

"Oh he can't have…" Kimberly whispered as she tried the door again and heard what sounded like someone being tossed across the room. "No."

"Well then. It seems it's a two for one deal tonight," Atlantis remarked as he unsheathed his own weapon. He had eviscerated all of the other rangers- it should be no different tonight. "Excuse me- three for one."

"She knows, but she's not one of us. Leave her out of this," Tommy forced out as they started circling each other. Tommy was sure that he could not be the aggressor, even though he desperately wanted to take this fight to him.

"There's no way you would have told her unless she was a ranger. I knew something was off from what Billy told me. He must have had an extra soft spot for her," Atlantis said and he charged at Tommy, who quickly brought the blade up and parried the blow. His anger rode him hard as he thought about all of the friends he had lost. All of the rangers that had died at this man's hand. "You have done your research."

"I've had time," Tommy gritted out and he moved to be on the attack. He heard Kimberly struggling with the door and just hoped that it would hold long enough. The first strike that hit home caused Atlantis to stagger back and Tommy was surprised that it drew a bit of his own blood. He heard Kimberly's scream and knew that it had drawn blood from her too.

"You were saying that she wasn't a ranger? Lying is never a good thing," Atlantis shot back and Tommy quickly collected himself. He was going to have to make his strikes count or this would kill the two of them as well.

"I have to keep them alive," Tommy whispered to the blade and it vibrated in his hand. He hoped that this meant that help was coming. He grunted as Atlantis slung him against the wall and he sprang back to his feet.

"Tommy!" Kimberly yelled as she again tried the door and began pacing her bedroom. She felt something swelling inside of her, something that she could not name. She looked at the balcony and knew that it was no good. If she could not get out of this room, she could not help him.

A mist gathered in the main room, making it difficult for Atlantis and Tommy to see each other. Neither of them were sure which side this mist was coming from and both of them hoped that it was their line coming to help them. Each blow rocked Tommy to his core and he could feel that the fight was slipping away from him. He was strong, but he did not have any of his supernatural powers. One of the blows hit home and the scream came out of him before he could stop it.

"Tommy!" Kimberly yelled, again, as she heard him scream. She had to get out of this room. She closed her eyes and focused every bit of her will on getting the door open. In a matter of seconds, it completely disintegrated and she walked out of her room. She noticed the mist that had gathered in the room and could see two people moving within it.

"Kimberly, stay back," Tommy muttered as he saw her outline and he managed a strike to Atlantis's neck. It should have been fatal, but he watched as Atlantis straightened and came after him again. "C'mon guys- any minute now."

It was as if the mist heard him. People started to form out of it and his breath caught as he saw all of his friends. All of the people that Atlantis had killed. They gathered on each side of him and he felt his dormant powers pooling in to the blade, but he could tell it was not enough. Something told him that this wouldn't be enough.

"You need her," Jason's ghost whispered in Tommy's ear and he barely nodded. But how could he get to her? He did not have much time to think about it as Atlantis sank his blade in to Tommy's stomach and he collapsed. He watched as Atlantis turned towards Kimberly and it was then that he felt it. He felt the power radiating off of her- with a yell- she flung Atlantis out of her pathway as she headed straight for him.

"Leave it," Tommy forced out as Kimberly reached for the blade in his stomach. He managed to pass the Green Dragon Crescent Blade to her and gritted his teeth. "You know what to do."

Kimberly felt the power surge through her and she saw the rangers become whole again. Atlantis stood up from where she had thrown him and she glared over at him. The powers pulsated through her and she tried to maintain some level of composure. She couldn't fight the way Tommy did, but she just needed one strike. She just needed to hit him once and then she could call for help. Then she could save Tommy.

"We'll hold him," Aisha said in Kimberly's ear and the tear started flowing down her face. "Only his heart Kimberly and…be prepared."

"I will," Kim said as she watched the past rangers pile on to Atlantis, pegging him against the far wall of her apartment. Something told her to not move any closer than absolutely necessary and she felt the weight of the blade. "For them."

She loosed the blade and it struck him square in his heart. She fell to her knees as new wounds opened on her body and she looked over to see them appearing on Tommy's body as well. As Atlantis slumped forward, she knew that he was dead. The Power Rangers hung in the air and looked to her.

"The others," Zack started and Kimberly shook her head no. "But…"

"No. This ends here. Just keep him alive, until I can get help," Kim forced out as she patted down her body for her cell phone and didn't find it. She stumbled towards the front door and forced her way in to the hallway. Her focus was on one thing- the front desk, getting them to call 9-1-1. Getting someone to Tommy.

The ride down to the lobby was the longest ride she had ever endured. More blood poured from her own wounds and she fought back the tears. Tommy could not possibly survive this. He had been struck in far more places than her.

"Ms. Hart- it's been so long since we've…" the doorman's face fell as she slumped against the desk and he ran to the other side. She was covered in blood and felt more of it oozing from her wounds ever second. "You- call 9-1-1. C'mon Ms. Hart- stay with me."

"Tom-my," Kimberly forced out as she felt him applying pressure to her wounds. "My husband- he's…he's in the apartment. He's worse. Go- help him."

"Ms. Hart…" the doorman started as another resident walked in and saw the scene in front of him. His medical training kicked in and he quickly moved their doorman out of the way.

"Kimberly…" Alex whispered as he kneeled next to her and looked up to see another resident on the phone with what he assumed was the paramedics. "I need you to stay still."

"Alex…Tom-my. He's in the apartment...please- go to him first," Kim forced out again and Alex barely shook his head. "He's worse- go. To. Him. Father of my baby, please, save him."

Alex gulped and then sprinted off. He knew where Kimberly's apartment was. He was three doors down. The two of them had met years ago when she had first moved in to the building. He knew that it might be unwise to leave her, but the paramedics would stop at her. He might be the only chance for whoever this Tommy was.

"Oh my God," Alex muttered as he saw something disappear right before his eyes and he found two men in her apartment. One who appeared to be barely alive and the other that was obviously dead. What had happened here? "Hey, I got you…just stay still."

"Kim-ber-ly," Tommy forced out and Alex shook his head. "Is she okay?"

"She's not in great shape, but neither are you. I need you to stay with me, okay?" Alex said and he watched the man barely nod. He had no idea how he was even coherent enough to understand what was being said to him. "Please let the ambulance get here quickly."