Tommy's eye colors:

Clear green - raw/overexposed/tired

Tea green - guilt/self-hatred/haunted

CHAPTER 11 - DINO PLANS

The Dino Rangers teleported to the moon's surface, well outside the palace walls and the teleportation blocks. Without a word, they hurried towards the palace and entered without conflict, apparently Zedd assumed the blocks keeping them from entering the lower levels were plenty of protection. The Rangers smiled to themselves as they split up. They would enjoy teaching him otherwise.

Billy silently slipped into Zedd's teleportation control room and began hacking while Zack guarded the door. Once passed the security, he uploaded and activated the virus then covered his tracks. He sat a couple explosives by the door and then he and Zack left the room as silently as they'd arrived, rushing to meet up with the others.

Trini and Kim entered Finster's lab. Glancing around, confirming they were alone, Kim quietly commented, "Is it just me or is this like a mad scientist's dream lab?"

"Almost like a Hollywood set huh?" Trini said, grinning. "I know Finster's their monster maker and healer but still …" She lifted the bag at her side. "Anyway, we need to set the bombs."

Kim motioned to a large machine by the wall. "I'm thinking the thing marked monster-o-matic might be a good starting point for that."

They began setting the explosives, Billy and Zack joining up with them halfway through and helping finish before all four headed to the throne room.

Jason and Harry entered the throne room, breathing a sigh of relief when they found no one present.

"I'm setting this one under that damned throne," Harry stated as he headed that way.

"Fine. Just be quite," Jason warned. "We need them all set before anyone knows we're here."

Harry nodded in response as he worked. Jason began setting strings of explosives down the walls and across the floor. Harry finished wiring the throne and joined Jason in silence. They finished before the others joined them.

"Everything set?" Jason questioned his team.

"All set," Zack confirmed.

Jason grinned. "Do it."

Billy smirked as he set off the explosives within the control room and lab.

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"Accept your place in my empire and you may pass any law you wish against control spells. I will also allow you to name Rita's punishment."

Zedd's offer hung in the air between them as the silence stretched on. Zedd's confident smirk showed how sure he was of Tommy's answer. The smirk faded when Tommy sighed tiredly, his clear green eyes meeting Zedd's gaze as he spoke. "I can't accept you or your empire. I can't accept your actions on my world or your plans against my friends. I know you can't understand that, I can't make you understand anymore than you can make me freely accept your plans for me."

"You will eventually," Zedd started but Tommy shook his head no.

"You think you know me, 'cause you learn a few details, watch a few things," Tommy quietly said, not meeting his eyes now. "The thing is, all you really know from that is how you'd feel or react. Not me. My life's not that unusual. Many others have lived through similar things. The details don't mean shit. Who I am is not in those details."

Zedd walked forward again, stopping in the doorway. "Then who are you, Tommy Oliver?" he repeated his earlier question.

"I'm what I told you. I'm someone that knows the worth of freedom. I'm who my thoughts, my feelings, my actions make me. Not them. Me." Tommy glanced up, met Zedd's gaze with his tea green eyes. "I am what I make of myself. The only time that wasn't true was because of Rita. That's what makes her worse than anyone else. But I cannot be who you want me to be, not for the ability to outlaw those spells and protect others from that experience. Not for revenge against her. Not for anything. Whatever that makes me, good or bad, that's who I am."

Zedd just stood there for a long moment, unsure how to respond to that. The haunted look in the boy's eyes stilled his response just as surely as any of his words. Before he could decide what to say, an alarm sounded through the palace. Zedd straightened and said, "Clean yourself up. We will speak later."

Tommy watched him leave then reached out to Connor. What's the alarm?

Assuming it's us, huh, Connor replied. You alone now?

Zedd just left so yeah. What are they doing?

Distracting. Meet us at the door.

Tommy chuckled slightly. He knew they wouldn't wait much longer before trying something. Hopefully it was a well thought out plan. He was standing by the wall where the door should be when it finally appeared and opened. Connor silently handed him some shoes which Tommy thankfully accepted. Guess that means teleportation and morphing is blocked for some distance?

Connor just nodded in affirmative as Tommy slipped on the shoes and joined them in the hall. Justin closed and re-sealed the door, making it appear untouched. Connor then led the way out.

They were only two levels up when Tommy suddenly stopped. The Thunder Rangers looked to him in silence, waiting for a command or explanation.

Wait here, Tommy said within each of their minds as he took off down the corridor, soon lost to sight. Reaching the end of the corridor, he stopped before a blank expanse of wall. The moment his hand touched the wall it faded away, revealing another corridor which he rushed through. The door at the end of this hidden corridor opened to him in welcome and he walked through without pause. Before him stood a raised platform on which rested a small box within a force field. Tommy reached through the force field without hesitation, taking the box that called to him so strongly.

This done, he hurried back to the other Thunder Rangers and followed them out.

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Lord Zedd stalked into his throne room, his eyes locked on the six Dino Rangers standing so casually upon the balcony across the way. The White Ranger lifted up his hand, showing some sort of box in his grip. Though the helmet covered their faces, Zedd would swear the boy was smirking as he pressed down on a button set in that box. For just a moment, Zedd wondered what he was doing. The explosions that ripped across the throne room answered this question though. Even as the force of the explosions threw him back into the corridor, Zedd noticed his throne, the same one used for over a hundred generations, that stood unscarred from the wars fought through those many lifetimes, was at the center of the maelstrom.

The Dino Rangers jumped off the balcony, running across the moon's surface joyfully. The moment they cleared all blocks, they teleported back to the Command Centre.

"Tommy!" the Dino team called out the moment they saw him standing among the Thunder Rangers. Harry threw his arms around his brother, holding on like it was his only lifeline. Tommy returned his embrace just as strongly.

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Continued - Let me know what you think. Review