A/N 1: For reasons that will become obvious as the story progresses, I will most likely be bumping the rating of the story to Mature fairly soon. While this doesn't directly affect this particular chapter, it will definitely play a role in the chapters to come. Fair warning has been given.
A/N 2: This is just something I wanted to run by you guys. I've been mulling an idea in my head for a oneshot for a while now, and before I put the time and effort into writing it, I wanted to get your input on it. Obviously I'm not going to be too detailed, but would any of you be interested in reading a crossover between PR and Entourage? PM me and let me know, please.
Title: Quest
Chapter 3 – The Mistakes People Make
Original Posting Date: October 12, 2008
--
That they had no business being alive was Tommy's first conscious thought as he plummeted towards the ground, his firm grip on Kimberly's waist never wavering. He'd seen the clock hit two seconds and knew that it had taken longer than that to make their escape from a Mega Voyager that currently should have been exploding, raining fiery debris down on them. What had happened, he didn't know, but something had most definitely gone wrong.
His legs buckled upon landing, causing him to finally let go of Kimberly, and with his forward momentum uncontrollable, he took them both down. They ended up in quite the precarious position; Tommy's hands on the ground keeping his upper body elevated was the only thing preventing him from laying completely on top of her.
"Hey," Kimberly murmured, her eyes twinkling under her helmet.
"Hey," Tommy groaned in reply. Gingerly, he pushed himself onto his feet and then struggled through helping Kimberly up as well. "Are you okay?"
Kimberly nodded. "I'm fine, just a few scratches."
Tommy sighed, thankful that she was okay but angry that she had put them in this position in the first place. Again, he was somewhere caught in between hugging her and yelling at her. He knew the latter would do no good though, not when Ecliptor was still around anyway.
"You guys alright?" asked Jason as he, Zack, and Trini ran over to them.
"Fine," Tommy muttered, dusting himself off. "Let's just get back in there and take care of Ecliptor."
With hands on his hips, Jason shook his head. "I hate to burst your bubble, bro, but he already took off."
Confused, Tommy looked to where he'd last seen Ecliptor only to find that he was no longer there. "They planned this whole thing," he said incredulously, reasoning that Ecliptor must have left shortly before the detonators were set to go off. "I can't believe they all found a way to work together that well."
"Yeah, well, believe it 'cause we got lucky when we shouldn't have," Zack replied, his heart pounding against his chest. "If those detonators had actually worked like they were supposed to we'd all be toast right now."
"Quit being so dramatic, Zack," said Trini teasingly.
Zack scoffed and threw his arms up in the air. "That's easy for you to say when you didn't land right next to a Megazord leg armed with enough explosives to make it so no one could identify my body at the morgue."
Trini rolled her eyes. "I landed like three feet away from you. The explosion would have done the exact same thing to me, too."
"It's irrelevant," Tommy interjected, stopping any potential argument before it had a chance to get heated. "What matters now is that we're all alive and the Zords are okay. Let's just get back to the ship."
"What about the detonators?" Kimberly asked, pointing in the direction of the Mega Voyager.
Tommy shrugged. "You can try and take them off if you want to, but I'm not touching those things. If you want my opinion, send the Zords somewhere where Alpha can take a look at them without risking any more damage to the city."
As she brought her wrist to her lips and sent the signal to Alpha on the Shadow Rider, Kimberly couldn't help but feel like this entire situation was all her fault. She hadn't intended for them to nearly die, she'd simply frozen up, something she was telling herself over and over that Tommy and Jason would never do.
"Alpha, it's Kim, come in," she said, waiting for Alpha's reply to continue. "Someone planted explosives on the Mega Voyager's legs. They seem to be duds, but we don't want to risk trying to remove them. Can you teleport them somewhere other than the ship and run a scan to see if the detonators are safe to take off?"
"Detonators? Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi, that Divatox really fries my circuits," Alpha replied. "Teleporting Zords now; once you have returned to the ship, I'll come down to Earth and take a look at them personally, but I'll need at least one of you to stay behind and help me."
"I'll do it," Kimberly volunteered before any one else could. After what had just happened, she really didn't feel up to dealing with a group of teammates who she believed had to be beyond disappointed in her. "You guys go back to the ship and I'll meet you there when Alpha and I are done looking at the Zords."
No one argued or offered to lend an extra hand, they just nodded and teleported away which made Kimberly feel even worse than she already did. She watched their teleportation beams shoot into the sky, her focus remaining on them until they had disappeared completely. Only when they were no longer in sight did she allow a single tear to slide down each cheek.
As soon as the Rangers arrived in the control room Tommy made a beeline for the nearest exit, walking swiftly with his fists clenched. Jason immediately tried to follow, but Zack and Trini both held him back.
"He thought Kim was going to die, Jase," said Trini softly, her hand on Jason's chest. "Leave him be for a little while. I know what he's going through. When he needs someone to talk to, he knows where to look."
Swallowing hard, Jason nodded. Out in the hallway Tommy continued his pace, his anger growing with each passing second until it simply became too much. He let out a ferocious roar and drove his fist into the nearest wall, denting it while ignoring the searing pain in his hand.
Trying to calm himself down, he closed his eyes and started to slow his breathing down, but all he could see were images of a potential death in the Mega Voyager's cockpit playing vividly in his mind. The more he tried to shed his temper, though, the more he was subjected to watching the Voyager explode with him and Kimberly still inside which did nothing but make his anger burn hotter.
Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he unleashed a vicious array of punches into the wall, his face turning a bright shade of red as droplets of sweat began to form on his brow. Over and over again he hit the wall; when both hands started to feel like they would fall off if he threw another punch, he kept going.
Eventually, breathing became too difficult and he was forced to stop. He placed his palms on the wall and hung his head, closing his eyes while taking many slow, deep breaths. With his racing heart returning to a normal speed, he opened his eyes and looked at his hands, scratched and stained with blood both wet and dry.
Tears flooded his eyes as he staggered back into the opposite wall, sliding down it until he reached the base. He pulled his legs into his chest, buried his head in between them, and started to cry, shaking with his sobs.
All he could think about for the longest time as he cried against his arms was that Kimberly could have died, should have died, and would have died had the detonators not malfunctioned. He didn't care that he had been in the cockpit with her; in his heart he knew that he would have gladly given his life without hesitation to save hers.
"I love her," he murmured, unaware that Jason was standing just feet away.
"No shit, bro," said Jason, chuckling at the surprised look on Tommy's face. "I swear I haven't been here more than a few seconds. I was just going to check out the cafeteria and you were there and I just—"
"It's okay, Jase," Tommy interjected, cutting him off. "It's not like you've never seen me like this before."
"This is true. What happened to your hands?" asked Jason upon noticing Tommy's knuckles dried with blood. Tommy pointed across from him and Jason turned to see the massively dented wall stained a dark shade of crimson. "Damn, bro, you really did a number on that wall."
Half-chuckling, Tommy nodded. "It was the first thing I could find to hit that wouldn't hit back. I'm really starting to regret it though," he answered, wincing as he tried to bend his fingers.
"You'll be fine in a couple hours or so," Jason replied, referring to the Power's increased effect on one's healing ability. "Mind if I have a seat?"
Tommy shrugged which Jason took as confirmation to have a seat. "You're not gonna lecture me about how you and everyone else know I still love her and think I should give her a second chance, are you? 'Cause if you are, I've already heard it before and I don't really think you can drive the point home more than Katherine did when she said it."
"Kat said that?" asked Jason.
"Yup," Tommy nodded, "Right before she broke up with me."
"Ouch," Jason murmured, wincing as his attention was suddenly captured by something nearby.
He was certain that Tommy had not seen it, but out of the corner of his eye Jason noticed the faintest hint of pink light from around the hallway. His focus was back on Tommy long before the Red Ranger had time to figure out what had happened. For a moment, Jason considered trying to move the conversation, but Tommy was already talking and once he stopped it was damn near impossible to get him to start again.
"Maybe it'll do them some good for her to hear how he really feels," Jason reasoned silently.
Closing his eyes once more, Tommy sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "You know what really sucks the most, bro?" he asked, Jason shaking his head. "Loving someone so much it hurts while knowing that you can't be with the person you love."
"Don't take this the wrong way, T," said Jason, "but the only thing stopping you from being happy with Kim is yourself."
Scoffing, Tommy rolled his eyes. "It's not that simple, Jase," he replied. "I wish it was, but it's not. Of all the Rangers, you know more than anyone how much she hurt me. I can't just overlook it; I won't."
Jason furrowed his brow as he stared at Tommy. "You do realize that that statement did nothing except confirm what I just said no less than ten seconds ago, right?"
Tommy looked none too amused with his friend. "We were together for almost three years and I can look back on that time and say without a doubt that those were the best damn three years of my entire life. Even when I thought I had gotten over her, that I could finally move on and be happy with Katherine, Kim was always there. I've never stopped loving her, but sometimes love just isn't enough, man."
"Do you have any idea how stupid you sound right now, bro?" asked Jason in disbelief. "There isn't a guy on this planet who wouldn't want to have a girl like Kim interested in them. She's smart, she's witty, she's pretty, and she has a great sense of humor. Ninety-percent of the male population at Angel Grove had their eyes on her, and the only guy she ever looked at was you."
Tommy looked at his friend in shock, his mouth agape as Jason continued.
"You always like to fall back on how long you guys were together, so I'm gonna be like you and do the same exact thing. You guys were together for three years, and in those three years she made one—let me say that again—one mistake, and she's been paying the price for that mistake for the last two years of her life. Now I want you to think back on when you two were together and tell me how many mistakes you made. Think of all the dates you were late for, or all the times she caught you staring at Lisa Phillips' ass, or that time you fell asleep during that gymnastics meet—"
"Alright, alright," said Tommy, waving his hands in defeat, "I get it already."
Jason sighed. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, bro. I just want you to try and see things from Kim's perspective. She might have made one big mistake, but she also put up with a lot of your little ones for a really long time. Kat was right, you know; we all know you love Kim. You're just too damn stubborn to see passed the walls you've built up around yourself."
"You know, for someone who's supposed to be my best friend you're not doing a very good job," said Tommy, trying to shake off the seriousness of his words with a laugh.
"Sometimes tough love is the best love, bro," Jason replied, pushing himself onto his feet. "Before I leave you to your brooding, I just want to say one more thing. Kim loves you, a lot, but she won't wait forever. If you love her even half as much as we all think you do, you won't let her get away."
Turning on his heels, he headed for where he'd seen the pink light. Tommy watched on as Jason disappeared around the corner, completely oblivious to the fact that his friend was now slowly leading a sobbing Kimberly towards the cafeteria. At the entrance to the room, they stopped and Jason turned to face her.
"This isn't such a bad thing, you know," Jason said softly, pulling Kimberly against his side in a half hug that was very much sibling-like.
"How do you figure?" asked Kimberly, resting her head against Jason's shoulder.
"We both know that Tommy's a creature of habit. He's got his comfort zone and ninety-nine percent of the time he won't go out of it," Jason answered, Kimberly nodding knowingly. "But every once in a great while, something comes along and forces him to step outside that comfort zone. If memory serves me correct, you were that last something to come along. Plus, he already admitted to me that he loved you, which means it's only a matter of time before he says it to you, just like last time."
Those last few words were enough to get Kimberly to step out of Jason's embrace and look up at him with an expression that demanded answers. Jason actually bit down on his finger in disbelief when he realized what he'd said.
"What do you mean, just like last time?" asked Kimberly sternly, hands firmly planted on her hips.
Jason silently cursed himself, knowing that there was no way for him to escape this current predicament. He had tried to lie to Kimberly on many occasions throughout their fourteen year friendship and he'd failed miserably every single time. There was just something about her that made it impossible for anyone with half a conscience to be anything but truthful to her.
Running his hand through his hair, he sighed. "When did Tommy first tell you that he loved you?"
Kimberly didn't even have to think about it. "Right after you guys went to Switzerland. We were in my backyard, looking up at the stars on my old trampoline."
"Yeah, see, he might have told me he that he was in love with you after his little White Ranger surprise party," said Jason, wincing in preparation for the outburst he knew was about to come.
"Really?" asked Kimberly calmly.
Jason opened his eyes hesitantly, still waiting for her to explode. Oddly enough, though, and to the surprise of Jason she didn't. "You don't sound pissed off," Jason muttered incredulously. "You're supposed to sound pissed off."
Kimberly rolled her eyes. "Do you want me to get pissed off, Jason?"
Raising a thoughtful eyebrow, Jason shook his head. "No, I, uh, I just thought you would—"
"What exactly did he say to you that day?" questioned Kimberly, pointing a stern finger at her friend. "And don't tell me you don't remember because you still remember exactly what you said to me in kindergarten when Bulk pushed me down in the sandbox and called me a poop head."
Jason couldn't help but laugh. "I said, 'Hi poop head, my name's Jason. Wanna be my friend?' and then you said," he started, his mouth snapping shut when he realized he'd just made Kimberly's point for her, "Damn you and your mind tricks, woman."
"Spit it out," Kimberly demanded.
Jason rolled his eyes and for a moment looked like he might actually throw a fit to save himself, but instead he sighed in defeat. "We were walking to school the day after he came back as the White Ranger. It came out of the blue and his exact words were, and I quote, 'I think I love Kim, bro; way scary,' then I said 'you're the fourth person to tell me that you love Kim,' and after that not another word was said."
"Swear on our friendship?" asked Kimberly, extending her pinky.
"On our friendship," Jason replied, pinky promising. "Now can we please get some food? I haven't eaten anything in well over a day."
Rolling her eyes, Kimberly nodded and pointed towards the door. Jason smiled thankfully and held it open for her, following her into a room that was not what he was expecting at all. With two tables each big enough to seat four and a tall silver machine against the back wall, it was hardly the cafeteria Jason had envisioned.
"Where do we get the food?" asked Jason, looking around just in case he was missing something.
"Right there," Kimberly answered, pointing to the machine.
Jason looked at the contraption and scoffed. "You're joking, right?"
Kimberly shook her head. "Nope, that thing will make you anything you want. Just walk up to it, press the button, say what you want to eat, and it'll pop out at the bottom."
Jason didn't know what to think. He was somewhere in between a kid in a candy store and a four year-old trying to do multiplication problems. It was as confusing as it was absolutely incredible and his face gleamed with delight as he approached the machine.
"So you're telling me that if I press this red button," Jason started, pressing the button, "and say 'I want a double chili cheeseburger with beer-battered onion rings, and a chocolate-strawberry milkshake made with the finest Belgian chocolate and fresh California strawberries,' I'll get a—"
He was cut off as a voice robotic and monotone started to repeat his order. Three seconds later there was a loud ding and Jason looked down at the opening on the machine to find everything he had ordered, neatly prepared on a tray with plenty of napkins and all the necessary utensils.
"I feel like I could cry right now," said Jason. Slowly removing the tray, he turned around and stared at Kimberly in disbelief. "This is easily the most amazingly awesome thing I have ever seen in my entire life."
"I know," Kimberly replied with a nod. "Having good food to eat is one of the only things that helped keep me going before you guys showed up. I'll have a chicken Caesar salad, a grilled cheese with Swiss and mozzarella on sourdough, and a Sprite."
And sure enough, her meal popped out just as Jason's had. Even as they moved to sit at one of the tables, he still hadn't fully grasped the sheer incredibleness of the Meal Machine, a device that the Aquitians had created to sustain their strict diets when away from the waters of their home world.
"Do you think Tommy's going to be mad at me for freezing up like that in the Mega Voyager earlier?" asked Kimberly as she set her tray on the table and took her seat on the bench across from Jason.
Biting into an onion ring, Jason shook his head. "Honestly, I just think he's glad you're both still alive. We all make mistakes out there every now and again. None of us are perfect and none of us have the time or energy to waste worrying about other people's mistakes. Tommy knows that just as much as any of us."
"If Tommy was willing to forgive me so easily he and I wouldn't be in the position we're in," Kimberly replied defiantly.
Truth be told, Jason couldn't find a logical way to argue with that and he could argue just about anything until he was blue in the face. He dropped his fork in mid-lift, staring back at Kimberly as it clanged against his plate.
"Look, Kim, you need to stop worrying about winning Tommy's trust on the battlefield, because you already have it and it's not going anywhere," said Jason, Kimberly's eyes rolling in apparent disagreement. "You can roll your eyes all you want, but I'm telling you the truth. The thing you need to worry about more than anything is winning Tommy's trust not in battle, but in life."
"And just how do you recommend I go about doing this?" asked Kimberly, folding her arms across her chest.
"Hang out with him, Kim. You guys haven't seen each other in a long time, so get to know him again," Jason answered, smiling encouragingly which Kimberly greatly appreciated. "If we can travel back and forth to Earth freely, what's stopping you guys from hitting the Youth Center or going to see a movie? Heck, he might even still be willing to carry your bags at the mall if you ask extra nicely."
Kimberly shook her head. "I don't want him to carry my bags, Jase. I just want him to know that I truly do love him. Even if we never become more than just friends, as long as he's happy that's all I really care about."
"Let me tell you something, short stack; I've seen Tommy at his highest of highs and his lowest of lows and he has never been happier than when he was with you," Jason replied. "But he needs to be reminded of that and only you can do it. Just hearing something has never been enough to change Tommy's mind; he's stubborn like that. You have to show him and knowing Tommy, you're going to have to do it more than just once."
Sighing deeply, Kimberly poked and prodded at her salad absently. "The chicken isn't going to get any deader, you know," Jason continued, smirking.
"Do you think he'd even want to hang out with me?" asked Kimberly, ignoring Jason's attempt at a joke.
With a mouthful of chili cheeseburger, Jason nodded and swallowed. "He said he wanted to be friends, right? Friends hang out all the time. You just have to be patient and know that, eventually, Tommy will come around."
Nodding silently, Kimberly rose from her seat and carried her tray of half-eaten food back to the machine. She set it in the opening and watched as it disappeared in a small flash of light then started for the exit.
"Where are you going?" asked Jason, nowhere near done with his first meal in well over twenty-four hours.
"I've had five hundred dollars in my wallet since I left New York, we have at least five more hours until we reach Onyx, and I just found out that we can pretty much go back and forth to Earth any time we want to," Kimberly answered, smiling wickedly. "I think you already know where I'm going."
Jason laughed. "Are you going to see if Tommy wants to go?"
Kimberly didn't answer; she merely winked at Jason, still smiling as she exited the cafeteria in search of the Red Ranger. It seemed that Tommy, however, was not a very easy person to hunt down. In a span of fifteen minutes Kimberly had checked almost every room on the Shadow Rider and still hadn't found him.
"DECA, can you locate Tommy for me?" asked Kimberly, exasperated as she stood in the middle of another empty hallway.
"Of course, Kimberly; locating Tommy now," DECA replied, returning a few moments later. "It appears that Tommy is on the observation deck. Would you like me to inform him that you are looking for him?"
"No, but thanks anyway," Kimberly answered, turning for the lift that would take her to the observation deck. "That'll be all, DECA."
She found Tommy a few minutes later, just where DECA said he would be. A metal railing ran underneath the windows and Tommy leaned his elbows upon it, staring out into the seemingly never ending emptiness of space.
"Hey," she said softly, wary not to startle him. She had to laugh when Tommy nearly jumped out of his shoes in surprise despite the quietness of her greeting. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
At the realization that it was just Kimberly, Tommy sighed and smiled, beckoning for her with a wave of his hand. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that," he said with a chuckle, Kimberly smiling apologetically. "So what brings you to these parts?"
"These parts?" asked Kimberly with a raised eyebrow. "What is this, the Wild West?"
Tommy laughed, shrugging. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay," Kimberly answered, joining Tommy in looking at the stars. She noticed that his knuckles were wrapped heavily in white gauze. "What happened to your hands? That's not from fighting Goldar, is it?"
Embarrassed, Tommy shook his head. "I may have ripped into a wall."
Kimberly furrowed her brow. "Why would you do that?"
Tommy sighed, wincing inwardly. He couldn't tell her that he had beaten his hands to a pulp because of her, because seeing her nearly die scared him to the point that his anger superseded his fear.
"Seeing Goldar brought out a lot of pent up frustration," Tommy replied, his answer partially truthful, "but he disappeared with Rito before I got a chance to take that frustration out on him so I took it out on a wall instead."
Kimberly knew that he wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she wasn't going to try and push him into talking about something he didn't want to. "That's not one of the smarter things I've seen from you," she said with a smile, Tommy nodding in agreement. "Look, I'm sorry for what happened on the Mega Voyager earlier. I just…I froze up."
Standing straight, Tommy hesitantly put his arm around Kimberly's shoulder, pulling her against his side for a quick half-hug. "It's okay, Kim," he answered seriously. "To be honest, I'm just glad that we're still alive. For a second there, I thought we were both goners."
"You wouldn't have thought that if I hadn't acted like a complete idiot," said Kimberly, hanging and shaking her head apologetically.
"Hey," said Tommy in an attempt to get her to look at him. When her eyes didn't move, he took it upon himself to lift her chin with his fingers. "I'm only going to say this once, okay? People don't become great leaders overnight. It's not an easy process, and it's one that takes some time. I know I wasn't the best leader when Zordon gave me the team, and I'm sure Jason wasn't in the beginning either, but we had trust of our teammates, and more importantly, the trust of ourselves to help us become the leaders Zordon knew we could be. You have the trust of your teammates, Kim; all of them. You just have to learn to trust yourself."
For a few long moments, Kimberly said nothing. The look in Tommy's eyes told her that he was being completely honest, which deep down she couldn't understand. She didn't know why it was that Tommy, or any of the other Rangers for that matter, trusted her to lead the team.
Her actions on the Mega Voyager should have destroyed their faith in her, but instead they were still being amazingly supportive. It didn't make an ounce of sense to her, but the positive effects that it had on her dampened spirit was undeniable.
"Thank you, Tommy," she murmured, looking at him with the utmost seriousness. "I don't know why you still think I can do this, but I promise I'm going to do my best to make sure your trust is in the right place."
Tommy shook his head. "Kim, you don't have to prove anything to me. I already know that my trust is in the right place. Don't do your best for me, or the other Rangers, do your best for you, because that's the type of person you are, and I know you won't settle for being anything less than the absolute best if you really put your mind to it."
Kimberly smiled brightly, and inside she shined even brighter. Somehow, Tommy always knew exactly what needed to be said to make her feel better. Even if he didn't really mean it, which Kimberly seriously doubted, hearing it still helped more than words could say.
"So, this might be a long shot and you totally don't have to if you don't want to, but I'm gonna go hit the mall and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me," said Kimberly, hopeful that he would agree.
"I don't think so, Kim," Tommy answered, shaking his head. "And it's not because I don't want to hang out with you, I just really hate the mall with a passion. There are too many people and it makes me feel all claustrophobic and stuff."
Trying to hide her disappointment, Kimberly managed a small smile and nodded in understanding. "Hey, no biggie, we'll hang out some other time."
"Definitely," said Tommy, returning the smile. "Besides, I've seen the way you shop and I'd only be holding you back."
"Oh, whatever," Kimberly groaned, rolling her eyes as she smacked his arm teasingly. "I'll see you later, Tommy."
Tommy nodded and turned back to the window, listening intently to the pitter-patter of Kimberly's feet growing further and further away. Staring out at the stars, he was surprised to find that he started to miss her more with each passing step she took. Even if they weren't a couple, Tommy couldn't deny that he enjoyed spending time with her.
Sighing, he spun on his heels and headed for the door. He stepped out into the hallway and looked to his left just in time to see Kimberly reach a fork in the path.
"Hey, Kim!" he called out, jogging towards her, "Wait up!'
--
The floating space station known as the Dark Fortress was a dark place indeed, made even darker by the latest failed attempt at destroying the Rangers. With the fortress growing closer to the planet Onyx, Astronema paced back and forth angrily as the remaining members of the United Alliance of Evil waited for Hell to rain down upon them.
Fire burned in Astronema's eyes as she looked at each of them individually. The Machine Empire and Master Vile had played no role in this latest failure, and so they would be spared she decided, as would Rita and Zedd whose generals had done their jobs well enough. In the end, it always seemed to come down to…
"Divatox," said Astronema, glaring angrily at the space pirate. "Your generals were given a very simple task. Unless you can somehow find a way to explain to me why they failed to eliminate the Rangers, I see no reason why I shouldn't destroy you all right now."
Divatox sputtered as she tried to think of something, anything that she could say to Astronema that might spare her life. But there was nothing, no explanation for why the detonators had failed to do their job and blow the Mega Voyager sky high.
A furious Astronema suddenly reached out, snatched Lord Zedd's staff right from his hand, and pointed it at Divatox. Zedd attempted to retrieve his staff, but stopped and returned to his seat when Ecliptor moved to stand behind his queen defensively, daring Zedd to try something.
"You have failed myself and this alliance for the last time, Divatox, and now the time has come for you to pay for those failures," Astronema continued, electricity crackling from the shaft of Zedd's staff as it flowed to the tip.
"Put down your weapon, Astronema!" said a loud, rumbling voice.
A fear far greater than anything Astronema could ever dream of eliciting instantly settled over the room's occupants. Only Divatox breathed relief, her life spared for the time being. Even Astronema's eyes went wide with shock as she looked to where the voice had come from. A portion of one of the nearby walls had transformed into a video screen of sorts, revealing a large being on a backdrop of solid black.
"Dark Specter," murmured Astronema, bowing her head humbly. "To what do we owe this unexpected, but most welcomed visit?"
"The Rangers know that you are taking Zordon to Onyx," Dark Specter growled, his eyes a fiery shade of red.
Astronema seemed confused. "But that's impossible. The Dark Fortress is completely shielded to all tracking systems. There's no way they could know where we're going."
"Are you calling me a liar, Astronema?" asked Dark Specter.
Shaking her head, Astronema stammered, "No, no, of course not. I would never do that to you, Dark Specter. I was just merely saying that—"
"I do not care what you were saying. For two months I have listened to this pathetic group spew excuses for failing to kill the Pink Ranger and now there are five to deal with as a result," Dark Specter interjected angrily. "From this moment forward, the United Alliance of Evil is mine to control. You will all go where I tell you and do what I tell you. Is that understood?"
The seven evil leaders, their generals, and every single foot soldier in the room all nodded in fearful agreement.
"Good, now let us turn our attention elsewhere for a moment" Dark Specter continued, looking towards Divatox. Everyone seemed to follow Dark Specter, turning their eyes to the space pirate whose expression confirmed that she knew her time was up. "More so than anyone else Divatox, you have failed this alliance. As of right now, you are no longer welcome in my Dark Fortress. Instead, take your ship and make sure the Rangers never find Zordon. If you fail again, I suggest going into hiding. Now get out of my sight before I let Astronema destroy you."
Divatox did not hesitate to take flight, dragging Elgar and Rygog behind her as the Piranhatrons hurried to catch up with them. Once they were gone, Dark Specter returned his attention to the remaining members of the group.
"If Divatox is left to her own devices, Zordon will be lost. Astronema, until further notice you will be responsible for keeping the Rangers busy on Earth, and as far away from Zordon as possible. The generals and armies of Zedd, Rita, and the Machine Empire are yours to use as you please," said Dark Specter. While her colleagues stared at Dark Specter's image in utter disbelief, Astronema nodded her understanding. "It will still take some time until enough of his essence has been drained to restore me to my full power. See to it that the Rangers never get anywhere near Zordon."
"What of us, Dark Specter?" asked Lord Zedd lowly. "We have served you faithfully for months. I believe our loyalty has been proven."
Dark Specter nodded. "And you will be rewarded for that, as will all of you who have pledged your allegiance to me and this alliance. But for now, you must stand down to my orders. If Astronema further requires help from any of you then the responsibility to ask for it is hers. See to it that you do not fail me again for the price to pay should you do so will be a permanent one."
The screen suddenly went black and then Dark Specter was gone. With the disappearance of the presence that had been unwanted from the start, Astronema breathed a sigh of relief along with everyone else who remained in the room.
"So let me get this straight," Rito interjected, scratching his head to the ire of every other person there. "Either we kill the Rangers, or Dark Specter kills us? Wow, major bummer."
"Silence you blithering idiot," Zedd roared, his skin glowing red with anger. "I don't want to hear another word out of you until the Rangers have been destroyed."
Rito looked at Zedd apologetically. "Sorry, Ed," he muttered.
"For the last time you fool, it's Zedd; LORD ZEDD! Now go!"
Seated next to her husband, Rita shook her head as Rito scampered for the exit with the Tenga Warriors in tow. "Ugh, I have such a headache."
--
Shoulder to shoulder Tommy and Kimberly, the latter of whom had half a dozen bags and had refused Tommy's offer to help her carry them, walked out of the Mall of America in Minnesota a few hours later, joking and laughing with each other as though they hadn't spent the last two years apart from one another.
Hard as he tried to fight it, Tommy could not deny that spending time with Kimberly was something that he enjoyed doing immensely. He had walked through store after store he had no interest in without complaint for nearly three hours, simply following Kimberly around wherever she went because it was so damn easy to do so.
It didn't even seem like it had been that long as they stepped out into the sunlight. Kimberly stopped and set her bags down; reaching into one, she pulled out a slim black case and handed it to Tommy.
"What's this?" he asked, taking the case with a confused expression on his face.
"The sunglasses you were staring at earlier," she replied, smiling. "Remember when I left you in Bath & Body Works to go to the bathroom?"
"You didn't," Tommy murmured in disbelief, opening the case to find the exact glasses he'd been looking at. "Kim, I don't know what to say. Thank you."
He pulled her into a big hug that Kimberly relished long after Tommy had let go of his hold on her small frame. "You're welcome," Kimberly replied, beaming. "Now, how about you treat me to a frozen yogurt before we go back to the ship?"
In the midst of putting on his new glasses, Tommy's smile faltered. "Would you believe me if I told you Dimitria teleported me in the middle of the night and that my wallet's sitting on the night stand in my bedroom?"
"I'd believe you," Kimberly answered, a twinkle in her eyes. "Then I'd ask what's stopping you from teleporting home and getting it?"
Tommy chuckled. "And just what do you think Zordon would say if he caught me breaking his rules and abusing the Power like that?"
"He'd tell you that you made a wise decision in keeping me happy," Kimberly replied, Tommy shaking his head. "Now stop being such a spoil sport and go get your wallet. I'm hungry."
Rolling his eyes, Tommy grumbled something Kimberly couldn't make out and turned for the nearest place to hide. An adequate spot was hard to find considering how populated the mall was, though. In the end, he decided to duck into a Barnes & Noble, teleporting home from the book store's restrooms.
In the outside promenade area, Kimberly waited for Tommy to return with a sense of minor victory. She wasn't necessarily craving dessert, she'd just been testing Jason's theory that she could break Tommy's walls down. So far, Jason had been absolutely right about everything which seemed to be a constantly recurring trend when it came to the love life, or lack thereof, of his two closest friends.
When Tommy emerged from Barnes & Noble ten minutes later it was with a red backpack around his shoulders and his wallet in his back pocket. "Brought some things from home, I see," said Kimberly, shaking her head in faux disappointment as Tommy approached her. "My, my, what would Zordon say if he caught you breaking his rules and abusing the Power like that?"
Tommy waited until he was within whispering range before replying. "He'd tell you to keep your voice down and not mention him or the Power when there's thirty feet between us and hundreds of people all over the place that can hear you," he hissed, Kimberly covering her mouth with a look in her eyes so innocent that Tommy couldn't be mad at her. "Let's just go get the frozen yogurt, okay?"
Smirking, Kimberly nodded and picked up her bags, motioning for Tommy to lead the way. This being his first trip to the Mall of America, he had absolutely no clue as to what direction they were supposed to be going, but he wasn't about to let Kimberly know that.
As they started back towards the main entrance, Kimberly stopped which in turn caused Tommy to do the same. "You don't know where you're going, do you?" she asked, smirking.
"Of course I do," Tommy lied. "It's on the third floor by Nordstrom's."
Laughing, Kimberly shook her head. "Tommy, I want you to do something for me. Turn around, look at the sign about three stores back on my left, and tell me what it says."
"Joe's Frozen Treats," said Tommy, reading the sign verbatim. His eyes went wide and his mouth snapped shut when he realized what it was.
"Third floor by Nordstrom's?" asked Kimberly, grinning from ear to ear.
"Can't blame a guy for trying, right?" Tommy questioned in reply.
"No, I guess not," Kimberly conceded. "Come on and buy my yogurt."
Tommy rolled his eyes and followed Kimberly into the shop. A few minutes later they exited the store with desserts in hand and took a seat at one of the nearby tables. As Kimberly used a plastic spoon to pick at her waffle cone, filled to the brim with a swirl of chocolate and vanilla yogurts and topped with gummy bears, she looked across the table thoughtfully.
"So, tell me what you've been up to since we last saw each other," said Kimberly, spooning a bite of the creamy treat and raising it to her lips. "Are you going to school; working?"
"Working, if you can even call it that," Tommy answered with a laugh. "I'm still racing stock cars for my uncle, teaching karate classes on the side whenever I have the time, but no school. I decided to take a year off after graduation. I wanted to do go against the grain, do something for me for once, you know?"
Kimberly nodded. "Trust me, I do. It's like everyone has these expectations for you and what your life is supposed to be like, but your life should be about you and doing the things that make you happy."
"Exactly," Tommy replied, taking a bite of his chocolate fudge ice cream. "My mom was so pissed off at me when I told her that I wasn't sure if I wanted to go to college or not. My dad went straight into the military after high school so he understood, but Mom didn't come around for at least a few months."
"What ended up changing her mind?" asked Kimberly, trying not to eye Tommy's ice cream. When they had been together she would have asked for a bite without hesitation, but it didn't seem appropriate to do so now.
"I basically said the same thing to her that you just said," said Tommy, wincing at those unpleasant memories. "I told her that I was happy with what I was doing, and that I really didn't want to surround myself with people who couldn't accept that. I don't think she started taking me seriously until after I skipped Thanksgiving dinner."
"I bet it must have been hard to say that to your mom, huh?" Kimberly questioned, staring at the double scoop of chocolate fudge.
Finally, Tommy noticed this and laughed. "Here," he said, scooping some of the desert onto his spoon, "take a bite."
Time and everything around them seemed to slow down remarkably as Tommy extended his spoon towards Kimberly who leaned across the table to take the bite. To anyone that might have been watching they would have appeared to be just another happy couple enjoying a pleasant afternoon together.
Tommy found himself staring at her mouth as she took the ice cream from his spoon without the use of her hands. Their eyes met, and for a moment Tommy gave serious consideration to replacing the utensil with his lips. He was literally seconds away from throwing caution to the wind and making his move when screams started to flood the promenade.
People were running panicked in every direction, and it did not take long for Tommy and Kimberly to see why as they noticed Goldar walking towards them with an army of Tenga Warriors following him.
"Great," said Kimberly, rolling her eyes in disgust because she had seen the look in Tommy's and knew how close she had been.
Standing up from the table, Tommy turned to his left and extended a hand towards Kimberly. "Care to dance?" he asked, smiling.
Grinning, Kimberly took his hand. "I'd love to."
Tommy pulled her onto her feet; letting her momentum carry her, Kimberly let go of Tommy's hand and started spinning towards the Tengas. She launched into a cartwheel and then pushed herself into a series of rapid back handsprings which ended when she drove her feet right into Goldar's chest mid-flip.
The golden-armored general was thrown flat on his back as Tommy flew threw the air with a spin kick that sent one of the Tengas slamming into three more. Upon landing in a defensive stance, he stood up straight and looked to Kimberly with his hand extended once more.
"Where were we?" asked Tommy, smiling as Kimberly took his hand.
They pulled passed each other, their grips remaining firm as both delivered simultaneous kicks to the stomachs of two Tengas that had been too far to reach just moments before. Giving her arm a tug, Tommy watched as Kimberly spun in front of him and slammed her fist into a Tenga's face, the bird's beak now crushed flat as a result.
"Mind if I cut in?" growled Goldar, breaking their hold on each other's hands with a swift kick.
Shaking the slight pain from her hand, Kimberly looked at Goldar with angry, narrowed eyes. "Didn't anyone ever teach you that it's rude to show up somewhere uninvited?"
"Astronema's orders are the only invitation I need," Goldar replied, charging the pair.
Kimberly side-stepped the attack and, as Goldar stumbled by wildly, Tommy drove his knee into the winged Titan's chest. They were given little reprieve, though, for as soon as Goldar went down, the Tenga's were all over them.
"Time to split up," said Tommy.
"Yup," Kimberly agreed.
They started running in separate directions, each quickly approaching a matching concrete pillar that stretched from the bottom floor promenade all the way to the mall's fourth and final level. The group of Tengas split and gave chase; freezing at the base of the structures, they looked up and watched as Tommy and Kimberly ran up the pillars.
In unison the pair pushed off of the pillars and flipped backwards, passing each other by as they flew through the air. Tommy landed behind the Tengas that had been on the opposite side of the promenade before, taking the foursome down with a single leg sweep.
For her part, Kimberly ended up in front of the Tengas, grabbed the middle two by the arms, and flipped them onto their backs. She quickly took hold of the remaining two Tengas and pulled them in, the feathered foot soldiers slamming face first into each other before slumping to the ground in a heap.
Running back to the center of the promenade, Tommy and Kimberly stood side by side as they faced Goldar and dropped down into fighting stances. "Come on, Goldilocks," said Tommy tauntingly, pointing at Goldar. "I know you can do better than that."
"Foolish human!" bellowed Goldar, drawing his sword as he ran at Tommy.
The Red Ranger jumped back and managed to narrowly avoid the blow, the only victim being his red tee shirt which now had a diagonal slice through it. Tommy looked down at the tear in his shirt for the briefest of moments before returning his attention to Goldar, engaging the Titan in hand to hand combat.
They exchanged blows back and forth for a while, Kimberly watching in anticipation for an opening to jump in and help Tommy. It came when Goldar connected with a forearm to Tommy's chest, causing the Red Ranger to stumble back. From there Kimberly took it upon herself to flip over Tommy, driving the heel of her shoe right into Goldar's face.
Looking over her shoulder, she rushed to Tommy's side and helped him stand from his staggered, doubled over position. Once he'd gotten back on his feet, Goldar made like he was going to attack again, but apparently thought better of it.
"You will not be so lucky next time, Rangers!" Goldar roared. Raising his sword above his head, he slammed the tip into the ground and immediately became enveloped in a column of fiery energy before disappearing completely.
Kimberly rolled her eyes. "You okay?"
Nursing his chest, Tommy managed to nod. "I'm fine," he answered, "How about you?"
"Just peachy," she replied with a smile. "Come on, let's grab our stuff and then get back to the ship. We have less than an hour before its set to reach Onyx and I don't want to be here when people start coming back."
Looking over his shoulder, Tommy noticed that little clusters of people who had stayed to see the fight were slowly beginning to return. With their desserts now melted beyond consumption, he quickly went to work on cleaning up their table while Kimberly gathered up her bags.
Once they had everything that they needed, Tommy grabbed hold of Kimberly's hand and pulled her along as they started to run from the promenade. Luckily they hadn't had to Morph so no one would know that they were Rangers, but neither wanted to stick around long enough for someone to start asking questions.
After nearly five minutes of running, they found the solitude they needed in the shadows of the empty loading docks behind Macy's. In silence, they teleported back to the control room of the Shadow Rider in the midst of DECA telling the other Rangers that approach time to Onyx was approximately forty-five minutes.
"Tommy, what happened to you?" asked Trini, noticing the tear in his shirt.
"Goldar happened," answered Tommy, Trini's eyes growing wide. "Don't worry, Tri, I'm fine. All he got was my shirt."
Jason shook his head as he walked towards the pair. "Man, you've gotten to take on Goldar twice now. You have to let me get my hands on him next time, bro."
Laughing, Tommy nodded his head. "He's all yours, Jase. I'll take Rito or Elgar over that ugly monkey any day."
As the grayish-black sphere that was Onyx grew closer and closer, Kimberly started to plan in her mind what their first move would be upon arriving on the planet. While the rest of the Rangers chatted about what had happened at the mall, she moved to one of half a dozen control panels in the room, this particular panel displaying the current time on every major planet in the known universe.
"Guys," she called out to them, waiting until she had their attention before continuing. "It's just passed nine in the morning on Onyx. The sun comes out around one in the afternoon and it's only out for four, maybe five hours tops; we won't be able to see anything until then."
"So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?" asked Zack, clearly confused.
Kimberly shrugged. "That's up to you," she answered. "Alpha will land the ship around the Sea of Shadows where no one will find it. You can go to Earth for a few hours or stay on the ship. I'm gonna go get some rest, and I'd highly recommend that you all do the same. You're going to need all the stamina you can muster where we're going."
--