a/n: Hi, everyone! We are getting into the thick of things now. I really hope you are enjoying it as much as I am writing it. As always, thank you all for reading, and feel free to leave me a review or a message to let me know how much you are liking it. :)

Ranger Slayer

The warm sun above my head made the desert feel ten times hotter than it really was. I was uncertain as to why Zordon felt that the headquarters for his forces needed to be directly in the middle of Hell but it made the walk between the current Command Center and the older one feel like it was ten miles long. There was also little shelter or items for coverage so I had to do my best to keep out of view in case there was someone or something nearby looking. The last thing I needed was Silverback showing up out of nowhere with a plan to take me out while I'm alone. My entire body was still hurting from our last interaction, especially my back. I didn't think I would be up to fight with anyone if the occasion called for it so keeping a low profile was my first defense.

As I approached the remains of the Command Center, I could see the last remaining walls of it standing in the sun. They cast shadows on me, the shape of the building nearly lost from the damage. You would think that this would ruin the structure of the building or its functionality. It didn't though. Inside the walls, there was a dimension that Zordon had made himself to ensure that only those with a Power Coin or permission could enter its domain. The Command Center could literally happen anywhere he wanted. Why he decided here was beyond me. Black scorch marks ran up the wall and crumbling pieces of stone and brick littered the ground around it. I could also see bits and pieces of different equipment from inside on the ground. Drakkon's forces had targeted this as soon as he was able to take more control with the weakening of the Grid. Zordon had made the smart decision to move everyone when he did, preventing what occurred in my world from happening now. My mind went to the last time I had stepped inside the Command Center of my universe and my chest tightened. Shaking my head, I walked to the area where the entrance was. It opened, allowing me to enter.

It was nearly pitch black inside of the Command Center, causing me to try to adjust my eyes. I kept my hand on my bow as I walked, trying to listen closely to the silence around me. As I moved further into the Command Center, dim lights were beginning to allow me to see better. The control panels had been destroyed, their wires pulled from them and tossed about. The tube where Zordon had been was damaged and the pillars around the room were busted here and there. I felt like I was walking into an abandoned house, cobwebs dangling from the equipment and twisted metal. Dust covered everything and made my footsteps quieter. I didn't see anyone in the room and there were noises around, telling me that Finster had been present. Stopping by the Viewing Globe, I glanced around. I must have beaten him here.

Glancing at my feet, I saw that there were footprints in the dust that didn't belong to me. In fact, the prints were much too small to be mine. They were about the size of a small kid. Lifting my head, I looked around again. Had Finster been able to bring Abby back to this world somehow? Was she here, hiding, while they were waiting for me to show up? I followed the footsteps, retracing them towards the area where they were. They headed around the Viewing Globe and around the main control panel.

"Abby?" I whispered, moving slowly. "Is that you? I'm a friend of your Mom's." I sounded like someone trying to kidnap a kid in an after-school special but hope was building in my chest.

As I rounded the corner of the control panel, I came across a little person crouched in the corner of the room. It wasn't Abby though. This was the little boy I had seen Kim holding in the window. Little Tommy looked up at me with wide eyes full of fear. He wore clothing similar to that of the kids whose mothers worked in the kitchen at the castle, brown-colored pants and a beige shirt. In his arms, he was clinging to a baby blanket for dear life. I bent down, putting my bow on the ground.

"Hi," I said softly. "You're Tommy, right?" He stared at me with his frightened eyes, trying to read if he should trust me or not. Slowly, he gave me a little nod. "Are you hurt?" He shook his head but didn't speak. "My name is Kimberly. Is your friend Abby here somewhere too?"

"Yes." He whispered, his voice sounding timid and soft compared to the deep one it would grow into.

"How did you end up here?" I asked. "Did Finster bring you guys here?" He gave me a blank look as if I was speaking to him in a foreign language. "Alright. How about we go find Abby, okay?" I reached my hand out to him. Very slowly, he reached out and took it with his other hand. It felt so small and soft in my palm as I helped him stand up. He kept his grip on his blanket though as he gazed around the room in fear.

"And here you thought you'd never be a good mother." A voice said from the shadows on the other side of the room. On instinct, I stepped in front of little Tommy and shielded him with my own body. I grabbed my bow and armed it, pointing it in the direction of the voice. From the shadows, a figure stepped forward and I knew before he even appeared that it was Drakkon. He was unmorphed, standing there in a pair of dark jeans and a dark green knitted shirt. He looked like hell; his eye sunken in and the deep purple veins on his face seemed to be almost black now in comparison to the sheet white of his skin. He had his hair pulled back in a ponytail and there were bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in months and that he was withering away in front of me. The power that was radiating off him though told me otherwise. It seemed like he was nearly sparking from it. Behind me, little Tommy clung to my cloak tightly.

"Where's Finster?" I asked, glaring at him. I knew I was in trouble here. I had no real connection to the Grid in order to morph, my body was damaged, and I had to protect someone else against Drakkon. There was no way I would be able to do this even without needing to worry about little Tommy. Sweat formed in my palms as I wracked my brain for a quick escape. I also didn't know if Abby was indeed here somewhere hiding. Drakkon could have followed Finster here and this was his ambush. She could be hiding from him and I needed to find her before he could sweep her back into our world.

"Oh, now you're concerned about him," Drakkon said, stepping towards me. "Where was this concern when you were getting him to betray me?"

"Where is he?" I asked through gritted teeth. He smirked, pulling something from his pocket. He tossed it towards me and it landed on the floor between us. I recognized them as Finster's glasses. The right lens was shattered and there was blood smeared on the other one. My eyes narrowed as I looked back at him. He had killed him. This had been a setup. I had walked right into a damn trap.

"I'm afraid he is no longer employed through me." He said, a light air in his voice of humor.

"You idiot," I said, shaking my head. "He was trying to help you! He was trying to make sure everything ended civil in this stupid war. He wanted to make sure that you walked away from all of this chaos with your life. And you just killed him?!"

"I understand why he did what he did, Kimberly. I have no doubt that he had my best interest at heart. However, I cannot allow that kind of treason within my forces. So, he needed to be dealt with." As he spoke, I watched as his eye and the corner of his mouth twitched. He was now clearly out of his fucking mind.

"You're delusional," I whispered, glaring at him. "He was the only one there for you."

"I am well aware. Seems like I will need to pick my loyal subjects with higher scrutiny from here on out. But now, I have some unfinished business to deal with, starting with you." Holding his hand up, he made a ball of silver energy appear.

"Let the kids go," I called out. "They are just children and they have nothing to do with any of this."

"It's time to start a new world, Kimmy. I can't do that if I don't have heirs to leave my legacy to. That's why I need to have them. Young Tommy can be shaped into anything I need him to be and Abby…she's become the most necessary tool in my entire arsenal. What else could I do?"

"What are you talking about?"

"All those years ago, when Rita gifted me her powers, it was unclear to me as to why I had been chosen. I didn't know why she felt I was worthy and why she thought I would be the warrior she needed. But then it all came clearer once Abby was born. It was a fate sealed in destiny, something that would need to occur with the assistance of myself and the help of the rest of the Rangers. I was chosen to ensure that Abby's existence would occur." Fear began to prick at the back of my scalp now. What had he done to her? Where was she? I griped the bow tighter, pointing the arrow at him.

"Where is she?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Remember the last time we were in the Command Center together?" He questioned, smiling at me. "I do. It feels like it was just yesterday. You tricked Jason into coming here so I could slice his throat."

"Stop it."

"Why? Don't want to travel down memory lane? It's fun! Let's see. I can fondly remember the last time you two had talked together. I can still remember the look on his face when he realized that you had come to our side. I can even tell you exactly what he said to me when he learned of it. He said 'Kim will never love you.' He was so wrong, Kimberly. True, a spell was involved but it fed off the love you had for me. He couldn't even stomach the thought that you could love someone that wasn't him. He was caught up on the times you were together, unable to see the truth for what it is." Shaking his head, he started to pace as he played with the energy. "Unlike Jason, I am able to see the truth. I am able to understand what betrayal is when it's right in front of me. No matter what I did, what spells I've tried, what gifts I gave you. You always chose him and those stupid Rangers over me. You have never loved me in the same manner that I have loved you."

"You're wrong," I whispered, feeling hot tears behind my eyes. I blinked, trying to make them fade. "I've always loved you. From the moment I first saw you, I knew you were the one I loved."

"Such lies." He said, gazing over at me. "I've experienced this type of pain and know what it means when you are unable to listen to the advice I was telling to Jason. All of this could have been avoided, Kim. If you had been able to just admit to me that you wanted Jason, I could have avoided all of this. All this pain. All this suffering. All of this death. It could have been avoided if you had just been honest." He stopped pacing, staring at the energy. "I would have just killed the both of you back then."

"Don't you understand? Rita's magic has always clouded your judgment in all of this. I've never been in love with Jason. I've always loved you. I have never lied to you about this or my relationship with Jason." I needed to at least get little Tommy out of here. If I could do that, Drakkon can kill me if he'd like.

"Rita's magic made me stronger." He said, shaking his head. "It helped me see clearly."

"It helped you see what she wanted you to see!" I exclaimed. "She needed you to turn on me so that you would have a reason to go back to her."

"It's all lies!" He yelled, slamming the ball of energy into the ground between us. I took the opportunity to scoop little Tommy up in my arms and dodge behind the control panel. There was a loud blasting noise, pieces of concrete flying in every direction. "I'm not pathetic! I am not some fool that can be deceived like that! I know what was happening! I know that you were FUCKING that piece of SHIT red Ranger, even behind my back!" He yelled, the energy in the room growing thick with his anger. I clutched little Tommy to me, trying to figure out exactly what to do with him. To the right, I saw that there had been a large hole knocked into the side of the room. I could see sunlight and dust particles flying in it. "THERE IS NO DENYING IT! THERE ARE NO EXCUSES THAT MAKE IT BETTER!"

"Tommy, I need you to run and hide in that hole right there, okay?" I whispered, turning his face towards me. He looked scared but nodded. I set him on the ground and he crawled on his hands and knees to it. Drakkon was still yelling nonsense as little Tommy scurried through it. The hole seemed to swallow him right up, telling me he was gone. I grabbed my bow again, reloading it with an arrow. I prepared to pop up but a hand grabbed the hair on the top of my head, yanking me to my feet. I let out a yelp from the pain, my bow dropping from my hands. Drakkon dragged me across the room, stopping as he neared the Viewing Globe. He slammed my back into it, moving his hand to my throat. It hurt, the already injured areas reminding me of the condition of my body as it was.

"I was a fool for believing that you could be the person I needed to run my empire with me. You were nothing more than a Valley Girl who wanted to manipulate those you knew could get you what you wanted. I am going to make you pay for what you've done to me." He said, leaning his face close to mine. "I'll make you pay the same way I made Jason pay."

"I wish I could make you see," I whispered, tears filling my eyes. I gazed up at him, seeing just a shimmer of the memory of what used to be Tommy. He was just a broken shell of the person I had fallen in love with though. "I wish I could make you understand what Rita has done to you. What Zedd's powers are doing to you."

"I see what I need to see." He said, tightening his grip on my throat. "I could have given you the world on a silver platter. You could have seen any world you could imagine, the finest things the universe had to offer. We could have had a family that you dreamed of and run the universe together with no one daring to defy us. You chose to fight with them though. You chose to work with my enemies and run back to him the moment you could. Even killing him wasn't enough to sever the ties between the two of you."

"Jason was going to spare you," I said, doing my best to breathe under his grip. "He talked to Zordon about letting you go if you surrendered. He didn't want to kill you. And he didn't want to be with me. He wanted to be your friend. He was your friend, Tommy."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" He roared, anger filling his features. The twitching happened again, this time his entire face seemed to be affected. "I know what she's lying about. I can tell." He whispered, turning his face from me. "You don't need to tell me, Zedd." Who the fuck was he talking to? He waved his other hand and I soundly slid up the Viewing Globe. My back arched over it and my hands and feet felt bound with invisible restraints on either side of it. I couldn't move anything but my head as I tried to roll off of it somehow.

"Drakkon, please." I pleaded, shaking my head as I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "Don't do this. I love you. Please, don't."

"Love doesn't lie, Kim," Drakkon said, pulling his dagger from his waistline. He raised it up above his head and brought it back down, sinking it into the flesh of my abdomen. Blinding pain filled me as I screamed. He pulled it out and repeated it, stabbing me in the stomach. My vision faded in and out, my mind begging to slip away to a place where I couldn't feel this kind of pain. Images of times by the lake, standing in the hallway, laughing in the Command Center. I thought of Tommy. My Tommy. The person he was before Rita got her hands on him. The boy I loved, the one not capable of this type of action. I sobbed, blood coming from my mouth as he removed the dagger again. He pressed it against the skin of my throat. He gripped my hair with his other hand, holding my head steady. "I wish things could have been different. I love you. It didn't have to be this way."

As he went to move his arm, I could see the glow of pink fly through the air. It slammed into him and when it did, his hold of me on the globe stopped. I went sliding off of it headfirst, heading for the floor. Arms caught me though before I could faceplant. I couldn't see what was happening, just feeling someone lower me to the ground.

"Kim? Kim? Say something." A voice said as someone lightly slapped my face. I blinked, trying to get my vision to clear. It did slightly and I could see that Trini from my team was the one who had been holding me. William was next to her, doing something with white bandages.

"The boy…" I whispered, my throat killing me. "He went through the wall. I tried to save him."

"It's okay. We found him." She said, smiling at me. "I need you to stay with us, okay? We're going to get the bleeding to stop." I shook my head.

"No. Stop him. Stop Tommy." I whispered. I heard Drakkon laugh from somewhere in the room.

"Seems like the Ranger Slayer is down for the count. Guess I'll need to take destroying you into my own hands."