A/N: Hello, everyone! I'm on a roll this week it seems. Here's another chapter to keep you busy for a little while during all the craziness of the world right now. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy. I also hope you are staying home if you get the chance to. Let's all do our parts and stay home. Gives you the chance to read fanfics all day! :D
I own nothing PR related and please remember to read & review if you like it!
Tommy
"You're the chosen one. It's your destiny, Tommy Oliver. Fate has brought you to this time now. Do not miss this chance."
"Tommy! Tommy! Wake up!" Kim's frantic voice said in my ear. Slowly, I opened my eyes and was hit with a world of pain. I gasped, bringing my hand to my side. I saw that we were still in the park and that the bridge was in ruins. Smoke billowed from the tall grass that was burning nearby, the smell awful around us. Kimberly was sitting next to me, her hand applying pressure to my side.
"Tommy! Kim!" Jason's voice called from a distance. We both turned and saw that him, Trini, Billy, and Zack were running up the path towards us. Worry was etched on their features when they saw us and I laid back down on the pavement.
"What the hell happened?" Zack asked as Trini and Billy skidded to a stop on their knees next to me.
"Someone in a Ranger suit attacked us." Kimberly said. I looked up at her and saw that she had scrapes and marks up and down her arms and a deep one above her right eye. She was also wincing with each breath, telling me she had more than likely broken a rib during our crash landing.
"What?" Trini asked, looking at Kim like she had misheard her. Billy took Kim's hands and removed them from my side. I cried out in pain as he lifted up the compress she had there. Kim nodded, grabbing her own side. Jason and Zack ran around the area, checking for any signs of our attacker.
"It was someone in a suit just like mine. Some girl. She shot Tommy with an arrow after she threw a bomb at us." I tried to speak but words wouldn't form from my mouth.
"We have to get him to the medical bay." Billy said, glancing at Trini. "He's losing a lot of blood and I can't stop it." He leaned forward so he was above my head. "Tommy? Can you hear me?" I nodded slightly. "I'm going to teleport you back to the Command Center. Hold on, okay?" Billy reached over and pressed a button on my morpher. I felt a pull at my body as a green light absorbed it. Closing my eyes, I waited until I felt the firm floor of the Command Center underneath me. When it did, I opened my eyes again. There were more flashes of colorful lights and the rest of the team was there. Jason scooped Kim up in his arms while Billy and Zack wheeled one of the medical beds towards me. The two of them picked me up as gently as they could, putting me on there. Trini put a pillow under my head.
"Ay, Ay, Ay!" Alpha's voice called out from somewhere. As they wheeled me out of the room, I saw Zordon looking down at me for a brief moment. I was beginning to fade in and out of consciousness, the pain becoming overbearing as I felt myself being wheeled down the hall. I heard Kim let out a little cry and I fought to stay awake. I needed to see how hurt she was and if she was okay. I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder, keeping me on the bed. My eyelids felt heavy and it was getting hard to keep them open.
"It's okay, Tommy." Trini's voice said above my head.
"I'm going to put him under to start the healing process." Billy said. I shook my head, opening my eyes.
"Kim." I whispered. Someone put something over my face and I heard a hissing noise. "Kim...Kimberly…"
Cedarwood County Department of Social Services
Cedarwood, AZ
October 11, 1994
"Mr. and Mrs. Oliver, I want to reassure you that any behavior that Tommy might have can be corrected over time with the proper amount of effort and continued therapy." A voice said from up the hallway. I took a deep breath, sitting back in the chair I was told to stay in when my parents walked into Mr. Shaftner's office. I watched the clock on the wall tick the second away, the red hand making a soft noise with each moment.
"He's been acting out at school. He hit another student and broke his nose! We can't have him doing anything like that. It's causing a scene." My father's voice said, it echoing off the wood paneling on the walls. I tilted my head back, closing my eyes. Even fourteen year old me knew that my adopted parents were beginning to regret bringing me home.
It had been seven years since they officially adopted me, finding me as an abandoned six year old in an orphanage on the outskirts of Tucson. I had been fine there, taking care of the younger kids and making sure no one messed with them. When they showed up, my mother took one look at me and said I was perfect for their family. But now, they were wishing they had never stepped foot there and were trying to figure out how to ship me back there. Almost like a dog you take in and realize all he does is rip everything you own up.
It wasn't like I was trying to misbehave. Honestly, it wasn't. I managed to get good grades and keep a low profile at school for the most part. My teachers even said I was "a good egg." But you get into one fight at lunchtime and everyone thinks it's the end of the world. The kid deserved it too. I had been sitting alone, trying to listen to my music and mind my own damn business. He was the one who started bullying the other kid who had been sitting next to me. He had taken his books and thrown them on the ground before he started trying to break his glasses. That's when I had had my fill. I got up, popped him in the nose and got the glasses back. I hadn't even said anything to him. But the pussy ran off to the recess teacher and I ended up in the principal's office. She had called home and my parents came in. That's how we ended up here.
"I understand your concern. This is typical in teenagers who have been the victims of trauma. This is often a more common occurrence in adoptive children. So we are unaware of what occured before his placement, it's uncertain what happened to Tommy before the adoption. It might be behavior he observed as a very young child or his way of expressing emotions he has from those memories." Mr. Shaftner said. I rolled my eyes, closing them.
Of course. Blame it on the times I don't remember. That was his go to thing since my file landed on his desk. Before I ended up in the orphanage, there was a question of where I had come from. My file stated I had been a drop off at a fire station. A fireman had come in for his shift and found three year old me sitting on the floor by the fire truck. When no one came to claim me, I was turned over to the state and that was how I found myself in the group home. They tried to find out information about me. The only thing I knew was that my first name was Tommy and that a man had left me there. I didn't know much else, not even the man's name. I can't remember that or much even, of my early childhood. The most I can recall were green flashes of light. Other than that, it's all blank until I arrived at the group home.
I was assigned to Mr. Shaftner's caseload when I was about seven. It was his job to meet with me once a month and talk about how I was doing. It was to help him build a profile for anyone who might be interested in adopting me. I can only imagine what bull he had written in there about me. Whenever I would ask him about my biological parents, he always said they were trying to find them but it might be something that will never happen. By the time the Olivers came into the picture, I had long given up on the idea of them finding my parents and anyone wanting to adopt me. I was surprised when Mr. Shaftner pulled me into his office and said that a couple wanted to do a trial period with me. I spent two months with them and then they agreed to adopt me.
"What can we do to stop this then? He can't go around hurting people. We have him enrolled in karate still but it's only giving him tools to use for fighting." My mother said, her voice full of worry.
"Perhaps it would be best for you all to get a fresh start. Sometimes a move can restart the way a family's dynamic functions. With everything Tommy has gone through, it would be a good thing for him to meet new people and make new friends. Don't you have relatives in California? You could try things out there for a while to see how it goes." Mr. Shaftner's chair groaned and I could tell he was standing now.
"You think we should move?" My mother asked.
"I think it would benefit everyone involved." He explained. "John, Anna. I know this seems like it's getting harder as Tommy gets older. That'll happen. The most important thing to remember is that he needs you more than ever right now. Giving him this new beginning is a step in the right direction. I can help guide you towards resources out there to help get you settled. I'll still need to check in from time to time but I have no doubt that this will help."
"Alright. We will then." Dad said, not bothering to ask Mom first. This was normal of him. For some stupid reason, he believed that she would blindly follow all his decisions. Probably because she usually does. I'll admit though that the prospect of moving was a nice one. I had nothing around here that was drawing me to it and Cali sounded like a good place to try. The ocean, girls in bikinis, and famous people? I'm down. It would be a great place for me to look into martial arts for stunts in Hollywood. It was something I was really considering for a career and being so close to LA would help me make it happen.
"How about I talk to Tommy while the two of you discuss it?" Mr. Schafner offered. I heard more movement and soon, both of my parents and him walked into the waiting room. He was a tall, slender, African American man with short curly hair on the top of his head. He also had a mustache on his upper lip that came down over the sides of his mouth. He put his hands on his hips when he saw me and sighed. "Thomas." He stated. I hated when he called me that and he knew it.
"Mr. Schafner." I returned, standing.
"Follow me." He walked up the hallway and I followed behind him, casting a look over at my parents who sat on the couch in the corner of the waiting room. They didn't bother to say anything to me, instead turning to one another. I knew they would have a moving plan together by the time I came back into the room. Mr. Schafner walked into his office, a small room at the end of the hall that was built like a glorified broom closet rather than a social worker's office space. There was a desk in the middle, two filing cabinets behind him, two old as fuck blue chairs infront of the desk and a computer chair that had seen better days behind it. He closed the door behind me before walking over to his chair. He said down, it groaning under his weight. I sat in one of the blue chairs, the material digging into the skin of my leg that wasn't covered by my shorts.
"So?" He asked, looking at me over his desk.
"So what?" I replied, raising an eyebrow at him. He sighed, leaning back in his chair.
"Let's start with school, shall we?" He opened a file on his desk. "Three fights since the beginning of the year. Twelve detentions and one out of school suspensions. Miss Bellevue told me you haven't been to a group in weeks and you haven't been attending your anger management classes like you're supposed to even though you signed a contract with me that you would."
"It's a piece of paper you found on the internet, not a legally binding contract. I think I'll take my chances in court with that one."
"Damn it, Tommy." He closed his file and shook his head as he looked over at me. "The Olivers are great people but they are at the end of their rope. Can you blame them? You're driving them nuts with all this crap you're pulling. Do you want to end up back at home? Cause that's where you're heading if you keep it up."
"What can I say? I'm a teenager. It happens."
"That's crap and you know it." He stood up, walking over and sitting on the corner of his desk. Crossing his arms, he gave me the after school special look I was accustomed to at this point now. "Your parents are considering moving somewhere new and I think it'll be good for you. You'll get a chance of new scenery, new people, and a new school. Maybe you'll be able to keep a clean nose better there."
"Gee. Do I get to take your upbeat attitude with me?" I asked, running a hand through my hair.
"I wish you would. It's better than the one you have right now. You don't get this, do you? If they decide to send you back, you won't end up at home. You'll end up at a boys shelter until you're 18, Tommy. No one wants to adopt teens. It's a fact, Tommy. You have a good thing going for your right now but it won't last if you don't pull your head out of your ass." I didn't say anything, remembering the horror stories from the shelter when I was younger. Constant fights, boys getting arrested and heading to gangs right after they hit 18. He sighed, putting his hands on top of his thighs. "What's going on, Tommy?"
"I need a new start." I said, not looking at him. "I think that place would be good. What was it called?"
"I think your file said that your Uncle lives in Angel Grove. Doesn't sound like that bad of a place. Besides, California is a great place to live. I have family out that way I visit once a year. Lots of things to do, things to see, and things to keep you out of trouble. How does that sound?"
"Like a way to get you off the hook for my shit." I replied, grinning at him. He smiled, nodding.
"Well, not right at first. I'll have to keep tabs on you for a while still until you transfer over to their system. Maybe you'll graduate from us before that can even happen. Imagine that idea, shall we?" He stood up, walking behind his desk again. He leaned forward on the back of the chair and laced his fingers. His gold wedding band caught the light above us and I saw there were dings and scuff marks on it from the wear and tear of wearing it. "I know you can do this, Mr. Oliver. You're a smart kid with a good head on your shoulders. Once you get that anger problem under check, you'll be a lot better off. Use this as a chance to show people the real you. Not just the one you think you need to be to survive. I think you'll see that not everyone is out to get you."
"Sure feels like it sometimes."
Present Day
Angel Grove, CA
"Tommy?" Kimberly's voice whispered in my ear. Slowly, I felt my eyes open. I saw her above me, a look of worry on her face. "Billy, he's waking up." She said.
"Correct. His vitals are stable right now. He's healing well." Billy's voice said from somewhere. I blinked, clearing my vision. I saw the ceiling of the medical bay behind her head, the bright lights seemingly blinding. I turned, focusing on her. She still had scraps on her face, especially above her left eyebrow, a deep gash there. Reaching my arm up, I cupped her cheek in my hand and stroked it with my thumb.
"Are you okay, beautiful?" I managed to croak out from my throat. She smiled, taking my hand in hers.
"I'm okay. How are you feeling?" She asked, leaning closer. I took it that it was just Billy in the room, the one person that Kim trusted more than Jason and Trini.
"Like I got hit by a bus." I replied. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing yet. You've been out for a few hours now. Jason and Zack went to see if they could find any sign of the person who attacked us. Trini is analyzing whatever they found. I don't think they've figured anything out yet though. Zordon isn't even sure what happened."
"That's reassuring." I shifted, sitting up. There was a sharp pain in my abdomen and I winced.
"Lay down!" She scolded, pushing on my shoulder. "You were shot with an arrow of energy!"
"I'm fine, Kim." I said weakly, sliding my legs off the table. I pulled the IV that was in my arm out with a sharp pinch. In the corner, I saw Billy giving me a disapproving look but I ignored it. I stood up, feeling a bit woozy. I kept on my feet, not toppling over like I thought would happen. "Where is everyone?"
"In the Command Center." Billy replied. "I'll inform them of your condition and prepare them for a briefing." He walked out of the room, leaving Kim and I. Once he was gone, she stepped over and wrapped her arms around me gently in a hug.
"Tommy, I thought…" She trailed off and I heard the emotion quiver in her voice. I pulled away slightly, turning her face to look up at me.
"I'm okay. See? Just a bump. Are you sure you're okay?" I asked. She shook her head, letting go of me to walk a couple feet away.
"That was me, wasn't it?" She whispered, glancing at me over her shoulder. "In the suit who attacked us."
"We don't know that, Kim." I said. "They never took their helmet off and it was dark."
"She moved like me. She had the same type of attacks. She even sounded like me." She said, shaking her head. "What's going one?"
"Look, until we know for sure, you can't let yourself believe it. Let's go talk to everyone else and see if they've learned anything else." I limped over to her and grabbed her hand. "You can't think the worst yet, alright?" She bit her lip before nodding.
"Alright." I gave her a quick kiss before heading towards the door. She helped me walk up the hallway until we walked through the doorway of the control room. I spotted Jason and Billy talking to Trini and Zack about something. They all turned when we entered and Zordon appeared above us in his power chamber. Alpha was working away at the computer, typing something into it.
"Tommy, I'm grateful that you are okay." Zordon said as Kim and I came to stop with the rest of the group. "You'll need more time in the healing chamber."
"Later." I replied. "What do we know?"
"A whole lot of nothing." Zack said, crossing his arms. "Jase and I searched the park the best we could but we didn't find much. We spotted something that looked like pieces of a bomb. Trini is testing it to see if it was."
"Explains the bridge blowing to pieces." Kim replied, sitting on the edge of the panel. "We heard a ticking noise and then the entire thing exploded."
"It was a bomb." Trini said, reading off of a piece of paper that was printed out of the computer. She held it out to Billy who read it as well. He nodded.
"There were trace amounts of explosive powder residue on the pieces discovered. Whatever this item was, it caused the device that initiated the explosion." Billy stated. "This is some type of material or chemical the computer has never heard of though. It only recognized that particles that are combustible but not the name of the compound."
"Well that's helpful." Zack said.
"We will get this figured out, Rangers." Alpha said. "We always do."
"What were the two of you doing in the park so late anyway?" Jason asked, his voice breaking through all the little chatter like a knife. His eyes were pointed directly at me and I felt an intense heat in his gaze when I saw the anger in them. Shit. I knew this was bound to come up.
"I had a fight with my mom and went for a walk." Kim said before I could speak. "I didn't feel safe and Tommy lives the closest to the park. I called him to walk me home. That's when we were attacked. I think whoever attacked us was following me or something."
"That's awful." Trini said. "Imagine if Tommy hadn't been there!"
"Good work, Tommy." Zack said, patting me on the back. I winced from the contact. "Oh. Sorry."
"It's cool." I replied. Jason gave me another glance for a long moment before turning his attention to Zordon.
"What's our next move?"
"We will need to continue monitoring the area for any type of strange power surges like last night, Rangers. We will also need to be careful. Rita could use this attack as a way to catch us down a Ranger." Zordon said. "Tommy and Kimberly, you need to take some time to heal. The rest of the rangers will continue to work on figuring the identity of your attacker. Until then, you two will need to stay here."
"What?" Kim asked, standing up. "Why?"
"The attacker saw you two unmorphed." Jason said. "They are probably looking for you to finish the job. It's safer for the both of you to stay put."
"What about our parents?" She asked. "My mom will flip if I'm gone without telling her."
"I'll handle your mom." Trini said, giving me a smile.
"And I'll talk to your parents." Jason said, nodding at me. "We'll make sure they know you're safe and make up an alibi." The look Jason had on his face told me this wasn't the only reason we were staying here. Sure, they might be worried about our safety but I could also sense it was the best way for them to keep tabs on Kim and I.
"Sure. Whatever's best for the team."