Ranger Slayer
"You came." Jason's voice said behind me as I walked into the center of the Command Center. Turning, I saw him behind me. He was morphed but his helmet was tucked into his elbow. There was sweat on his brow, telling me he had just come from the battle that was raging on the outskirts of town. Rita had sent down three monsters created by Finster, hoping to distract them enough for me to break into the Command Center. He had left his teammates to run here, knowing that I needed to see him. That I was ready to speak to him again.
Just like Tommy had predicted.
"I did. I came to see you." I said, shifting to face him. "I'm surprised you're here."
"You shouldn't be." He said, stepping towards me. He stopped a few feet away, casting his eyes down to look at me. "I told you before that if you ever needed me, I would be there." In my chest, I felt a weird sensation. Almost like something was pulling at it, making it hurt. I ignored it, putting a hand on Jason's arm.
"You were right. I made a mistake joining Tommy. I never should have met with him. I never should have left the team. I need your help." I said, softly. Jason's hard expression softened as I made tears form in my eyes. Tossing his helmet down, he cupped the left side of my face in his gloved hand.
"Kim, I'm so sorry you've been through this. I should have protected you better." He whispered. Stroking my cheek, he swallowed hard. "I'd give anything to go back and save you from what he's done to you."
"Well, I don't think I'm that bad," Tommy said from behind Jason. Jason went to turn around but Tommy was too fast. Before Jason could move, Tommy appeared next to us and plunged the Dragon dagger into Jason's side. Jason let out a painful sounding yell, clutching the wound as Tommy yanked me away from Jason. He pulled the dagger from Jason's side, smiling down at Jason as he buckled to his knees. "I mean, I thought we were friends, bro."
"Bastard." Jason hissed, glaring at Drakkon.
"Kim, you did some excellent work," Tommy said, walking over to me. He put his hand on the side of my neck, never breaking eye contact with Jason. "I'm sure it's not easy getting betrayed by your true love, Jase. I assure you though, there are far worse things than getting stabbed. Wouldn't you agree?" Turning, he pressed his lips to mine in a deep kiss. His fingers went from my neck and into my hair, tangling themselves in the locks at the base of my skull. Gently, he pulled my head back and bit at my lip as I gave him a hungry look. "She's quite the fuck. Sorry, you've been missing out."
"Fuck you," Jason said, his eyes narrowing at us. Drakkon smirked, turning to me again.
"Destroy the place. Cut all the power. Take whatever we might need that looks useful." I nodded, bowing slightly as I walked over to the control panels. I pulled the covers off of them, leaving the wires exposed. As I did, Zordon appeared in his tube.
"Tommy, Kimberly. You mustn't do this. It's not too late." Zordon's voice said. Drakkon laughed, shaking his head.
"You never change, Zordon." He called out. "Even when you're seeing me win, you still think you can talk your way out of it. Kim, slice everything in there and send Zordon back to where he belongs." Pulling my bow from my back, I detached the blades in the middle. Swinging my hands, I started to cut through all the wires and connectors behind the console. The lights flickered and sparks went flying.
"...Rangers…" Zordon's voice called, his image becoming blurry. "...Rangers…" I slashed another one and this time, his entire tube went dark like a television when you accidentally hit the remote.
"Zordon!" Jason's deep voice called out. Blood was seeping from his wound and into the white diamond pattern of his armor. His gloves were covered as well as he did his best to apply pressure to it.
"Well, that was easier than one would think," Tommy said, letting out a dark laugh. "Kim, clean out the storage closets. We will need to leave quickly before the others come back."
I nodded, heading to the doorway of the Command Center I walked through, heading to the right. Something made me take pause though, as the sound of Tommy's voice echoed off the walls around me. I told myself to walk but I couldn't. My entire body was drawn to turn around and peak through the doorway in a manner that Tommy was unable to see me.
"It's been fun, Jase. It's a shame we didn't do this sooner." Tommy said, walking to stand in front of Jason.
"You won't get away with this," Jason said through gritted teeth. "We'll stop you." Tommy laughed again.
"Get away with it? You idiot. I've won. You didn't make it as far as I expected, either. Such a pity. But this is the end. Game over. And there will be no you to stop me. I'm going to do something I should have done the moment I met you." Stepping forward, he grabbed the top of Jason's hair with his fist, forcing him to look up at him. He held the dagger to Jason's throat. "Any last words before I separate your feeble brain from the rest of your body?"
"You can kill me if you want but at least let Kimberly go," Jason said. My eyes widened as he spoke, causing me to lean in closer. "If you love her as much as you claim to, you'll let her live life the way she wants. Let her go, Tommy."
"She's not going anywhere. She's mine. I have no problem claiming what belongs to you." Tommy hissed. "Unlike you, I'm not weak enough to let her go."
"It's not that I'm weak. It's because I knew that she didn't love me. But I do love her. And it's more than enough to know that the way you are treating her isn't the way. Abusing her and forcing her to be with you isn't love. It's obedience training. All you care about is controlling her." Jason glared up at Tommy. "I'll let you kill me a million times if you just let her go."
"It's funny how you think your little declaration means anything to me. It's ironic. The last time you made that same statement to Kim, I was there as well. And that's what brought us here today."
"What?" Jason asked, looking confused.
"That day in the park. When you told Kim that you loved her and wanted to be with her. I was there. I was going to tell her the truth after you convinced me to. But you stabbed me in the back the second I turned around. What you are about to get is exactly what you deserve, Jason."
"You don't understand what happened that day," Jason said, trying to shake his head. Tommy held his head firm though, not allowing him any motion. "Fine. Your issue is with me then, not Kim. Be a man and fight me." Tommy let out a loud and dark laugh.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not a man." He leaned in closer to Jason's face. "I'm a God." Everything moved in slow motion now as Tommy slashed Jason across the throat with the dagger. Jason's eyes widened and blood began to pour from the line that was straight across where his Adam's apple was. Jason turned his glance from Drakkon to my direction and we locked eyes. I was unsure how he could see me in the dark hallway but he did. His lips moved like he was trying to say something but I couldn't hear anything. As the color drained from his face, Tommy let go of Jason's hair and stepped back. Jason sank to the ground, the life draining from him. When his body slumped to the ground. Tommy stepped over him and walked over to the control panels. He looked around as if he was searching for something. When his eyes landed on the Viewing Globe, he smirked. Talking over, he lifted the dagger and smashed the hilt into the globe. The glass shattered loudly, sending the pieces flying everywhere. Reaching where the globe had been, I watched pull something out. It was a Power Coin, one he held up in the light to examine.
"Ay, ay, ay!" Alpha's voice called as he ran into the room from the doorway opposite of me. He stopped when he saw Jason and the condition of the Command Center. "Tommy…what have you done?" He asked, shaking his head.
"What I should have done a long time ago, you tin can," Tommy said, turning to face Alpha. "Where's the sword?"
"It doesn't belong to you," Alpha replied. Tommy stepped towards the little robot, towering over him.
"You act like that's stopped me before." Tommy motioned for the dagger to disappear before pulling his own Power Coin from the morpher at his belt line. It flashed green as he raised to meet the other hand. He stacked them in the palm of his left hand, covering them with his right. Closing his eyes, I watched as he began to glow a green color. A slight wind picked up in the room, blowing around the paper and wires that had scattered in our attack.
"Don't do this, Tommy! It's too much power!" Alpha called out, reaching a hand out to Tommy. Tommy opened his eyes and I saw that one was glowing green while the other was glowing white. He glared at Alpha, pointing his hands towards him. As he did, a bolt of white and green lightning shot from his hands. It hit Alpha, causing his torso to combust in a loud explosion of sparks. Pieces of him blew through the air, landing everywhere. I ducked back, avoiding the top of his head that came flying through the air like a frisbee. Above Tommy, I saw a white light appear and something descended from the ceiling. It was a sword, the blade sharp and pointing towards Tommy. As it lowered, I saw that its head was the shape of a white tiger wearing a helmet. It came to a stop in front of Tommy, hanging in the air.
"I, Saba, have been summoned because someone has taken the powers of the White Tiger." The sword said.
"It is me," Tommy said. "I am your new master." The sword looked around the room, his eyes stopping on Jason's body.
"No. This isn't possible." Saba said. "The bloodshed…" He turned back to Tommy. "You aren't worthy of the powers."
"You're in no position to tell me what I'm not worthy of," Tommy said, advancing on the sword. "I've taken the powers and you can't stop me. I control you."
"You'll never be worthy," Saba said, his eyes starting to glow red. Tommy moved quickly, grabbing Saba by the throat where the hilt of the sword began. He gripped the top of Saba's head and with a quick jerking motion, snapped it right off the sword. The red in Saba's eyes instantly disappeared and Tommy tossed it to the ground. Tommy smiled smugly down at Saba's head before tossing him to the ground next to Jason's body. Opening his hand, I saw that there was only one Power Coin now. He brought it to his morpher, inserting it. There was a flash of green and white as he did that resonated in his eyes as well.
"Finally." I heard him whisper. There was a brighter flash that enveloped him. When it faded, I saw that he still stood there but was now dressed in a different armor than the Green Ranger. This was white and green, his shield now with more pointed gold pieces. His helmet was different as well, gold on top with what looked like razor-sharp horns coming from it. The visor was red, reflecting the room in it.
Suddenly, a sharp pain filled my head. It came from nowhere and caught me off guard. I felt a loud gasp escape my lips as I fell to the ground. I brought my hands to my head, trying my best to make it stop. It was like something was trying to claw its way out of my brain. Tommy walked towards me, standing over me as I writhed on the floor in pain. In my mind, I saw flashes of something, like a movie was trying to play in there. I saw Jason and the other Rangers and me, hanging out somewhere. I saw us standing here in the Command Center, laughing. I saw Jason and me as kids, riding bikes to the park to meet Billy. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get the pain and the thought to stop.
'Wake up you, idiot!' a voice screamed in my mind. Tears streamed from my eyes as I beat my head against the concrete floor under me.
"You….killed….them." I heard myself say through gritted teeth. Tommy killed them. He killed Jason. He killed Alpha.
"Well, this won't do," Tommy said, crouching down next to me. "Seems like the spell is growing weak in the presence of everything that just happened. No worries. I have more than enough power to fix that now." He grabbed me by the throat, dragging me to my feet. The pain was still there, making me unable to focus on him. Everything felt like I was underwater with no control of my movements and body.
"Stop…" I whispered, shaking my head. "Tommy, please…"
"Kimberly, you're just too perfect for your own good. I mean, look at you. I've made you stronger than you ever were before. Imagine how deadly you'll be now. Together, we will be unstoppable." Tommy began to glow green again and I felt something begin to wash over me, like hot water at the beach. The swimming feeling increased, the edges of my vision growing darker.
"I am yours to command, Lord Drakkon." I said, the pain in my skull disappearing. He lowered me, releasing his grip on my throat. Leaning in, he gazed down at me through his helmet.
"You'll be the most powerful weapon in all my arsenal, Kimberly." He whispered. "My Ranger Slayer."
I woke with a start, sweat dripping from me. Painfully, I sat up and tried to catch my breath. It took me a moment to realize that it had been a dream. Well, more like a memory that had manifested as a dream. The image of Jason laying dead in a pool of his own blood was hard to shake and I noticed that my own hands were trembling. Next to my bed, I saw that Trini was still sleeping. Kim was nowhere to be seen though, suggesting to me she had gone somewhere else to sleep. I slid off of the table and wrapped the blanket around me. There was pain coming from my back, telling me the pain medication that Billy had given me was beginning to wear off now. Careful not to wake Trini, I walked out of the room and headed up the hallway towards the control room.
Sun was shining through the skylights above us, telling me that it was at least dawn. The clock on the wall in the kitchen told me it was a little after 10 am. I was amazed I had been able to sleep at all, my thoughts not being able to keep me awake. However, it was a suspicious thought in the back of my mind that Billy had also slipped me something to help me sleep. I was grateful though, the usually tired feeling I have was gone. Instead, it was the pain from yesterday's battle and just the dull throbbing pain of reality that came with the thoughts of Drakkon.
Walking into the control room, I was surprised to see it was just Alpha and Zordon in there. Not even Billy or William were in here where they usually are working. Both looked up as I entered, Alpha giving me a small wave.
"Good morning, Kimberly." He said as I approached.
"Hi," I said softly, stopping in front of the tube. "Where are the Billys?"
"They worked through the night I suspect. Billy was taking a shower and William was making them some breakfast." Alpha replied. "They are nearly ready to get us back online with the Grid at almost full power."
"That's good," I said, nodding. "That means we will be able to take out Drakkon."
"Zordon, shall I prepare the cell for his arrival?" Alpha asked, turning to face the floating head.
"No," I answered before Zordon could. "We are going to be bringing him back alive."
"But, Kimberly…" Alpha said, his voice trailing off.
"She's right, Alpha. Lord Drakkon's mind has been too altered by the influx of power. There will be no saving him from the effects. At this point, he will need to be taken care of in a manner that protects the greater good of all mankind." Zordon said, his voice for once not echoing around the room. For a moment, I wondered if he could control just how loud he is and who is able to hear him.
"It goes against the code of the Rangers," Alpha said sadly.
"Drakkon is a Ranger and he did the same thing," I replied. Glancing down at my feet, I felt the sting of tears. "I wish things were different but there's no other way we can do this." Alpha put a hand on my arm.
"It's okay." He said softly. In my chest, I felt an ache as I thought about the Alpha of my world. How sweet he was and how he was the most human-like robot I've ever met. I thought about the Command Center and the times we spent there, fighting against Rita or just working to better our skills. I thought about our team, working together against whatever was thrown at us no matter what. All of that was gone now and I had walked side by side with the person who had caused it. I had been the one to help Drakkon destroy our world.
That was why I needed to be the one to destroy him.
"When will the Grid be ready?" I asked, looking up at Zordon.
"In 24 hours' time." He stated, his gaze on me. I felt like he could read my mind, an understanding look on his features. I nodded, turning away. "Alpha, please assist Kimberly back to the medical unit. She will need to build her strength and heal her wounds before we begin to plan our next course of action."
"Yes, Zordon." Gingerly, Alpha took my arm and led me away from the control room. We headed back to the medical bay and I saw that Trini was up and sitting on the edge of her bed now. "Trini! It's good to see you're okay." Alpha said, helping me back to my table.
"I feel better but I hurt." She said, giving us a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Nothing that some pain meds can't fix," I replied, sitting. Alpha walked over to the control panel next to us and hit a few buttons. Next to my hand, the table opened slightly and some tubing came from it. Grabbing it, I held it above the skin of my wrist. Needles shut from it and I winced as the IV injected itself into my arm. Clear solution began to bump through the tubing into me and the pain vanished a few seconds later.
"Trini, do you need anything?" Alpha asked, looking over at her. She shook her head.
"No, I'm fine for right now. Thank you, Alpha."
"Anytime! Please let me know if you need anything else." He said cheerfully before clanking his way out of the unit.
"Your jacket is glowing," Trini said, pointing at the remains of my coat that were on the end of the bed. Turning, I saw she was right. A yellow glow was coming from inside of it. Reaching over with my free hand, I picked it up and unwrapped the book that was inside of it. I saw that the cover of The Giver was glowing, telling me there was a message inside.
"It's Finster," I said, balancing the book on my leg. I flipped it open to the pages that we used and saw that there were words scribbled on them.
'Something's happened,' was scribbled on the pages. It disappeared, and the page become blank. I searched around for a pen, spotting one on the control panel. Trini grabbed it for me, handing it to me.
'What's happened?' I asked. It disappeared in a flash of yellow. A few moments later, more writing appeared.
'Old Command Center. One hour,' was the response. I scribbled back, stating I would. Closing the book, I set it down and pulled the IV from my wrist. I winced at the pinch of pain before scooting off the bed.
"What's going on?" Trini asked.
"I'm not sure. Finster said something happened and he needs to meet me. I have to go."
"You shouldn't go alone." She said, moving to stand. I shook my head, holding a hand up to stop her.
"It's alright. I'm only going to the Command Center ruins. I will meet with him and come right back. It's still protected by the spells of Zordon's people. It's okay. No one will know I'm gone." I saw that there was a change of clothes for me on a chair near the bed. I grabbed the shirt that was on top and pulled it on over the tank top I was wearing. It was a painful task given my wounds but I managed. I also grabbed my morpher that was tucked under the clothes and stuck it on the back of my belt line.
"Here," Trini said, holding out a coat she had on the end of her table. I took it, tossing it on as gingerly as I could. "Come back safe."
"Where's the fun in that?" I asked with a smirk before disappearing up the ladder of the emergency hatch.