Chapter 20: Sweet Revenge
Tommy and Kimberly both had accepted that they would spend all day Tuesday brain-dead from lack of sleep. It wasn't so bad for her, since she could sleep on the flight back to Florida, but he had to teach six science classes starting at eight-thirty. That wasn't going to be easy after only two hours of shut-eye, no matter how elated he might be with the reason for the shortage.
Their lovemaking had gone on into the wee hours of the morning, with passionate, erotic sessions interspersed with quiet moments of planning the logistics of Kim's move. Tommy decided he was going to recruit her some help with the grunt work, but he opted not to share his idea with her until he had solidified the plans. He was excited about the prospect of surprising her. By three A.M., their exhaustion and contentment had reached a pinnacle, and they finally allowed sleep to claim them.
The morning sun shone brightly into the bedroom, slowly arousing Tommy from his nearly-comatose slumber. He was loathe to open his eyes, much preferring to remain spooned up against Kim's warm, soft body forever. After a few minutes, his disorientation began to fade just a little, so he bravely pried open an eyelid, accepting that there was no use postponing the inevitable. The red, glowing numbers of the bedside clock caught his attention first, but since his brain was still foggy, he read the digits at face value, never registering their significance until several moments later.
8:15…
"Hmmm, eight-fifteen…" Tommy mumbled into Kim's hair, grasping her slender waist and pulling her petite, round bottom tighter against his groin, the only part of him that was wide awake and ready to start the day.
"What did you say, baby?" Kim asked groggily, her voice croaking somewhat with the first words of the morning.
"Oh, didn't mean to wake you, sorry…I said it's eight-fifteen," he answered, still in a pseudo-slumber state.
Five, four, three, two, one…
"Shit!" they both screamed simultaneously.
While frantically scrambling to disengage themselves from each other, their haste found them entangled in the sheets instead. Tommy aggressively fought to push the linens off of him, and once he thought he was clear, he moved to climb out of the bed.
His foot, however, had different ideas.
The loud thud followed by a string of profanity that came from the other side of the bed stopped Kim's frenzied rush. Crawling across the mattress, she found Tommy sprawled on the hardwood floor, deliciously naked except for the sheet still wrapped around his ankle. She tried not to laugh, she really did, but the snort that escaped her just would not be contained. Gazing on him from up on the bed, she thought he never looked more adorable. "Hey, down there…"
"Hi. It's eight-fifteen," Tommy reiterated again as he freed his foot from the sheet and got up. "Doesn't your flight leave at nine? You'll never make it to the airport and through security in time, and I'm going to be very late for class. We're both screwed."
"Well, actually it's because we were screwing that we're late." Kim said with a 'master of understatement' grin. "It was worth it, don't you think?" she added, giving his backside a through once over as he bent over to root though a pile of laundry for something clean.
He stopped his search for a moment to return her stare. Kim was still lounging lazily on the bed with seem to have not a care in the world. Her soft curves were highlighted by the sunlight streaming through the window, and at that very second, Tommy felt happier and more in love that he'd ever been in his life.
"What are you looking at?" Kim asked, although she knew the answer. There was so much love for her written all over his face that her heart nearly burst.
"You. I wish I could look longer, but I really have to fly. I'm in the dog house with Randall as it is. What are we going to do about your flight?" Tommy was already in the adjoining bathroom before he even finished the question. He had to strain to hear her answer over the running water and the scrubbing sounds of his toothbrush.
"I'll just get another one later this evening. It may cost me, but oh well! That's the price I'll have to pay for a night of passion with the man I love."
"More precisely, that's the price we pay because you had me too distracted to remember to set the alarm." Tommy replied, although it came out all jumbled through the mouth full of foamy toothpaste.
"Oh, so this is my fault?" Kim marveled at how they dissolved into playful banter despite their circumstances. It came as natural as breathing.
"Yeah. If you weren't so damn sexy, I might have kept my head on straight." He finger-combed his messy hair, deciding that he could care less about how it looked. His five-o'clock shadow, however, was another story, the consequence of having such think, dark hair. He couldn't go to school looking like he just rolled out of bed, even if it was the truth, especially now since all the students knew he probably had 'company'. There was no time for shaving cream and all that, but if he was lucky, the electric razor he kept around for touch-ups in the afternoon still had a charge. He almost held his breath as he flipped the switch. The buzzing sound that followed was an instant relief.
Less than three minutes later, Tommy was ready to get dressed. Going without a shower felt gross, especially after all the exertion last night, but a few sniffs assured him that he wouldn't offend anyone's olfactory senses. It wasn't going to be a shirt and tie day, either. A black polo shirt and khaki chinos were the best he could do. Kim was down in the kitchen when he came down to grab his briefcase. "Call me between nine-fifteen and ten. I have second period free. Maybe you'll know about your slight by then." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. The clock on the wall read eight thirty-five. He was already five minutes late and he hadn't even left the house yet.
Starting up the jeep, he screeched out of the driveway. Halfway down Valencia Road, he was hit with an idea that just might save his hide. Pulling his cell off his belt, he started paging through his phonebook for the number of one of a fellow science teacher in the department, Brendan Harrison. He and Brendan had become pretty good friends since Tommy started at Reefside, even working out together after school sometimes. The man was almost ten years older than him, and had been invaluable in showing him the ropes of teenage hormone management. What's more, he knew that Brendan had first period free.
Tommy's hope mounted as he heard the other teacher's cell phone ringing. He had been afraid that he might keep it turned off during the school day. A few rings later…
"Where are you, Tommy?"
As stupid as it sounded, caller ID still sometimes threw him off. "Uh…Brendan…Hey, I need you to do me a favor. I'm late, obviously. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Would you go to my first period class and just keep an eye on them for me? Have them review chapter seven. I've got to keep Randall off my ass, so keep it low key. Tell the kids I had car trouble or something."
"Watching the class isn't a problem, but as far as Randall goes, you're too late. She was already here looking for you. She basically told me to fuck off when I tried to cover for you." Brendan was glad that Tommy had called, because he had wanted to warn him anyway. He had had enough run-ins with the bitchy principal himself, but he knew they were nothing compared to what she dished out to Tommy. It almost seemed to him that Randall had a bit of a crush she was trying to cover.
"Shit! I guess I'll think of some excuse. Well, thanks, Bren, see you in a few. I don't even give a damn about Randall anymore. Let her fire me if she wants." It was true. After the inappropriate move she made on him yesterday, he was convinced that she was a brick wall, and nothing he could say or do would ever get through to her. He had Kim, now, and that was all that mattered to him.
"You don't mean that, Tommy. You were born to teach…Hey, I'd better get to your class. Good luck."
"Yeah, thanks…" Tommy hit the 'end' button on the cell and gunned the gas. Years of having to lie to people about his whereabouts when he was out on Ranger missions had made him a world-class bullshitter. The stories rolled off of his tongue like water by now. It wasn't a skill he was proud of, but it was necessary. He looked forward to the day he could put that particular talent to rest.
In record time, Reefside High School came into view. Tommy pulled into the teacher's lot, barely remembering to cut the engine before gathering his things and jumping out. He ran across the lawn instead of following the sidewalk and through the double doors closest to the science wing.
Slowing down as he entered the quiet building, he quickly glanced around for any witnesses, especially Randall. Satisfied that the coast was clear, he stealthily glided down the hallway until he reached his lab. Not for the first time, he paused for a moment to stare at the engraved plaque on the door: Thomas Oliver, PhD. Sometimes, he still found it hard to believe that the shy kid whose life revolved around the martial arts now was a Doctor of Paleontology. Realizing his little reverie was just a stalling technique, he took a deep breath and placed his hand on the brass doorknob.
The class immediately looked up in unison when their teacher strode into the room, almost a half an hour late and looking worse for wear. He didn't say anything right away, but simply nodded to Mr. Harrison, who returned the gesture and quietly left the lab.
"Good morning, guys. I'm sorry I'm late." Tommy offered the apology, but nothing by way of explanation for his tardiness. It was just going to have to be another incident that he had to downplay. "There's only fifteen minutes left in the period, so why don't you all continue your review of the chapter, unless any of you would like to take this time to ask any questions about the material."
A hand shot up that was connected to the arm of a precocious blonde girl, who didn't even wait to be called on before she stood up and posed her question. "Dr. Oliver, I'm sure everyone is wondering: who was that girl you were with Friday night, and does she have anything to do with why you were late this morning?" Cassidy remained standing, very much the reporter at the scene of a major crime. Devin's camera was no where to be seen, but her performance was so real, Tommy was still amazed that she didn't stick a microphone in his face. She truly believed she was going to get an answer.
At first, he could only gawk at her, astounded at her boldness. His mouth soon became suddenly dry from standing there with it hanging open for so long. After a near-eternity, Tommy averted his eyes from Cassidy and focused on the rest of the class, finding his voice at last. "So, no questions on the material, then?" He deliberately disregarded the girl, pretending she hadn't even spoken. If there was one thing a person like her couldn't stand, it was to be ignored. By doing so, he made his point without having to address her intrusion or accidentally saying something inappropriate.
No one raised their hand, so Tommy retired to the chair behind his desk. "Alright, then. Study the material tonight. You never know what kind of mood I'll be in tomorrow. I'm sure I don't have to remind you what that could mean." With that not-so-subtle threat, he opened his briefcase and started to get a little work done, never acknowledging the students again.
When the bell rang a little over ten minutes later, he still hadn't said another word. Conner, Ethan, Kira, and Trent had been exchanging anxious looks, clearly impatient for the class to be dismissed so they could investigate their mentor's erratic behavior. They were stunned, however, when Dr. Oliver fled from the room before they had a chance to approach him. He didn't even seem to care enough to try and hide the bruise on the back of his neck, which they thought he was going to have Kim cover for him.
The Rangers, working like the true team they had become, dashed out of the room after Tommy, none of them even having to say what they were planning to do. Pushing their way through the crowded hallway, they finally caught up with him heading toward the courtyard door on what looked like an almost obsessive quest for some fresh air. They didn't blame him. The classroom had been stifling after Cassidy's little inquisition. All the students had felt the heavy tension, counting down the minutes until the end of class with much more anticipation than they usually did.
"Dr. Oliver!" Conner called to him, but he didn't stop, or even slow down for that matter.
Kira sprinted ahead of the boys, desperate to reach their teacher. "Dr. O, wait!" She was within a few feet of him now, and that made it pretty hard for Tommy to continue to ignore her. He was pissed at Cassidy and wanted to be left alone so that he could talk to Kim when she called, but he didn't really want to be rude to the kids.
He stopped suddenly, spinning on his heel to face Kira as the other Rangers jogged to catch up. "What is it, Kira?" His tone was impatient, but he couldn't help it. Tommy just wanted nothing to do with teenagers at the moment, not even his team.
"We, uh…I mean we wanted to see how you're doing. You seemed kind of…off." The Yellow Ranger worded it as delicately as she could.
Tommy ran a hand through his messy hair, sighing deeply. "I'm sorry, guys. I'm having a bad morning, and Cassidy only made it worse." By now, the others had gathered around him, and in some way, he was touched by the show of support, but he still wanted to be alone.
"We know. That was pretty low, but you know her…no scruples when it comes to a big story." Ethan had been close to Cassidy at one time, even going on a disastrous date with her before deciding to just be friends. He knew there was a heart in there somewhere, but her drive and curiosity usually overwhelmed her common sense.
"My personal life is not a news story. That's the problem."
"Yeah, Dr. O, but you're a new, young, good-looking teacher. How many of those do we have around here? Kids are curious." Kira wasn't defending Cassidy, but thought she could offer some explanation for the situation, no matter how lame.
"Well, I hope everybody's curiosity has been adequately satisfied. I have to go. Kim missed her flight this morning. She's supposed to call me with her new one any minute." Tommy was already on his way out the door. He could have taken the call in his classroom, but he preferred to be outside in the open so that he could see all around him, not being in any mood to deal with eavesdroppers.
"Too distracted to set the alarm?" It came out before Conner could stop himself. The other three knew they shouldn't be surprised, but he still never failed to blow them away with his 'classiness'.
Tommy didn't answer for a few beats, and then he cracked a sly smile. What is it they always say? Don't get mad, get even. Looking Conner straight in the eye, "yes" he replied simply with a nod before waltzing off into the courtyard.
Back in the hallway, Conner's pallor had taken on a sickly shade of green. "I had to ask. Remind me to keep my mouth shut from now on."
"We remind you to shut up all the time, but you never listen. Come on, we're going to be late for second period." Trent threw an arm around his friend's shoulders and steered him back toward the classrooms, Kira and Ethan following right behind.
The bell rang well before they reached Mrs. Anderson's French class. The Rangers sprinted the rest of the way up the hall, but they knew they would still have some explaining to do. If they were really lucky, it might not mean detention.
Tommy sat at a picnic table on the lawn, grading papers while waiting for Kim to call. He was acutely aware of the four hundred pairs of eyes that were watching him from the classrooms surrounding the courtyard, but they didn't bother him too much. What was important was that no one could hear him. About nine forty-five, the familiar six beep ring tone startled him from his work. Everytime the phone rang, he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic, since he programmed the cell to sound like the original Rangers' communicators. The caller ID displayed his home number.
"Hey, Beautiful…"
"Hi. So, did you sneak in successfully?" Kim couldn't help but feel just as responsible as Tommy for their oversight, since she also had someplace to be this morning as well.
"Yes and no. I called another teacher that I've gotten to know pretty well and had him cover my class until I got here, but he said that Randall had already been looking for me though, so I'm not off the hook yet. I guess I'd better avoid her as much as possible today. What'd you find out from the airline?"
"Well, I can get a flight out at seven this evening, but it's not non-stop. There's a two hour layover in Houston, and I won't get in to Tampa until five tomorrow morning, but the good news is that it's only going to cost me another seventy-five bucks to change the flight since they are underbooked."
"That's great. It'll give me time to have my way with you a few more times before you go." Tommy teased seductively, then added more softly, "I'm going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you, too, but I can't wait to get there and start packing up my things. It's going to be a big job. Hopefully, I'll make enough money by selling most of my stuff that it will cover the cost of the movers to bring what I am keeping."
"Yeah, about that…Remember when I said I had an idea? Give me until the end of the day to see if I can make it work. We might not have to pay for movers at all." Tommy was excited about his plan, but he didn't want to tell Kim about it until he was sure it was going to pan out.
"Really? OK, I'll bite. What time do you get home?"
"By three-thirty, if no students ask for help with something. I'll try and make myself scarce. We should leave for the airport by five. You'll have plenty of time to get through security…unless we make you miss your flight again." There was a suggestive leer in his voice that made her toes curl.
"I'm sure we'll give it our best shot. See you then. I love you." It made Kim as happy to be able to say that as it did for him to hear it.
"I love you, too. I've gotta go. Honors sophomore Chemistry starts in seven minutes. Later, Beautiful."
"Bye, baby."
Tommy hung up the phone and glanced at his watch. Crap…no time to call the guys. It'll have to wait until fifth period. The distinctive sounds of teenagers flowing into the courtyard told him that class was out and he'd better get going. He gathered up his stuff and headed back to his room.
"So, Dr. Oliver's little girlfriend is supposed to go home today. What do you say we make sure she never wants to come back?" Elsa stood in Mesogog's lair watching Tommy's telephone conversation on the view screen with Zeltrax. She maintained her usual sneer in order to disguise her true feelings, eventhough she wasn't quite sure exactly what they were. All she knew was that hearing the science teacher tell this Kimberly woman he loved her put a sick knot in her stomach bigger than a basketball.
What she didn't realize was that Zeltrax noticed the sudden change in his secret crush's demeanor. Now he had no doubt; Elsa wanted Tommy Oliver, but he wanted Elsa. You'll never take what rightly belongs to me ever again, Dr. Oliver.
Almost five years ago, Tommy and the young man who would become Mesogog's evil henchman, Zeltrax, were fellow graduate students doing research together with their mentor, Anton Mercer. When the Senior Paleontology assistantship position at Mercer's company became available, both of them applied, knowing it was the chance of a lifetime.
Tommy Oliver was perfect. Perfect grades, perfect looks, perfect personality. He got the job. Terrance Smith, as Zeltrax used to be called, was crushed, and the camaraderie he felt towards his colleague was suddenly replaced with jealousy and animosity. Eventually, he got another job with a smaller research firm. The work he was doing on a more accurate method for dating fossils by studying the remnants of their DNA could have been a cutting-edge breakthrough. He would have been famous, but he was never able to finish the discovery.
Labs could be dangerous places even for the most safety-conscious individuals, but when greedy ambition is the driving force behind the work rather than patience and solid scientific practices, costly mistakes were inevitable. Terrance had been working long hours, often getting only three or four hours of sleep at a time. He was so close to perfecting the technique he could taste it.
One night, after nearly twenty hours of straight research, he was alone in the lab. His fellow scientists had long ago gone home to their families and lives. Terrance had become a loner ever since losing the job to Tommy, and the prospect of wealth and fame was his sole ambition. The recovery of intact DNA required meticulous skill, as well as a number of chemicals, many of them quite volatile.
Around four a.m., the lack of sleep finally caught up with him, and he had finally decided to call it a night. While cleaning up so as to start fresh in a few hours, his dulled judgment soon had him carelessly pouring a large flask of sodium azide down the sink. The building where the lab was located was older. All of the plumbing was original, which meant they had used copper pipes.
Copper pipes and high concentrations of sodium azide do not mix.
The resulting explosion knocked Terrance off his feet, causing him to drop a test tube of picric acid directly onto a lit Bunsen burner.
Explosion number two had the lab in flames and Terrance Smith trapped under an overturned work table. He was severely burned and had a bad concussion as he lay on the floor, unconscious.
Terrance had no idea how much time had passed, but the next thing he remembered, he woke up in what resembled a dentist's chair from hell. His body was covered in metallic grey armor, and a helmet covered his head.
After a few minutes, a scaly, gruesome creature appeared in the room. He was bipedal and dressed in a long leather coat. His face looked like a cross between a dinosaur and an iguana, with widely spaced teeth in a gaping mouth.
He introduced himself as Mesogog, then went on to explain his plan to return the Earth to the time of the dinosaur. Being a scientist himself, he had been able to reconstruct Terrance using cybernetics. Unfortunately, his body had been burned beyond repair, necessitating the armor, but otherwise, he was physically as good as new.
Obviously, the first question Terrance asked was 'why'? For what reason did Mesogog rescue him from the burning lab and took the time and effort to save his life? The answer surprised him.
In order to fulfill his plan, Mesogog had to have help. Every evil dictator needed loyal generals to lead their army of conquerors. The best way to ensure that loyalty was to make sure there was something in it for them.
Knowing your enemy was one other important quality of an effective dictator. In Mesogog's case, and now Zeltrax's, Tommy Oliver was the enemy.
Mesogog had been watching Tommy and Terrance for some time, just as he watched Zeltrax and Elsa now, immediately zeroing in on the sour turn the men's friendship had taken, and saw the immense potential.
Tommy had the knowledge and experience to be a major thorn in Mesogog's side. He had escaped the island with the gems that would supply the power to destroy the Earth's climate, rendering it barren and primitive. He was also using that power to tap into the morphing grid, ready to create Power Rangers when the time came.
He needed to get his hands on those gems. A henchman with a personal vendetta would be a perfect addition to his team. With Zeltrax leading his team of Tyrannodrones, he couldn't lose. Loyalty could be guaranteed because Mesogog saved the young man's life, and there was a built-in motivation to destroy Tommy Oliver.
Working in tandem with another recruit, the gothically beautiful Elsa, Zeltrax had spent the last couple years tracking Tommy Oliver, and recently, fighting the Power Rangers.
Mesogog soon realized he got even more than he bargained for in putting Zeltrax and Elsa in charge of his army. The human/cyborg had gone and fallen in love with the woman. She, in turn, was developing conflicting feelings for Dr. Oliver ever since she had been assigned to stay close to him by posing as Reefside High's principal. Both of these things could be assets, but they could also foil his plan.
Zeltrax was becoming a little too obsessed with destroying Tommy. Mesogog's plan was becoming secondary, especially since he'd jealously begun to notice Elsa's affections for the science teacher. That simply wouldn't do.
And Elsa, although she had no use for Zeltrax, thinking him a bumbling fool, might start wavering in her goal if allowed much more exposure to Tommy's charm. The best plan for dealing with the both of them would be to capture those gems as soon as possible so that he could do away with everyone. After all, loyalty need not be a two way street.
Elsa knew Zeltrax was interested in her. It was something she used to her advantage when it suited her, but that's where her interest in him ended. There was no place for him in her plan to destroy Tommy Oliver, though. This was going to be a one-woman operation, and she would show her Master she was worthy of his favor once and for all.
Completely ignoring Zeltrax, who still stood next to her glaring with envy at his rival teaching Chemistry on the viewscreen, Elsa mentally prepared herself for her next step. First of all, she had to eliminate the girlfriend. That should be easy. Tommy seemed to have a healthy sex drive. Exploiting it shouldn't be a problem. After that, she needed to gain his trust in order to learn the secrets of the Power Rangers. Then she would steal those DinoGems for her Master.
She had better get moving. Elsa had a lot of work to do. The disturbing part of it was how much she was looking forward to it, but she would worry about that later. Extending her arm into the air, a bright green portal opened, and she disappeared into the hole, reappearing in her office at Reefside High. She chose to be dressed in a curve-hugging, yet professional-enough red suit with matching leather stiletto heels, perfect for the seduction of one Dr. Thomas Oliver.
Author's Notes: Wow! 20 chapters already. What an incredible experience this has been. Not only have I been able to finally put down the story that had been floating around in my head for so long, but in the process, I've made a lot of friends. Vanessa, Shawn, Jeanine, Kris...Love to you all. Thank you for your support and your friendship. The inspiration I've gotten from your work had so much to do with getting this story together. For those of you that have inquired...yes there will be an NC-17 version of this fic. JTrevizo had graciously offered me some space on her site, and as soon as the fic is complete, I will start work on the "extended" chapters. I wouldn't have a clue where to begin setting up and maintaining a site of my own, as I am truly computer-impaired. Happy reading...Gina