A/N: Hi everyone! I hope everyone had the chance to celebrate National Power Rangers Day on August 28th. I know I sure did! I had hoped to post this on that day but I ended up watching a marathon of Tommy and Kim episodes and wayyyyyyyy too many adult beverages to be able to. But here we are now! Like I stated before, the chapters will be in different POVs. Make sure to check the top of the chapter to figure out which character is speaking.
So, I want to take a little poll quick. While writing my fics, I always battle with how to spell Zack's name. Sometimes I put Zack. Other times I put Zach. Which way do you guys think it should be? My spellcheck always corrects it to Zach.
I hope you enjoy and remember to R&R!
Disclaimer: I own nothing PR related. That's Hasbro's job. I also do not own the rights to anything related to the BOOM! Studio comics. If I did, there would be no need for me to write this fic because our favorite duo would be together forever in it. -_-
Tommy
"Hey. Can we talk to you for a minute?" Jason Lee Scott asked as I walked into the main chamber of the Command Center. The large room was lit up brightly, telling me that our mentor, Zordon of Eltar, was in his power tube. Sure enough, as I approached the control panels centered around the middle of the room, the large transparent head of the intergalactic being was there. Jason was leaning against one of the control panels, the dark haired teen crossing his arms when he looked up at me. He wore his typical red a-line tank top with a pair of red gym shorts underneath. I could tell from the way he was looking at me that this wasn't going to be a positive conversation. As the leader of the Power Rangers, I knew he was here to talk to me about something. He had a serious look on his face, looking like he was ready to take on anything.
Terrific.
"Sure. What's up?" I asked, gripping the strap of my backpack tighter in my right hand. Next to Jason, I saw his second in command, Zack Taylor. He was standing a couple feet away from Jason, a supportive smile on his face. The Africian American teenager always made light of every situation as he avoided tension like the plague. It was a skill he has had since I met him six months ago. He wore black denim jeans and a purple and black striped t-shirt. Little dreadlocks aligned around his head, three of them hanging in front of his face. I glanced around the room, hoping for a sign of anyone else but no one was there. Well, accept Zordon. Even Alpha was gone, the small robot missing from the room.
"Tommy, there is a manner we need to discuss with you." Zordon's voice boomed above me. The bald head floated there and a feeling of unease came over me. This had to be about my powers. I should have known better than to think they were going to last.
The Power Rangers are an elite fighting force destined to defend the earth against anyone who might try to harm the people who live there. They've been protecting Earth for centuries now, beginning in the time when Zordon had a physical body. He hasn't told us much about that time but we did know he fought in our uniforms at some point. He was encased in the Command Center, waiting for a time when the Rangers would be needed again. And the time came when Rita Repulsa, an evil sorcerer hellbent on taking over the world, was released from the space dumpster she had been sealed in. With her release, Zordon was forced to take action. He summoned five teenagers with attitude, giving them power coins. I'm not quite sure why he thought teenagers were the best option for the job but that's the direction he went.
Jason and Zack were selected along with Billy Cranston, Trini Kwan, and Kimberly Hart. They were brought here and the Power Rangers were reborn. Zack is the black ranger, Trini is the yellow, Billy is the blue ranger, and Kim is the pink ranger. Jason was assigned the red ranger and the leader, tasked with leading the team into battle against whatever kind of monster that Rita dreams up and sends to attack our town, Angel Grove. From the outside, the monsters she send might look silly and worthless but I can attest to how dangerous they can be. Especially her first in command, Goldar. He's a giant gorilla looking asshole that wears all gold armor. He's the stuff of kids nightmares and is her most powerful henchman. Rita is positioned on the moon, her palace nestled on the edge of the darkness there. This gives her the perfect view of Earth, allowing her to plan her next tactic.
I should know. I was one of them.
After her return, Rita saw that her monsters were not doing the job in taking out the Rangers. So, she used her most powerful weapon she had at her disposal; her own power coin. It had been created and sealed away, waiting for her while she was sealed in the dumpster. She travelled for days to retrieve it, the coin protected by the soul of her mother. Her mother was also a powerful sorcerer but unlike Rita, her powers were used for good when she was still alive. Rita was able to seal her powers into the coin, allowing it to be powered enough to attach to the force that powers all of the power coins and the Power Rangers; the morphing grid. The grid controls everything to do with the rangers, from their powers, their uniforms, to their zords, giant mechanical weapons used to defend the earth.
Rita brought the power coin back to the moon and began searching for the perfect specimen to be her ranger. She found me, seeing me perform at a martial arts tournament that I just happened to go up against Jason at. I was new to town, moving here after my parents decided they needed a change of pace after my father retired from the military. I was the new kid, trying to get adjusted to a new school. As I was walking to meet up with Kimberly to get better acquainted, Rita sprang her plan into action. She sent putties after me, soldiers she creates to attack before she sends her monsters down. I was able to defeat them easily, something she was hoping for. I was abducted, taken to the moon where she placed a spell on me. I was given the powers of the Dragonzord, becoming her evil green ranger.
And evil I was. Under the spell, I attacked innocent people. Most of the time, I can barely remember due to the spell but I knew the damage I caused. I murdered countless people and destroyed the lives of so many. My favorite targets were the Rangers, my sole purpose in life to destroy them. It was the goal Rita had set in my mind, planting the seeds of their complete and total annihilation. I broke into the Command Center and almost succeeded in ridding the world of Zordon for good. I threw the Rangers from their Megazord, sending them to their almost certain death from hundreds of feet in the air. I would attack, day and night, but I never managed to succeed no matter how hard I tried. I worked alongside the monsters she would sent to Earth and Goldar, hoping that we would be able to destroy the rangers. Rita showed me their identities, telling me to study them and figure out their routines. I was like a cat, watching the mice try to find a way to safety without knowing I was even there.
Throughout my time as her servant, I was instructed to go to school and follow the motions of an average teenagers. I played the role, biding my time for the perfect opportunity to strike. I kidnapped Jason and locked him in a pocket dimension to face off against Goldar without any of his powers. I even battled him then, my identity was still a mystery to him and the rest of the rangers at that point. I eventually messed up along the way though, Alpha and Zordon managing to figure out who the green ranger really was. The team changed their mission of stopping me to saving me, hoping to break whatever spell there was on me that had me plotting their demise on a daily basis.
Especially Kim.
"What's going on?" I asked, leaning against the control panel opposite of Jason and Zack. Jason gave Zack a look of apprehension before pushing himself up from the panel.
"Look, man. I've always tried to be straight you so I'm going to be now. I know things between you and Kim are going good right now. And I'm happy for the both of you. I think the world of Kim and you've become almost a brother to me. But I think it's time we sit down and really think about the consequences of any kind of relationship that would happen between two rangers." He grasped his hands together and did his best to avoid eye contact with me. "I don't know how serious you are and everything so we thought it'd be best to talk to you sooner rather than later."
"What do you mean?" I asked, standing up and crossing my arms. "Are you trying to tell me that I can't date Kimberly?"
"It's not like that, bro." Zack said, stepping forward to stand next to Jason. "It's more of a guided suggestion that the two of you rethink the impact of you being together."
"Tommy, it could put the team in great danger if any enemy of the Rangers learned that two of our forces were involved in a romantic relationship." Zordon said, causing me to shift my head to look up at him. "With your already fading powers, it is uncertain if we would be able to protect you or Kimberly from an attack if you became the targets." I shook my head, not believing that the floating head in a tube was giving me dating advice. Not that it really was advice.
"I can protect Kim and myself from any thing. Sure, my powers are fading but I can take on any thing Rita wants to throw at me. So can Kim. Plus, I think you guys are missing the point that what happens between Kimberly and I is our own private business." I replied.
"Not when it puts the whole team in jeopardy." Jason stated, crossing his arms. "We didn't want it to come to this, Tommy. We really didn't. We thought that maybe since your powers did fade for the small time and you two didn't really seem to move forward with any type of a relationship after the dance, we'd be fine. But then you came back to the team and you have been spending a lot of time together. It needs to be addressed as to how huge of a safety concern it is not only for you two and the team but for the rest of the Earth. What happens if we are fighting against Goldar and he goes after Kim? You might put her well being in front of innocent civilians who we have sworn to protect. That can't happen if you want to be on the team. The same goes for Kim. She's done it during a battle before as well. The team needs you guys to be there 100% of the time." I felt a pang of guilt as I knew exactly what he was referring to. We had been in battle against one of Rita's monsters. It had been a strong foe, taking mostly everything we had to over power the creature. During one of our first encounters with it, I ended up have a moment where my powers weakened. Kim dropped everything she was doing to rush to my side to ward off the attack. This wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't for the fact she had been saving someone from a putty. The person had ended up getting to safety but it wasn't with the help of Kim but instead Trini who had seen everything happen. Kim felt awful about it after the fact, hoping that Trini wouldn't say anything to anyone else about it. Either she did or the guys were watching more closely than we had though.
"I think you guys are butting in where you don't belong." I said, a flare of frustration in my chest. "It's not like Rita doesn't know who we are anyway. She can attack anyone of us without warning based on that. And she knows how close we are as a team. She's used it against us before."
"This is completely different and you know it, Tommy." Jason replied, giving me a hopeful look. "Sure, I would lay my life down for any of you but I couldn't risk someone else's life because of it. How serious are you two?"
"I can't believe this." I muttered, shaking my head. I let my backpack fall to the floor as I paced a few steps away from them, turning my back to Zordon. "How is this any different than if Rita knew about Angela?" I asked.
"Because Angela doesn't possess a power coin!" Zack said, trying to keep the tone of his voice down. "If she gets kidnapped or taken, we don't have to work about Rita controlling a portion of the Megazord or any of our powers."
"Zack's correct." Zordon said. "With Kimberly and you both being connected to the morphing grid, the risk is far greater if a personal attack were to happen and she requested a power coin for your safety."
"Well, Kim and I aren't even in a relationship." I said, feeling the edges of my lie creeping in. It wasn't all a lie. We hadn't yet defined whether we are in a relationship or not. We've been taking things slow, going on a couple dates and hanging out together. After our first kiss when I lost my powers for the first time, I thought we would end up dating. But following the dance, she didn't say anything about it and I didn't push the issue. When Zordon brought me back to the team, things between us started picking up again. Slowly, yes. Still, we have been almost inseparable these last couple of months. When we're alone, we're different than we are in front of our friends. It's easier that way.
"No but you sure are acting it." Jason sighed. I suddenly wished I hadn't told him a damn thing about what was going on between Kim and. So much for being my best friend. I had gone to him for advice when I first came back to the team, trying to figure out how to tell if Kim was still interested. He had even told me that he knew she was and that I should just go for it. Now he was sitting here trying to tell me I should back off because the fate of the world depends on it? "Tommy, I get this is shitty. I do-."
"Oh really? I don't see anyone here trying to tell you that you can't have feelings for Trini." I snapped, knowing it was a low bow. He had told me in confidence that he had feelings for the yellow ranger. His jaw clenched when I said it out loud and Zack's eyes widened for a brief moment, telling me he hadn't known.
"You're right." He said, his voice tight. "But if they were, I would at least try to understand where they're coming from."
"Look, your powers aren't the greatest right now anyway. We have no clue of knowing how long they are going to last and if we'll find a way to recharge them. Maybe you'll just have to wait until they are gone and then the two of you can make things official." Zack offered. I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a dark chuckle.
"That'll at least give me something to look forward to when I get the boot for not having powers, I guess. And I suppose I'll just sit sidelines, watching my girlfriend risk her life each time, knowing that there is nothing I can do to help her if things go south." I scoffed. Jason let out a groan, putting his hands on his hips.
"Tommy, don't make me do this. You're leaving me with no other choice, man." He pleaded.
"Make you do what?" I asked, stepping towards him.
"If you don't agree to not date Kimberly, I'm going to have to ask you to give up your power coin."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked, glaring at him. "After everything we've went through? After all the times I saved you all from Rita and her monsters? You are going to kick me off the team if I don't agree to this? Un-fucking-believable."
"Losing you as a Ranger who be a tremendous loss for the team, Tommy, but this agreeance needs to occur to protect the world." Zordon said, his voice cutting into my skull like razor blades. I couldn't give up being a ranger. Not only was it the single most important thing in my life right now, it was one of the main things I had in common with Kim. I was able to fight with her by my side where I could help her if need be. Protect her. A feeling of realization slowly came over me. They were right. When I could picture fighting on the team, my main thought went to Kim and making sure she was alright at all times. I couldn't promise that I wouldn't put her first during a battle. And that did put everyone, including the team, at risk.
"What about Kim?" I asked softly, glancing at my shoes.
"Trini and Billy are talking to her right now. We figured it would be better than ambushing the two of you here." Jason responded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I wish I didn't have to do this. I like the two you do together. I really do. You're the first guy she's liked that isn't a fucking moron. I wish things could be different. You know that, right?" He asked. I glanced up at Jason, seeing that he was telling the truth. I knew he was. He had been helping me along the way, giving me tips on how to get with Kim. Zack too. Something told me this wasn't coming from them but more so Zordon. I had no chance of reasoning with him. Besides, Zack might be right. Who knows how long my powers will last? I might agree to this today and be out of the Rangers by tomorrow. Then this wouldn't matter and Kim and I could try the whole relationship thing then.
"Yeah. I know. Fine. I agree to this. I don't like it but I can't ignore the fact that there is a risk. You're just going to have to worry about Kim hurting you more than me." I said, shrugging my shoulders. Jason smirked, nodding.
"I know. I'm sure a blast of pink will be appearing here sooner or later." There was suddenly a loud and blaring alarm system ringing around us, the lights flashing along with the shrill tones. "What is it, Zordon?" Jason asked, turning to him.
"Rita has sent a group of putties to the park to attack the 5th grade picnic." He replied, the images flashing on the viewing globe in the corner. Zack and I stepped forward, getting a better look. I could see the grey clay brained putties running around, chasing the ten year olds around the park. One kicked over the coolers filled with drinks while another threw handfuls of food at the teachers who were trying to get their students to safety.
"Terrific. Rita sure knows how to ruin a fun time." Zack said, shaking his head.
"I will call the others and have them teleport to the park immediately. Tommy, you will need to stay here to reserve your powers in case another threat of greater power should happen." Zordon stated.
"I'm sure it will." I muttered, rolling my eyes.
"Sorry, man." Zack said, giving me a pat on the back. "Ready, Jase?"
"Right. It's morphing time!" Jason called, coming to stand next to Zack as I stepped backwards.
"Mastodon!" I heard Zack yell as a blast of black light absorbed him for a moment. When it cleared, he was wearing a black uniform made of protective spandex like material. White diamonds covered the chest area, white gloves on his hands. On his waist, there was a power plaster. This was a weapon that resembled a pistol but shoot out rays of power rather than bullets. His helmet was shaped to match that of a mastodon, the powerful prehistoric animal that his power coin was created after.
"Tyrannosaurus!" Jason called out, his deep voice echoing around the room. Red light exploded around him and when it cleared, he was dressed in a similar uniform as Zack but was instead red. His helmet resembled that of the t-rex, the king of the dinosaurs being an impressive mantle for our leader.
"Work on calling the others, Tommy. We will call you if we need you." He said, nodding at me.
"I will." I replied. Jason grabbed the morpher located at the front of his waist, a silver plated belt buckle almost that housed our power coins. When he did, him and Zack disappeared in bursts of their respective colors. On the viewing globe, I saw them arrive in the park. I could also see that the pink, blue, and yellow rangers were also there, engaging in battle with the putties.
"Tommy, I know you believe that this agreement is unfair." Zordon said, calling my attention away from the viewing globe. I turned to face him as I stepped closer to his tube. "You need to understand that this is for your protection."
"I can protect myself, Zordon." I said. I saw him take an expression of distress as he peered down at me.
"I'm afraid you cannot in all situations. I cannot explain in detail but if you pursue a relationship with Kimberly, there will be fatal consequences for your actions that not even I can prevent from happening."