Summary – Young or old, leave it to Tommy to take the risks.
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Let's Make a Deal
Tommy
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(Day 10, Oliver Residence)
"Are you sure you want to do this?" He's asked that about five billion times now. I wish he'd relax and calm down. He's making me nervous.
"Yes, don't worry so much, I'll be fine." I hope I'll be fine. Looking between them all, I could use someone agreeing with me here. Conner? Kira? Ethan? Anyone? I will be fine right? They won't let me get hurt, will they? Naw, they love me too much, they wouldn't even let me go if they thought I'd get hurt.
"Of course you will." Thank you. Bending down in front of me, Conner carefully checks the band on my leg again before rolling my jeans back down. "You remember what to do right? And you know if you get too scared or something goes wrong all you have to do is call for us and we'll be there in a flash, okay?"
"I know."
"I still don't like this. I think we should find another way." Hey, Conner believes in me, how come you don't, Kira?
"There is no other way. We have to get him back to normal and that's not going to happen with us just sitting around waiting for Elsa or Mesagog to make their move. We have to take the game to them and he's the one to do it." Okay I'd feel better if he hadn't said it like that. He doesn't like me as a kid? Don't see what fun I'll be all grown up.
"You don't like me like I am now?" I thought we were friends.
Suddenly looking worried, Conner's back down on my level and good I hope that look means he didn't mean it. "No, no, I like you just like you are, buddy. I just…um, well we need you back heroing with us you know. It's not about liking you more or less when you're grown it's just about you being able to save people and such. Understand?"
"I guess so." Though I still think he's fibbing a little bit.
"Okay, in that case you can go outside and play now. Just stay in the yard okay?" Don't look so worried Jason, I'll be fine, after all I am like a superhero right? So I'll be okay…I hope.
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(30 min. later….)
Laying on my stomach to get a better look at my drawing, this is boring. I want to go back inside and play a game. Maybe this is a waste of time. Maybe that lady isn't interested in me or the gem after all. Maybe-
"Well, well, look at what we have here." Maybe I should learn to keep my big mouth shut. Standing on the porch, she looks even scarier in the daylight. I changed my mind, don't wanna go through with the plan. Conner come get me now.
Standing and leaving my stuff in the grass, I wonder if I can get past her and back into the house. "What do you want? I told you before I don't have your bracelet."
"Yes, well my master wishes to discuss it with you." Master? What is she a puppy dog? "So be a good boy and come here." Make me.
"No." Taking off across the yard I know I'm supposed to let her catch me, but it'll seem weird if I don't at least look like I'm trying to get away. Well and now I sorta do wanna get away.
"Get back here you little brat." Okay she's fast. Jumping off the porch and running after me, she's across the yard before I can blink. This is bad. Maybe I can- "Got you." Picked up and held in strong arms she's holding me way too tightly.
"Ja-"
Clamping a hand over my mouth she's having none of it. "Time to go."
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"Let me go!" Kicking at her as best I can, I am not going to cry. Don't cry. You're a hero and heroes don't cry. Dragging me into the room that's definitely out of a sci-fi movie this is going to get bad. I think I changed my mind, not a hero, nope, want Jason now.
"Strap him down." Handing me over to the hissing lizards, she rubs her bruised arms and legs, glaring at me as they strap me down to a chair. Cool I did hurt her. Teach her to grab me like that.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Struggling against the straps holding me still, I'm starting to think Jason was right to worry. This is just getting worse and worse and I haven't even seen this Mesagog guy yet. I could call for them now, but then their plan would be ruined and I'd be a kid forever. Well maybe not forever but for a long time at least.
Stomping back over to me, I think the lady has had enough of my yelling. "Shut up before I cut your tongue out."
"Now, now, is that anyway to treat our guest, Elsa?" Oh. My. God. No, bad, wanna go home now, don't care about being a grownup again. As a huge lizard faced man walks into the room, looking scarier than the lady and the other lizards put together, I don't want to be a hero anymore. Grabbing my wrists and looking at them closely, he is way too close to me. "Where is it?"
"W-what?"
"The dino gem you snotty little brat. Where's the black dino gem." The bracelet, right, that's why I'm here. Focus, gotta focus. It'd be easier if the lady would stop yelling at me though. Just wait until I'm bigger than her, I'll show her who's tougher.
"I-I don't have any gem." Please don't eat me.
"That's it, can't I kill him? Please? He dies the power unbinds and goes back to the gem, come on master lemmie slit his lil throat." Purring and stroking her fingers up my throat, I'm just about to cry when she's suddenly thrown across the room. Maybe the evil dinosaur headed guy isn't so bad after all.
"Enough, go." When she only gives him a shocked look, he takes a dangerous step towards her, smiling as she quickly gets up and scrambles out of the room. Yep he's definitely not as bad as I originally thought. Oh look he's even unstrapping me now.
"Th-thanks." Curling up in the chair and knowing not to trust him too much as he is the bad guy, I really wish Jase or Conner would come get me now.
"Now, let's think about this logically shall we." Picking me up and sitting me down in a more comfortable chair, he hands me a handkerchief to blow my nose before beginning to pace. "You know nothing of a gem, correct?"
Sniffling and shaking my head, I wonder if he believes me or not. I hope he does, I don't wanna be eaten.
Nodding and bringing up a picture of it on the computer screen, he points it out to me, seeming happy when I look at it obediently. "This is my gem. You took it." When I shake my head feverishly he changes the picture, showing me a video much like Jason did the other day. Only this one doesn't seem as nice as it shows my older self fighting him in the lab before taking the gem from the table and running after the three Rangers. "That was you, you and the others took my gem." But it's my gem! Jason said so.
Biting my lip and knowing that that's the wrong thing to say, I try to remember what they told me to do. I can do this, I know I can. Just take a deep breath and say what Conner told you. "B-but that's not me, he's all grown."
"Yes it is and yes you were. You did a bad thing helping them take my gem, I needed it to help the world, but you took it and when I tried to get it back you wouldn't give it back. I asked you nicely, I asked you sternly, and I even offered a trade, but you refused. So that mean girl that I just made leave, she got mad because we weren't being allowed to help people and she turned you back into a child, hoping that that would help you get back to a good boy instead of trying to hurt people like you were when you were older."
What? That's the total opposite of what Jason and them said. It's a trick, has to be a trick. Well if he thinks he's gonna trick me he's got another thing coming. "No, I, I wouldn't hurt anyone. Not ever."
Shrugging, he gestures back to the scene on the computer. "But you did. You hurt a lot of people by that selfish act. You took something very important because it held power, you wanted the power for yourself and because of that many people have paid the price."
"But-"
"Aside from that, you did do me the lovely favor of making me look like this as well." Nodding when I look up at him in hurt and surprise, he finally shrugs as if it's no big matter. I didn't do that though. I wouldn't. Would I? "Yes, well I'm still determined to believe that was an accident, but… well let's just say it gets harder and harder to believe since you took the gem."
Sniffling again and not liking him at all now, I know I'm not bad like he says. I wouldn't be, I'd never hurt anyone and neither would Jason and the others. We're heroes, he's the bad guy.
"Now, now, it's alright, it's not your fault. You probably don't even know how you ended up becoming such a vicious boy, I don't blame you, little one." Patting my back with his clawed hand I think he thinks he won. Good.
After a few minutes of soothing and reassurances, he finally sits back down in the chair, putting me on his lap. "Now this can be fixed you know. If you bring me back the gem, I can help you not become so bad, alright? I'll make sure that no one gets hurt and you don't learn to hurt other people this time around. Agreed?"
Nodding and swiping at my eyes, I take a few breathes before saying what I know I'm supposed to. "B-but, but I don't know where it is."
"Hmm, well than, let's think. Now who do you know that wears a shiny silver bracelet with a black stone in it? Kira wears one with a yellow stone, Conner a red stone, and Ethan a blue one, so where have you seen the shiny bracelet with a black stone? In your room? With one of the others? Think very hard."
"Jason has it I think. I can get it and bring it back and then I won't be bad anymore right?"
Smiling and rubbing my head, that was definitely the right answer. Go me! "Now if I send you back can you get it and bring it back to me?"
"Yes…um, when I do, will you make me big again? Please? I don't like being scared all the time."
"Of course, you bring me the gem and I'll change you back. Now I'm going to open a portal and you are going to walk through it and end up back in the yard where Elsa took you. You get the gem, get away, and call for me and I'll come. Understand?" When I nod, he stands and pressing a few buttons opens up a bright green portal quickly. I have to go through that? Is that what that lady brought me through? I should have paid better attention.
Opening my mouth to ask if there's an easier way to get back, I don't have a choice as he suddenly pushes me through.
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"Ow." Landing on my butt back in the front yard, I quickly brush myself off before running back into the house and down into the lair where I know they're all waiting. "Jase!"
All of them getting up and rushing to me, I'm in Jason's arms in a flash. "Oh thank god, another two minutes and we were going in." Well that would have ruined the whole thing.
Nodding and hugging onto him tightly, I really hope they have a better plan for next time. I don't want to go back in there alone. I know I did good, but that was just too scary. "I did like you told me. He said bring him the gem and he'd change me back."
"Good boy, I knew you could do it." Hugging me tighter and kissing my forehead, Jason looks over at Ethan who is still building the fake bracelet and stone. "How much longer?"
"A few more hours at most." Looking at it closely, he starts shaping the metal again. "Don't worry, we'll have him back by the end of the day." Yay?
To be continued……..