A/N: Hello everyone! Here is our next chapter. A lot of the dialogue is from the last chapter so I do apologize if it's redundant.
Tommy
"When we get to the park, we aren't sure what we are going to be facing." Jason said as we loaded up our weapons. Billy had been working on them, trying to make sure they were all functioning correctly. I tucked the Dragon dagger into my belt line and my eyes met with Kim.
I held her gaze for a moment and I saw just a glint of fear there. I wasn't going to lie. I was scared too.
"Billy, Kim, and I will move civilians to safety." Trini said, grabbing her helmet from the console. "They can hide out in the art district where there are lower buildings."
"Good idea. Tommy, Zack, and I will do what we can to stop the Dragonzord." Jason said. I watched as he made his Power Sword disappear for later. There was a distant look in his eyes and I could see the hopefulness in his determination.
"What about the Megazord?" Zack asked. "Couldn't we use it to counter it's attack?"
"Then we risk it being compromised as well." Billy responded. "I'm afraid we will need to resort to hand to hand combat for this confrontation."
"We've got this. I know it doesn't seem like we have a good chance right now but you all need to remember who we are. You need to remember that we are the Power Rangers and all those people out there are counting on us to save the world. If we give up now, we are putting the lives of all of them in danger." Jason said, stepping in the middle of our groups.
"Jason's right." I said, nodding. He shot me a look, telling me he really wasn't looking for my support but he was going to be getting it anyway. "We are the only chance they have at beating this and we need to do everything we can to at least try."
"Rangers," Zordon said, gazing down at us. "This will be very dangerous. I am picking up energy levels I am unable to determine the origin of. I am uncertain of where these new Rangers have come from and what they are possible of."
"Well, we know some of it." Zack said, pointing at the Viewing Globe. "This guy is leveling town with the Dragonzord like it's nothing." He frowned, looking at me. "Sorry about earlier, Tommy."
"It doesn't matter right now. I would have done the same if my family was a risk, man." I said, clapping him reassuringly on the back.
"Our weapons are prepared." Billy said, nodding at the group. "It'll be a moment for me to synchronize them with the Grid again. Then we will be able to teleport to the park."
"Hey." I said, reaching over and gently touching Kim's elbow. She turned, looking up at me. "Thank you."
"For what?" She asked quietly.
"For standing up for me and telling them the truth. I know it wasn't easy and I know that we're in for the lecture of all lectures when this is over." She smiled, reaching over and taking my hands in hers. They were warm, even through her gloves. I had always loved the way our colors went together, the pale pink in contrast to the dark green. It reminded me of pink roses. She was the gentle and soft petals while I was the sturdy yet thorny stem holding her up. She brought out the beauty in us while I did everything in my power to support her.
"At least I'll have you right beside me while we're hearing it, right?" I smiled, nodding. Glancing at the group, I saw they were all doing their best to not look at us. I faced her again, leaning in and pressing my lips to hers.
"Always, Beautiful." I whispered. She smiled, shooting me a wink.
"Same goes for me, Handsome. I'll always be there."
"Everything's ready." Billy announced, stepping back from the console. I let go of Kim slowly, wishing I was still holding her. We pulled our helmets on, securing them into place.
"Oh, Rangers. Please do be careful." Alpha said, worry in his voice.
"May the power protect you, Rangers." Zordon said. I could sense something in his voice and for a moment, his eyes swept over Kim and I. It made me feel uneasy and like he had a feeling of blame towards us. I grabbed Kim's hand between us and gave it a reassuring squeeze. She returned it as we teleported.
As we whirled through the air with our colors streaking behind us, I could hear the sound of distant explosions. Raising my head the best I could with the speed, I saw the Dragonzord towering above town and destroying everything in its path. Smoke was billowing from the city and fire was shooting from buildings in its wake. I could hear it's cry piercing through the air and it made me feel anger deep down. I felt possessive of the Dragonzord. It was a silly thought but I had been the only one to control it since receiving my Power Coin. The fact someone else was controlling it for evil purposes made me sick.
Our group landed on the grass about forty yards away from the feet of the Dragonzord. The park was in complete and utter chaos. People were running around, hoping to find safety. Buildings were collapsing around the area, loud sounds echoing around us. Screams filled the air as debris rained down. Civilians also littered the ground, either hurt or already deceased. I didn't let my mind wander for too long before turning my attention to Jason.
"Alright. Remember our plan." He called out over the insanity that was happening. We all nodded, Billy, Trini, and Kim breaking off and heading towards the large group of civilians that were cowering under a group of trees. Zack and I stepped closer to Jason, gazing up at the Dragonzord. It had stopped moving, it looming over us like a dark cloud.
"Up there." Zack said, pointing above us. I saw something moving on the top of the zord and soon, a figure appeared more clearly. It was the person in my suit, standing on the forehead of the Dragonzord. He stared down at us, his hand on the hilt of the Dragon dagger at his waist. I was very confused now, putting a hand on mine. I figured he looked like me and knew he had a dagger but I didn't think he would look this much like I did. His stance was similar as mine when I was under Rita's power, a cockiness to it.
"Hey!" Jason yelled, pointing up at the figure. I could hear the anger in his voice. "Who are you?"
"Don't worry about that, Rangers." The figure called out, an odd calm sound in his voice. He raised his arms in the air and an electric green colored light began to glow around him. He rose up in the air, dangling in front of the zord like he was a puppet on a string. "You will know who I am and you will never forget, I assure you." As the guy spoke, there was something familiar in his voice. I didn't know what but I could hear it. It made me feel uneasy and I balled my hands into fists. The man lowered himself, landing on the ground in front of the zord.
"It doesn't matter who you are because we're going to stop you." Zack's voice yelled out next to me. I couldn't bring myself to look away from my evil counterpart. The sinking feeling in my chest was heavy and I couldn't shake it no matter what I did.
"Well then. Let me introduce myself to you." He moved, touching the morpher at his waist. The color around him changed, mixing with white. With a flash, the green uniform was gone. In its place was a white one. There was still a shield on his broad shoulders, it sticking out more and the gold raised in a sharp manner. Dark green was colored in a lower part of the mantle, making it shine brighter. He wore gold cuffs on his biceps and also his forearms, these accented in green trim. There was a green belt around his waist, his morpher in the center. Matching cuffs were on his shins, leading to the white of his boots. My eyes were drawn to his helmet though. The sun reflected off of gold on the top of it, the visor surrounded by it. It was molded in a v-shape, deep roots of black lining from the forehead up. Above the visor, there were two setback red pieces resembling eyes. There was also a red crystal in the middle of the forehead, attached to a black spike that ran backwards and protruded from the top of his head. Two similar spikes were at the tips of the gold v, those shorter in height. The mouthpiece was plated silver and there were more gold accents on either side of it. The visor was made of red, dark and piercing red that shimmered in the sun. On his chest, there was a symbol I didn't recognize but it resembled my Power Coin.
"What the fuck." I muttered. Trini, Billy, and Kimberly ran up to us, all three of them panting from running the length of the park.
"I am Lord Drakkon. I am the ruler of worlds, the victory of thousands, and the destroyer of the Power Rangers. If you surrender now, I promise to make your deaths quick and painless." Lord Drakkon put his right fist in the palm of his left hand. So, he had a name. Lord Drakkon. This guy sure was full of himself.
"I know you're not from around here but we don't give up that easily. We won't stop until you're gone." Jason said, his deep voice sounding out above the noise around us.
"Those were the words I was hoping for." Drakkon cracked his knuckles, nodding his head. He pulled the white sword from his waist, gripping it in his hand. The ground in front of us sprang up in the air suddenly, like a mine had been set off under our feet. I saw the flash of pink and saw the person who had attacked us in the park the first night come running from beside the Dragonzord. Drakkon moved quickly, easily advancing on Trini and Billy as we sputtered through the distraction.
"Trini!" Jason bellowed as her and Billy flew backwards. I saw they had cuts on their fronts and the blade was glinting a red gleam of blood. Jason was quicker than I was, running full speed towards Drakkon. He called out for the Power Sword, it appeared from thin air in his hands. The blade of his sword met with Drakkon's, causing sparks to fly through the air. I pulled my dragger from my waist, running to help him. I watched as Jason lost his balance and Drakkon pulled his arm back. He was ready to drive it through him. I jumped, stopping his blade with the dagger and blocking him from Jason.
"I don't fucking think so." I snarled. "If it's me you want, then let's go."
"I thought you'd never ask." He said, the glee evident in his voice. He flipped away from, landing on his feet in a fighting stance. He was a skilled fighter and I knew that Billy nor Kimberly would be a match against him. I had to take care of him myself before he hurt anyone else. I noticed he was distracted by the dark Pink Ranger who was fighting with Kim and Zack. I took the distraction, advancing on him. I jumped, trying to kick him in his torso. He saw me coming, avoiding it completely. He kicked me square in the spine, causing me to stumble a bit.
"Who are you?" I asked, hoping to distract him again. He seemed to have a big ego and loved to talk about himself. If I could use it to my advantage, I might be able to get the upper hand on him.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured that out yet, Tommy. I always thought of you as a quick one. Not a bright guy but one who could eventually figure some stuff out." I stiffened at the fact he knew my name. That feeling of dread came over me again as the Dragonzord came to life with a wave of his hand. I noticed the way he held the sword and the dagger in his hands, mirroring the way I was holding mine. I shook my head.
"I don't believe you." I said, running and swinging the dagger towards his chest. He dodged again, tossing me like a rag doll to the Earth. I scrambled to my feet quickly, regaining my footing. He let out a laugh and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I watched as he reached up to his helmet and undid the clasps on either side of his head.
"C'mon, Oliver. Is it really all the awful to believe?" He asked, lowering his helmet. I felt the ground disappear from under my feet as I stared into the eyes that have looked back at mine in the mirror my whole life. He was me. He was older, his skin pale and dark purple veins running over the lower part of his face. Dark brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and a smile pulled at his lips. I was looking at an older version of myself, one that had killed so many people in the last 24 hours. I felt like I was going to throw up, cold sweat coating my skin.
The helmet disappeared and he ran forward, swinging both blades towards me. I barely had time to block, his attacks continuing after. I felt one slice into the skin of my arm, causing me to yell. I shoved him off of me, rage coursing under my skin. Screaming from a missile shooting from the Dragonzord vibrated the air before it collided with a building on the other side of the park. Screams filled the air from people scurrying for safety. He stepped towards me, swinging the short sword in his hand.
"Power is worth it. Think about it, Tommy. It can get you everything you ever wanted. Happiness. Control. Kimberly." At the sound of Kim's name coming out his mouth, I ran forward with my dagger. He raised his and they clashed, the metal sound ringing out.
"I already have her." I said, gritting my teeth. He pushed, his strength causing me to bow slightly. I pushed more, using my anger to find strength. "She could never love someone like you." He leaned in more, making my knees bend under his weight.
"But she does. She's devoted to me and only me. There's no one else she would be loyal to." Behind him, I noticed that the dark Pink Ranger was no longer fighting with any of us. Instead, she was helping a group of people to safety. She turned, running towards another group. I could see that Trini's sister and her mother were on the sidewalk. Her mother was laying on the ground and her sister was trying to pull her away from something. I spotted the building collapsing above them then, fear exploding in my chest. The dark Ranger was running towards them as fast as she could, her weapon not drawn. Was she going to save them?
"That's what you think." I said, rolling out from under him. He stood up, turning to see what I had been talking about. I heard him let out an angry growl, his body tensing up. Swiftly, he raised his arm and the glow returned. This time, it was around the part of the building that had been crumbling.
"No!" I exclaimed, running towards him. He opened his hand and it fell. The breath in my lungs vanished as I watched it fall. I could hear Trini and Kimberly scream as it killed Trini's mother and sister. My stomach rolled, threatening to empty into my helmet. Jason yelled, sprinting toward Trini as Billy wrapped his arms around her to help her to the ground. The dark ranger collapsed to her knees too, looking defeated. "You bastard! They were innocent!" I yelled, blind rage filling me. I ran forward, bending to aim for his waist. Instead of tackling him, he shifted and took my legs out from under me with one kick. I landed on my back, him standing over me with both daggers pointed at me.
"No one is innocent. Each person on this Earth has some type of evil in them. Whether it's jealousy, contempt, or just plain bitterness. Everyone wishes something bad on someone once in their life. Or they seek power that others have taken from them. It's what you wanted, wasn't it? After you were freed from Rita's control. You wished to have it all back so you could complete your mission." He said, gazing down at me. I shook my head. He was wrong.
"No."
"Liar. I am you, remember? I know all your emotions and your thoughts because I had them as well. I wished for the power to return and grace me with everything I would. And I did. You could too, Tommy. You could join me. I could give you things you never knew you desired. Adventure. Power. Command. Kimberly could come as well. Together, we could lead an army over anyone who tried to stand in our way. I have control of Rita's forces. Goldar. Lord Zedd. They answer to me. I had the urge and I conquered anything that attempted to extinguish it. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine how we could take over the Morphing Grid together."
I glanced over at my friends who were scattered in the grass. Zack was helping people get to safety, Jason and Billy were consoling Trini, and Kim was off to the side. Kim. The reason I was a part of the team. The reason I got up and fought every second of the day. She was still her like she promised. She was never going to leave my side and she was going to make sure she kept to her word.
"I could never be like you. We may be alike but I could never sink to your level. I chose to fight with the Power Rangers because I knew that I wanted to fix what I had done. I knew that choosing to fight with them was the only way to make up for the cruel actions Rita caused me to do. I will never join forces with you."
"Suit yourself, Tommy." He said, shrugging his shoulders. He stuck the dagger into his waist and grabbed the sword with two hands. I noticed the hilt had a head like that of a white tiger, red eyes looking down at me. "I promise to take good care of your friends though. Especially Kimberly."
"NO!" Kimberly's voice screamed as Drakkon moved to strike. Her body flew over mine, colliding with Drakkon. Both of them went flying to the ground, sprawling in heaps thirty years away from me. I saw that Kim's helmet went flying off of her and that Drakkon moved quicker than her. He was on his feet faster than her. She climbed to hers too, the bow appearing in her hands. I could see that she was saying something but I couldn't make it out, the two of them too far away from me to hear. Drakkon suddenly stepped forward, plunging the Dragon dagger into the flesh above her belly button.
"KIM!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet. Kim fell forward and when she did, the ground around the two of them exploded. It sent me flying backwards, ringing in my ears. I landed, my head bouncing off the pavement as I skidded to a stop. It took a moment for me to focus, the sky above my head seeming to be fuzzy. I fought falling unconscious, sitting up. Dust and smoke filled the area, making it hard to see. I pulled myself to my feet, turning towards where I had just been standing. A pile of rubble was there now, covering the feet of the Dragonzord. I didn't see any sign of Kim or Drakkon. "Kimberly!" I called out, limping forward. Pain was radiating from my body and something was broken, I was sure. It didn't matter. I needed to get to her and find her.
"Tommy!" Jason's voice called. I saw that he was running towards me as I started to climb on the broken pieces of pavement to where I thought I had seen them last.
"Kim's under here!" I called out. I started digging, throwing rocks and hard fill to the side as I did. "Kimberly!" I called out, hoping to hear her voice. Jason appeared next to me, digging as well. Zack clmibed up next to us and soon, the three of us were digging and yelling as well. There was no sign of her though, panic filling my chest.
"Tommy." Jason said, standing up. I ignored him, continuing to dig. "Tommy!"
"She's here." I called out. "He stabbed her! She's under here somewhere."
"Listen to me!" He said, grabbing my shoulders. This caused me to stop and look at him. "We aren't going to find her this way. We will call the zords to help us. It's too dangerous like this."
"Jason." Billy's voice called from the bottom of the rubble pile. We both turned to look at him. "I can't pick up any of Kim's vitals or energy signatures."
"What does that mean, Billy?" Jason asked.
"Either she's not in our universe any more or…" He trailed off. I shook my head, pulling out of Jason's grasp on my shoulder.
"No. It's wrong. She's here. I saw her." I said.
"Guys. Look." Zack said, pointing behind Billy. I saw that the dark Ranger was standing with Trini, her helmet removed. It was indeed an older version of Kim like we had suspected. She was pale and she looked lost.
"Where is she?" I asked, stumbling off of the pile and storming up to her. I grabbed her by the front of her uniform and glared down at her. "Where did he take her?"
"No where." She said.
"Bullshit!" I exclaimed. "Where is the portal to your universe? I'll go find her myself."
"He couldn't have brought her there. Finster said that anyone who went in and out of there was being ripped to shreds besides us. That's why he ran. He knew he was losing."
"You're lying." I said.
"She's gone, Tommy. Kim's dead."