Another head hangs low
The child is slowly taken
And their violence caused such silence
Who are we mistaken
But you see its not me it's my family
In your head, in your head
They're fighting…
In your head, in your head they're crying
In your head, in your head…
What's in your head, in your head, Zombie?
Cranberries
The kid lay motionless, unaware of the events before this day. He had no knowledge of why he was lying in the bed covered in starch white sheets. He would never understand. His brain no longer had the capability to understand such considerations.
The little girl in the bed beside his would never walk again.
She leaned against the doorframe keeping her best poker face on. A nurse had let her see the children since she had recognized her from the Pan Globals.
What father could do this to a child? What mother could stand by and watch?
The world is corrupt.
"We have a test tomorrow. It's hard one, so I suggest you study for it." Tommy said while straightening papers on his pedestal. A small smile played on his lips as he heard the class groan in frustration, the loudest being Conner.
The bell rang dismissing the students, but four stayed behind. "Dr. O, you…why must you do this to us?" Conner complained.
Ethan yawned. "If you would just pay attention, then you wouldn't be-"
Kira smacked Ethan in the back of the head. "Not everyone can retain as much information as you can."
Conner nodded but was unsure of whether she had just insulted him or not. Trent stood behind them, but was gazing at something outside of the window. His brow was narrowed in thought. Tommy noticed this and called him on it. "What's the matter, Trent?"
"I saw something." Trent shook his head. "Whatever it was, it's not there anymore."
"We better check it out…just in case." Kira persisted.
They filed out of the classroom and headed towards the front doors, but were stopped by an aggressive cough. Slowly, they each turned around to find their malicious principal.
"And where do you think you five are going?" She tipped her glasses as she eyed them.
"These four have been doing an extra credit assignment to raise their grades since they've been sick so much. They wanted to show me a piece of the project, but they couldn't carry it inside. I was going out there to see if it was correct." Tommy replied quickly.
"Very well…I have an appointment I have to attend to. Make it short, Dr. Oliver." She sneered and briskly turned on her heel.
"A meeting? With who?" Kira questioned, her brow knitting. "Randall never makes time for meetings with anyone. Trust me, I've tried."
"Why would you want to spend extra time with that witch?" Conner asked incredulously.
"Last year I was going to see if I could graduate early, so I could get a head start on my band…but obviously I couldn't seeing as how I could never get an appointment to talk to her." Kira crossed her arms in frustration.
"Well, it's a good thing you didn't…otherwise you wouldn't be here!" Conner grinned as Kira rolled her eyes.
"That's not the point I was trying to make."
"Anyway…let's go check the parking lot." Ethan reminded them.
"Lemme guess that this has to do with this mysterious woman." Conner added as they reached the parking lot. They looked up at their teacher who remained silent with a stern look on his face. He seemed to be contemplating something.
"There's nothing here." Kira stated, slightly puzzled.
"I told you it was gone." Trent affirmed. "There was a large shadow for a moment, and the wind picked up. But it was gone after a few seconds."
"You rangers are so predictable!" A gruff voice came from behind them.
The five groaned and turned to their right. Tommy spat out, "Nice to see you again, Zeltrax."
Zeltrax leapt at him in anger. Tommy dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way. Zeltrax was unable to retreat from his attack and landed in a belly flop on the concrete. He quickly recovered as he heard the rangers call upon their powers in the background. He jumped up and rushed at the black ranger again.
The other rangers were tiring of his obsession with their teacher. He really needed to forgive and forget.
The four rushed at the half robot half human from behind as he focused all his attention on Tommy. He yelped as Conner raked his sword across his back.
"Zeltrax, what are you doing?" A deep feminine voice came from nowhere. "Mesogog did not order an attack."
All disputes stopped as the short-haired woman appeared before them.
"Elsa." The hybrid seethed. "What are you doing here?"
"Mesogog will not be pleased with your disobedience." She stated firmly as the rangers looked at the duo in bewilderment.
"This has nothing to do with Mesogog. He promised me that I would be the cause of the black ranger's destruction."
"Not if I have anything to do with it." Another voice called out. The rangers' shoulders sagged a bit. Not another one.
"You. What are you doing here?" Elsa fumed. "You've caused enough trouble."
"But you see, I can't have this pathetic excuse for a villain kill my target." She smirked. "If anyone is going to kill the black ranger, it will be my pleasure."
"Over my dead body!" Zeltrax shouted, enraged at the intrusion.
"That…could be arranged." Kimberly derided. "Easily."
The rangers each watched, amazed, as Zeltrax commenced a battle with her. She had no trouble blocking his quick attacks, adding a few punches here and there.
Kira was partly amazed and partly disgusted that she could fight in so little clothing. Her skirt, long and flowy scraps of material held together by a wide leather belt, whipped around as she maneuvered. Her top also consisted of two brown leather pieces held together by straps.
At least she changes her clothes...unlike most enemies.
She wrinkled her nose in distaste when she saw the boys gazing at her with their mouths slightly open.
She strained her ears to hear her taunt him. "Aw you're quick," She paused and dodged a kick, "but I'm much quicker." She bent down and kicked his feet out from underneath him.
Zeltrax pulled her arm, forcing her to fall with him. She grunted as her hand scraped against scattered rocks. Zeltrax had regained his composure and muttered, "I'll show you quick!"
Thinking quickly, Kimberly murmured a defense chant she had memorized from the Book. "Kélé, filla, saba, nani, norou!"
Sapphire light exploded from her hands, throwing Zeltrax in the air. His back collided with the concrete, and before he could recuperate, she had pulled her samurai sword out and had it pinned against his throat.
"Don't," She spat, "Make me do this."
"Weakling." He mumbled. Her brown eyes darkened. The sword pressed deeper into his throat.
"I have no problem killing you." She growled. Zeltrax sputtered as his air pipe began collapsing from the pressure of her blade.
"Then why don't you?" He snarled.
"Unlike you, I know something of honor, hybrid. This is not my fight." She pulled her blade off his throat, and he gasped for air. "He is not yours to destroy. He is mine. If you touch him, I will kill you."
Zeltrax glared at her and prepared to attack, but was held back by Elsa. "Mesogog wants to see you."
"This will not be the last, girl!" He shouted as the two disappeared in the green vortex.
Tommy rushed to her side as she continued to stare in the direction where Zeltrax had just exited. Her stare was cold with irritation. She had just saved his life. Maybe she wasn't really evil; he hoped this was just a façade.
He reached for her arm, but she shrugged him away. His face fell as her sword pressed against his chest. "Do not touch me."
He backed away, but she still wouldn't look at him. It was as if she expected Zeltrax to return that very second and attack her from behind if she turned away.
"Kim! It's me, Tommy! Please, Kim! Don't do this. I know you don't want to! You're not evil!" Tommy cried desperately. Kimberly turned her head and fixed her gaze straight into his eyes. He shuddered at the malice in her eyes. She closed the distance between them.
"It didn't work last time, Tommy. What made you think it'd work now?" Kimberly scoffed haughtily.
"We can save you!" Tommy was not willing to give up. He knew the real Kim was in there somewhere.
Her eyes darkened at his words. "What makes you think I need saving?"
"Wha?" His eyes were filled with question.
"I can take care of myself. You seem to be the only person who refuses to see that." She turned on her heels, her serrated skirt catching his legs, and stalked off, fading into the air as she did so.
He dropped his briefcase on the floor as he shut the door to his home. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head as he headed to the kitchen to fix himself an afternoon snack. However, he immediately froze when he saw a figure sitting at the island in his kitchen. His jaw dropped slightly as he realized that it was none other than Kimberly, swinging her leg back and forth against the tall chair and reading something.
She wasn't dressed in any type of battle uniform, like the passed two she had been wearing. Instead, she wore a pair of jean shorts, her black combat boots, and a light green short-sleeved shirt. Even after all the current events, he was still surprised to see her in anything but pink.
Wait a minute… Isn't that one of my private files that I keep stored downstairs? He snatched it from her hands with speed that rivaled his turbo days. Instead of defending herself, all she did was raise an eyebrow at him nonchalantly.
"How did you get in here?" He demanded looking at the files she had been examining earlier. It was the file that he had kept about his Mighty Morphin era. He blushed slightly since this was also the time that he had been dating Kimberly and had some of the letters and notes she had written him in high school stashed somewhere in there. When she had "died" her father had found a box of the letters he had sent her in her bedroom closet and had returned them to him at the funeral.
She shrugged and stood up. "It's easy to break into places when you can teleport."
"Is that how you got into my basement?" As a side thought he added, "I thought we had security against that."
He peered down at her. She had always been short, but it still surprised him to see that she barely reached his shoulders.
"You do. You forget that I somehow always stumble across things by accident. Old habits are hard to break." She reminisced. She looked him in the eye. "Don't worry, I didn't do anything to your precious command center. I'm not here to destroy everything you've worked so hard to create, especially when you aren't there to watch. That's not a fair fight, and not nearly as fun."
His forehead creased as he pondered her intentions. "What are you doing here?"
"My own business, a little hobby of mine. You would be the only one who would know the answers, in close contact." She waved her hand dismissively and walked closer to him. Defensively, he took a step backwards. Her shoulders dropped slightly. "Relax, I'm not in the mood to fight."
"You are so confusing." Tommy shook his head, stunned at her relaxed and unthreatening behavior. "I don't know whether you're truly evil or not."
She ignored his last comment and continued. "Now, will you answer my questions?"
He frowned. "I don't even know what this is about."
"You'll find that out." She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
When his frown deepened and she could see that he was getting slightly agitated with her avoiding his questions, her shoulders dropped even more in slight defeat. She grabbed for his hand but didn't flinch when he pulled it away.
"You're messing with my mind." He accused and increased the distance between them. She frowned as he continued to back away.
"No, I'm not. I just want to solve a mystery involving one of us." She replied exasperated. He instinctively peered into her eyes as if to detect any lies in the deep brown pools. Instead of finding deceit, however, he saw the innocence and vulnerability of his Kimberly, not some evil sorceress who had a hidden agenda.
"Fine. What do you want?" He caved, exhaustion creeping over his face.
A smile appeared on her face. "I think we should do this in a more resourceful place."
He sighed. "Why?"
"Because some of these questions you may not know right off the top of your head. I looked in some of those files in your basement, but couldn't find what I wanted. And that file I didn't get to finish looking through because of someone." She folded her arms and stared at the manila folder in his hands.
"Fine, well, since you already know where the supposed to be secret base is, and that is a very resourceful place, we'll go there." He relented and headed towards his office. He hoped internally that he wasn't making a big mistake, but for some odd reason, he trusted her to stay true to her word.
He sighed again as he opened the door to the ranger base and descended down the stairs. He could hear Kimberly's footsteps behind him. When they reached the opening of the room, he turned around to face her. She was looking at her boots and continued walking until she ran into him. Immediately the two hopped away from each other. She stared at him in silence, obviously contemplating a topic running through her mind.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"So what was it like being a ranger again?" Her eyes left his to look down at her hands. When she looked up at him, his eyes widened a bit.
She grabbed a chair and plopped on it, straddling the back. Tommy noticed that she was even acting like her old self as she waited for him to answer. Her intense gaze forced him to answer. "It's the same as ever."
She rolled her eyes. "No, I mean…how does it feel to be back in the suit after being gone so long?"
The black ranger shrugged, but spoke when she grunted. "All right, it is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I confess." He ended with a small smile. She grinned back at him.
"I knew it. I always speculated as to what it'd be like to become a ranger again. It seems like just yesterday." She looked up at the ceiling, in deep thought about past ranger days.
Tommy was entirely perplexed at her behavior. Before she had seemed worse than Zedd and Mesogog put together, but now…she seemed perfectly normal.
Suddenly, she stood up and scowled. He guessed she had realized how she was acting. "Oh well. It's irrelevant now. That ranger business was nonsense anyway."
Tommy's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
"We were fighting for nothing." Kimberly leered. "We were protecting a race that doesn't deserve to live. They are nothing but arrogant, selfish, and stupid bastards." She began pacing in front of him. "Not only that, I thought Power Rangers were supposed to be noble. I'll have you know that the people "chosen" to be rangers are nowhere near noble. Oh no, most would kill before they found out the truth about people, what their history is.
"Now wait-"
Kimberly held her hand up to silence him. "You cannot convince me otherwise. I have been observing this earth for six years; I know what I am talking about."
"Kim, why did you come to Reefside?" Tommy finally asked the question he had been asking himself since she arrived.
"To find you." She stated as if it were the most blatant thing in the world.
"I know that, but why to find me? Is there even a reason why you want to destroy me?" He prodded.
"Of course there is." She snapped. "Did you ever stop to think why I disappeared all those years ago?"
"Yes! No one could figure it out." Tommy began, but she interrupted him.
"I was kidnapped…" She paused and spat out, "Again." She threw him a look of disgust, not meant for him, but for disappointment in herself. "By Divatox. She wanted me to overthrow Astronema, so she could be Queen of Evil. Didn't work out quite as she planned though." A small laugh erupted from the petite woman's lips.
"But that's not the point. I spent a full year waiting, and hoping, that you and the others would find me. Instead, I saw through a viewing screen that my disappearance meant nothing to any of you. It didn't affect you to the slightest. You, on a lovely date with Katherine, and the others continuing their daily lives as well.
"I needed you, you weren't there, and it was because you didn't care- you and everyone else who claimed to be my best friends and swore to help out whenever help was needed. You all were free to live a happy life and move on from our Power Ranger past, while I was stuck in hell for a year under Divatox's reign. For the next six years, I envied you, and, for that, I hate you.
"Why you first, you ask? Why, because if I were to rid the rangers of Tommy Oliver, "the greatest ranger of them all", the other rangers won't be nearly as strong in defense. They'll be too busy mourning you and find themselves inefficient. You, after all, are the leader, mind, and heart of the team."
"No, Kim, that was you." Tommy broke in hoarsely. "You were the heart."
She smiled, but the radiance that customarily shone along was gone. "Maybe I was, at one time, but you did fine without me. You had your Kitty Kat to keep the team together when I left. Without you, the team could hardly stay together. Each time you left, Zordon somehow managed to weasel you back in because he knew it too." No longer looking at him, she glared at the floor. "I was there, on the ship, when Dark Specter announced that he had captured Zordon, you know."
Tommy's eyes widened. He wanted to ask why she didn't help him, but the words wouldn't come out. She beat him to the punch anyway. It was as if she was reading his mind. "I almost visited him once, but I was stopped by Astronema when Andros was trying to escape. I wanted to ask him why I had been chosen as a Power Ranger when all I could feel was hatred and bitterness. I wanted to yell at him and tell him that it was his fault I was even in the situation. If I had never become a Power Ranger in the first place, Divatox would never have kidnapped me." She seemed to have been taken over by a daze because her eyes were distant.
"After you kill all of us off, Kim, what will you do? Take over the world?" He was surprised to hear bitterness in his tone. Usually, he was great at masking emotions. Then again, this was Kimberly, the one who could always get him to let everything out with just one look.
"Of course not. I don't want anything to do with this world other than to destroy you all."
He paused at her wording. "You all? All the Power Rangers? What have you got against everyone else?"
"No, not the Power Rangers. Every living, breathing human. The very sight of humans makes me want to kill myself now, with all the observations I've made." She spat out venomously. "Again I say, humans do not deserve to live any longer. They've taken advantage of their precious lives for far too long."
Tommy opened his mouth to counter this, but she held her hand up again. "This is irritating me. Somehow you've managed to distract me, Mr. Oliver. Now, onto what I came here for." She breathed and continued, "I have been trying to locate everyone. So far, I know where everyone is except for one."
Tommy winced immediately once he realized where this was going, and it wasn't going to be pretty when she found out the truth.
"Where is Trini?" Kimberly questioned him.
Ordinarily, he would have kept his mouth shut about personal issues, but he figured he at least owed it to the real Kim whom he knew was still in there. "Trini's…gone."
"Gone?" He could tell she didn't fully comprehend what "gone" meant. His shoes seemed very interesting as of right now.
"She's…dead. Trini died." His heart dropped at the memory of hearing the news. After class one afternoon, he had gone home to find a message on his answering machine from Jason saying it was urgent. Tommy instantaneously knew something was wrong, but he had just guessed that another monster was in town. Not something as tragic as one his best friends from high school dying. He had been even more devastated when Jason had told him that no one could get a hold of Kimberly. No one had heard anything from Kimberly for months. Now he knew why. He tore his eyes away from his shoes and forced himself to look at his former love.
Her eyes seemed distant, as if she was in deep thought. "Dead?"
Tommy felt his heart drop at the sound of vulnerability in her voice. He didn't care that she was evil, he still wanted to comfort her- white knight syndrome as Jason called it.
"How?" She asked quietly. She wanted to sit down, but her feet refused to move.
"Three years ago, she was in a car wreck while driving to her home. She had come back to California to surprise us all with her news that she had just been hired as a UN Ambassador. A drunk driver crashed into her." He replied dully.
"An accident?" She muttered. Bitterness was beginning to form in her tone. "After everything we went through- after all those battles- she was killed in a car accident?"
The wall was building back. Tommy knew he had penetrated a hole in her guard, but he could see it repairing quickly. "Kim, it's all right! She's in a better place."
Her head snapped in his direction. "I don't care. She was only human. She doesn't matter to me. No one does." She declared voice low and a fierce look in her eyes.
His heart fell. "Kim, she was happy! She told Jason in the hospital that she was ready to go, that it was her time." He had never understood how Trini could be so calm in the direst situations. She had explained to Jason that everything happens for a reason. Now he questioned her philosophy. What was the reason for Kimberly crossing to the dark side?
"What do I care whether she was happy or not, Oliver?" He grimaced at the use of his last name. The barrier was up again. She turned away from him, and made a move towards the stairs. Before she ascended the stairs, she called over her shoulder, "A drunk driver is another example of the destruction humans cause. Trini was probably the closest to perfection that any human could ever get to."
Tommy's head hung low as she continued up the stairs. How was he ever going to persuade her away from the dark side?
Kimberly stormed out of his house with haste. She hated him. His nobleness. His perfection. The attributes that she had admired about him before nauseated her to the core of her soul. Why had she been so civil before? She really had no idea.
Her thoughts had been more driven on finding her once best friend than act upon her distaste for the current black ranger.
Black Dino Ranger. A spiteful chuckle escaped her lips. Of course he was a ranger. Thomas Oliver could never live without knowing the world needed him. It was so…egotistical.
Couldn't he, just for once, do something for himself?
Her move to Florida had changed her life. Without the daily monster attacks and distractions of her loved ones she was finally able to think for herself. If she were going to move on and grow, she couldn't dwell on the past. There was just no point in it. She had her own goals, and they had their own busy lives.
Slowly, she began to cut off all contact with her past, but she still had one connection. Tommy. Tommy "The Love of Her Life" Oliver. Her heart broke a million times as she wrote that letter. She knew it was the worst possible way to break up with him.
Yet another action in her life proving I am weak.
Yet, she had gone through with it. She knew it was time. She had fallen out of love with Tommy long before she actually ended the relationship. She was just blind to the fact until that Christmas. The spark was gone. Even with the kisses and the mistletoe, nothing was the same. She tried with every ounce of her being to salvage the love that had been once before but failed.
She realized she could not be in the relationship any longer after she met Damon at a club on a night off. He was the first guy to catch her eye and hold it after Tommy had entered her life.
She had never cheated on Tommy, like her letter led to believe, and Damon had not been "the one she belonged with". However, he had, in a sense, awakened her of her true feelings, and that she'd credit him for.
And of course Tommy made no effort to contact her after he received the letter. He wished her happiness. She pressed her fingers to her temple trying to push away the headache.
Her eyes caught site of a yellow rose as she passed the park. Immediately, her hand fell to her side. Trini.
She had lied when she said that Trini did not matter. Trini was probably the only person who truly understood her with no words uttered. A drunk driver was the cause of her death. He or she had murdered her best friend.
Drunk drivers and crashes were not foreign issues to her. She had read many times in the newspaper, even seen one in person, that people were being killed by DUIs.
Humans and their stupidity.
And she couldn't be there to help her, possibly even save her from the terrible fate. Maybe if she hadn't been kidnapped, Trini would have been with her gloating about the wonderful new job.
This wouldn't have happened if my friends had cared about me enough to find me. A voice from deep inside of her insisted. She would be right here next to me. I would have my life. I would be happy.
"Dr. O, you never answered me before. You know who this psycho woman is?" Conner repeated his comment from earlier.
"Yes." Tommy acquiesced. "That is, I knew her."
"How?" Ethan quizzed, the three younger male rangers exchanged glances.
"We go way back." Their teacher began, but was cut short by their only female ranger.
"I know…" Kira stepped forward. "She was in your diary. The original pink ranger!"
"That's right." Tommy affirmed; he began typing at his computer.
"She was a Power Ranger? But she's evil!" Conner exclaimed.
"I was evil, and I'm a Power Ranger." Trent added. Conner reddened at his blonde moment.
"True."
"And I was evil at the beginning of my ranger career." Tommy stated.
"You were under a spell, right?" Ethan paused for his teacher's confirmation, and continued when he got a slight nod. "Well, maybe she is too."
"She doesn't seem to have any leader though. She never mentioned one at least." Kira verbalized.
Tommy bit his lip. "You're right. And she never made any reference to any past or present nemesis." He narrowed his eyes in thought. Could that metal device be a brainwashing tool? "She could be brainwashed and not know it."
"Isn't that what happened to Astronema?" Kira added and bit her lip when he responded with a nod.
"Um, Dr. O, I know she seems to only be after you, but what should we do if she were to attack?" Ethan questioned and quickly added as the others shot him critical looks. "I mean, it's not really our fight."
"I understand what you're saying, Ethan. Let's say, if she attacks the city, which I doubt she will, then stop her." He hesitated on his next comment. "If I am beaten, stop her then as well."
"There is no way she could take you down, Dr. O." Conner said assuredly with a nod of his head. "Look at her size."
Kira huffed and folded her arms. "What's that supposed to mean?" Conner's cheeks flushed slightly at the confrontation and shrugged. Kira smacked him on the arm and shook her head.
"Do not underestimate her. Never do that. I know from experience." Tommy stated clearly.
"Dr. O," Ethan cut in softly, "You told us to stop her…but what happens if she can't be stopped?"
Tommy sucked in a quick breath. "I…" He had thought about not being able to stop her; he also knew the dangers. However, he was confident that his team could conquer over this evil "ranger" as other teams had done so in the past. They had always been able to restore the good in every ranger, but there was always that fraction that something serious could really occur, like death for instance. He hated to think that he could be sentencing Kimberly, someone he loved so deeply not only as a teammate and friend, but as a lover as well, to death. Although he felt nothing more than platonic feelings for her now, he had always been a firm believer that one could never completely fall out of love with someone. The love and bond that they had cherished would always be there, even if it were just focused on friendship now.
"Dr. Oliver?" Kira interrupted his thoughts.
Tommy's eyes snapped up and looked directly into her eyes. He did not want to make a choice for them that involved killing another human being, but it would have to be done if Kimberly refused to give in. "…Then see to it that you do everything possible to stop her. Even if it means…killing her."
Tommy entered the café, yawning from lack of sleep. He was having a hard time sleeping because of this Kimberly issue. He didn't understand why she blamed him and the others for what happened to her. There must be something she was hiding.
How had she gotten all those powers? Divatox must have given them to her, but he couldn't see why the lady pirate would give her an immeasurable amount of powers. Kira had told him that she had whispered some sort of spell when fighting Zeltrax. That was what caused Zeltrax to fly back.
Since Kira was pretty perceptive during battle, he had no choice to believe that Kimberly had become like another Rita, minus the taking over the world part.
That brought another question. Why did she want to take down the whole human race? What had pushed Kimberly over the edge? He knew she was sensitive person, who felt so much for so many people…could something have happened while she was kidnapped? Did Divatox lie to her? She had to have done so because they had been looking for her. Billy had even dropped everything to find her. That viewing screen she mentioned in his basement must have been lying, or videotaped from before they knew she was missing. He wasn't even dating Katherine when she had disappeared. He wasn't dating anyone at that time, come to think of it.
"You all right, Tommy?" His red haired friend greeted him. He nodded in response mostly because he thought his voice would betray him. She gave him a look that said she didn't believe him, but he was thankful she didn't call him on it.
"Would you like anything?" She changed the subject.
"Yeah, a Snickers sounds great." He smiled and sat down at the bar. The doors opened, and on instinct, his head jerked in that direction. When he saw that it was just Conner, he sighed. He hated being paranoid, but with a life as unpredictable as his…he couldn't help it.
"Hey, Dr. O. Guess who I ran into!" The red ranger said with a big grin.
Tommy frowned. It obviously wasn't a certain brunette that had plagued his mind recently. Before he could say anything, Conner was speaking again, "Blake Bradley, the motocross breakthrough star of the year!"
Tommy's eyebrows narrowed. He knew that name from somewhere, but his overloaded and exhausted brain wouldn't let him remember. "Why is he in town?"
"I guess they're having a race here in town or something." Conner shrugged. "Hey, Hailey! Can I get a Pina Colada smoothie?"
"Sure thing, Conner." The genius that rivaled Billy handed Tommy his Snickers and went back to work.
"So, Dr. O, any more information on this lady friend?" Conner asked leaning closer as he whispered.
Tommy shook his head. "No, she hasn't made any appearances."
"She is a weird one. Definitely not normal." The soccer player smiled as Hailey handed him his smoothie. "Thanks!"
She grinned. "Anything new?"
The two rangers shook their heads. Hailey frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but she was called away by another customer. Conner refocused on what he was saying before. "Was she always like that?"
"Kimberly? She's always been a bit unpredictable, I guess, but not to me. We could read each other like a book."
"You guys were pretty close right? I mean, that's what I've been guessing from between your interaction with her." Conner asked seriously. Tommy was always being surprised at Conner's maturing behavior. He was becoming as insightful as some of his previous antecedents.
"Yeah, we were close." Tommy didn't feel like elaborating anymore of the story. It wasn't that he wasn't over his feelings for Kimberly…he just didn't want to end up having to explain every detail.
"Hey, Dr. O, Conner!" The two men jumped at the sound of Kira's voice. Conner knocked over his drink. They turned to face her. She burst out laughing as they tried to regain their composure. "A little high strung?"
"Don't do that!" Conner complained while wiping the remains of his drink off his shirt. Kira stuck out her lower lip. "Aw, Conner, I'm sorry. Did I ruin your shirt?"
"Yes, as a matter-of-fact, you did!" Conner stuck his tongue out at his teammate. "Now I have to go change."
"Any updates?" Tommy asked Kira. She chuckled, watching Conner exit the café in a huff.
"No, nothing except this stupid test I'm helping Trent study for." She said holding up a large textbook.
The name Blake Bradley crossed his mind randomly. It bugged him that he couldn't remember where he had heard that name before. "Hey, sorry, Kira, but I need to go back the base. I'll see you later."
The blonde shrugged. "That's all right. Trent should be here any minute." She waved as he headed towards the exit and made her own way to the couch.
-
Why didn't I bring my car? Tommy mentally slapped himself. Then he remembered loaning Hailey his jeep to haul a few boxes to the café. He didn't feel so stupid now. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his coat and continued on the long walk to his house.
The exercise would be good for him anyway. Sometimes he missed the Youth Center, with its gym and his friends spending all the time they had off there.
A strange feeling rushed through his body, forcing him to shiver. Immediately his mind went into overdrive. He knew better than to ignore those nagging feelings that something was off. He had done it too many times. "Fool me once…" fluttered through his mind.
"Thinking of me?" Her voice queried. He spun around to see her standing there, her hands also shoved into a black jacket that covered a mock kimono.
"Would it matter if I was?" He cautiously replied. What did she want this time?
She lifted on shoulder. "I guess it wouldn't."
"Why won't you leave me alone?" He blurted out. He hated that she could make his strength crumble.
"You already know the answer, so why do you ask?" She stepped closer. "I am tired of avoiding the inevitable, Tommy. Let's get this over with."
"Kim…" He started. She lunged at him unexpectedly. He was forced to push her backwards. Instead of falling, like she might have done way back when, she used the momentum he had created for her to back handspring. When she landed, she stepped to her left. He followed her lead and stepped to his left. Neither attacked as a full circle was made. Finally fed up, she waved for him to come nearer.
He looked down as he saw his feet walking against his will. This must be one of her powers. He watched her face as a grin appeared. "Where did you get your powers?"
"Jealous?" She smirked. She spun around and kicked him in the jaw sending him flying. "To be honest, I really don't know. I guess I had it in me the whole time?"
He rubbed his jaw as he stood up. "Did Divatox give them to you?"
"No, I think I've already covered this." She frowned. "Divatox is gone. Anything she was involved with would have disappeared as well, including powers." She reached him and threw a few punches. He would not attack her, refusing to take part in this. He knew that if he used full power or let any emotion take over, he would not be able to hold back. He did not want to be the cause of her death.
"Don't be stupid, Oliver. I know you're potential. You're holding back. I won't do the same for you." She sneered.
"I don't want to hurt you." Tommy spoke softly. He knew she was angry about Trini, and he just so happened to be the scapegoat.
Her features flushed with anger and her brows narrowed. "Hurt me? You claim to know me, yet you have no idea about my life. What I've been doing since Muranthias."
"Please, Kim. Let us help you." Tommy pleaded once again. He wasn't quite ready to give up on her.
"You weren't there to help me before. I needed you then. I don't need you now." Kimberly's voice was low and hard. Her fists clenched and unclenched. Fury pursed through her body, and she was getting more and more agitated as they spoke.
"I didn't know that you needed my help! How could I, Kim?" He grunted, pushing her away. "I want to make it up to you! Let me help you!" Tears filled her former love's eyes. It broke his heart all over again to see Kimberly, so innocent and pure, acting this way. The girl who had helped him over come his grief of being the evil green ranger, the one who had accepted him without hesitation; she had brought him out of his shell.
"It's too late for that." She stated simply. "I was out there, waiting for help, but you did not recognize the signs. I am too far gone. You cannot save me."
Tommy refused to believe that. She took advantage of his contemplative moment and shoved his chest, sending him backwards. She rushed at him again, but this time he was ready for an attack. He sent her flying with a roundhouse kick. For a moment, he was relieved that he could take a breather, but that feeling flew out the door the moment he saw her land. She was too close to the edge of the cliff. She stood up cautiously, but her heal caught on a root. Her eyes widened as she fell backwards over the edge.
"Tommy, help me!" Kimberly cried, clinging to a few rocks.
Tommy's eyes brightened a bit. "Kim?"
Maybe he had gotten through to her! He rushed to the edge of the cliff and extended an arm down to her. She smiled up at him and grabbed his wrist. Immediately, the smile turned from innocent and thanksgiving to conniving. "Psyche!" Kimberly cackled. "Gotcha there, buddy!"
To his horror, she yanked on his arm, pulling him over the edge.
"Woooooaah!" Tommy wailed as he flew over the edge. Fortunately, his automatic reflexes were quick, and he grabbed a large tree branch that had grown out from the side of the cliff. He looked up to see Kimberly pulling herself over the edge. She had never needed his help.
"Dr. O!" He heard Kira's voice call from land.
"Are you all right?" Conner shouted.
"I'm just peachy." Tommy retorted.
"Not for long." A blast exploded above him and he heard the younger rangers howl in pain, then silence. They seemed to have lost consciousness. Tommy swung his legs around, trying to get momentum. Finally, he was able to swing himself around the branch and scrambled to his feet. Thankfully, the branch was wide and strong enough to hold him. Looking up, he saw Kimberly gazing down at him.
She pouted. "Aw, Tommy, you should have known better than that. It's going to take a lot more work to defeat me."
"I don't want to defeat you, Kim." He replied faintly.
"You're mistake." She frowned. She brought her hands together and formed a purple ball of energy. "Goodbye, Handsome." Kimberly shoved her arms forward firing the energy ball at the black ranger. It was a direct hit, knocking him off the branch. Gravity took its course and sent him to his rocky doom.
She watched as he plummeted to the river and his flailing arms. His scream grew faint as the distance between them grew. The sound completely stopped when the raging waters swallowed his black form.
Bwah haha! Bet you didn't expect that! I had to cut this chapter in half as well...so really this is a three part chapter. Kind of.
I don't really know how this will end. So far, I have about three different endings running through my head, and I have one ruled out that definitely will not be used. I don't know how to make this go out with a bang. Any suggestions that I can add to the list?
IsabellaPaige- I doubt he'll be able to make her change. She's pretty set on her ways, as of right now. :)
Ghostwriter- Good, Fanfic was really pissing me off. Of course she's still evil. The guy was the cause of her best friends' death. That wasn't going to make her turn good. haha :) And Tommy likes challenges! But really, there is no actual spell on her. Kimberly is just one twisted girl. Very confused about her priorities.
Goddess Achlys- Yay for conflicting emotions. I wanted her to be really complex, so no other charactercould quite understand what she was thinking. Besides, she is human, and an emotional girl who has experienced different traumas. She was bound to be a bit conflicted in the head. Eh, I doubt there will be any problems with Billy and Kat. Andros as well. But we'll see! Btw, I love long comments! They're fun to read!
the online dreamer- I'm glad! I would hate to bore everyone. - I hope this chapter lived up to the others!
Thanks a lot guys!
Please Review!