A/N: Here's Chapter 2. Very long chapter, but the length is very necessary in the progression of this story. There is a brief VR Troopers reference in here at the end, but they won't be included going forward.
A/N 2: I own nothing. Power Rangers once belonged to Saban, then they went to Disney and belong to Saban again.
Chapter 2 – Heartache, MIT and Hayley
Friday, March 24, 2000
3:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Power Chamber Ruins
Angel Grove, CA
1,500 days after "that" as Tommy deemed it, he was home for spring break from A&M…but not all of spring break was fun and games for Tommy Oliver. Because on this day, he wanted to make another step forward in his development…and take another leap in the quest to get his Crane back.
Finally, after years of trying to reach this place, this place that Tommy truly believed had been a second home, he'd finally made it back to what he now termed as "the scene of the crime."
And to Thomas Oliver, it truly was a crime which had been committed against the whole Ranger family. It was a building which had housed so many memories over the years; so many of the years that Tommy had been a Ranger, no matter what happened, this was the one place they could never get to.
Now, all that was left of this safe haven was a pile of rubble. It was even dangerous now to go up here because with the Power Chamber ruins being out in the desert, it attracted various animals, such as snakes and scorpions that you had to work your way around lest they decide to end Tommy's dream.
Speaking of scorpions, say what had happened to Scorpina, Tommy wondered. Now that Tommy thought about it, she hadn't been seen since that fiasco with Adam in the park. What had she been doing after she had been fired by Zedd (as was the rumor all those years ago); had she been killed in the Countdown or was she still out there?
A few tears rolled down Tommy's cheek as he mourned what had been lost on that fateful day in November 1997. But just as quickly, they faded. He knew why he came here, and he had a job to do. He had heard Billy say before (prior to when he left for Aquitar) that even below the destroyed Power Chamber lay a secret room that Zordon kept his most important files in, should they be needed for another day.
Moving his feet and working around the debris, snakes and scorpions, he felt around for the secret entrance that Billy had talked about. It was here somewhere….
Suddenly, as a lurking snake narrowly missed him with his jaws, Tommy suddenly began falling through the ground. Somehow, even when flirting with death, the seemingly unconquerable Tommy Oliver had slipped through again.
Not only that, he realized as he hit the ground, he had hit paydirt and found the secret entrance Billy had talked about. Feeling around cautiously as the path was narrow and dark, Tommy spied a light not too far ahead.
Tommy nodded; Billy had talked about this before, this was where the entrance was. Tommy cautiously stepped through the entrance and saw exactly what he was looking for; storage boxes stacked far and wide. Now he just had to find which one held the Power Chamber specifications.
Because in his grandest vision, Tommy had realized one day after class while at A&M, he wanted to have his own Power Chamber but make it better.
Looking through the various bins, Tommy found himself gravitating towards the far wall when he finally found a box which read "specifications."
Tommy smiled when he conveniently spied a copy machine nearby; Zordon had always prepared for the most extreme situations, Tommy thought to himself as he went to the copy machine and set to work.
Approximately an hour and a half later, he was done. Smiling and satisfied, he put the original papers back in their box and began to head out when he finally thought; how in the world am I going to get back to the surface?
'Visualize yourself getting back to the vehicle you came in and the Power will do the rest,' a voice in his head said. The voice sounded familiar, he couldn't really prove if it was Zordon or not but it sounded like him, so he did what he was told and moments later, he found himself back at his parents' former automobile, which they had leased to him for a couple of days while they were out of town.
Grimly nodding, he put the keys in the ignition and started back towards the main highway which would lead back to Angel Grove. 1,500 days since "that," he had gotten the job done again. He knew that he was going back to the grind starting Sunday when he'd fly back to Texas, but for today he had done what he needed to do.
Thursday, January 18, 2001
Texas A&M University
College Station, Texas
Tommy smiled grimly as he read the letter of acceptance that he'd just received…that had been delivered to the fraternity house he was still in at the moment.
The next step in his development was right around the corner, pending on whether he could get through his final semester at A&M. With just a few necessary courses left to fulfill that obligation, it was all but a lock.
But Tommy knew that his evolution was far from finished. He knew that if he was to fulfill his vision, and his personal quest, he would need to become a lot more technically sound. Though he had gotten better at it through looking at the Power Chamber specifications and because of classes at A&M, he knew he would still need to become a lot more technically sound if his dream was to come true.
Thus his next step…he'd been looking at colleges to fulfill that part of his journey for the better part of the last year, when it had become obvious that college graduation was imminent. And though it was a long, long way from Angel Grove, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in suburban Boston filled the need.
A guy who had grown up in warm climates (San Antonio, Phoenix, Angel Grove) his entire life, going to graduate school in Boston, of all places. Who would have ever thought? One thing was for sure, he would need to stock up on a lot of warm clothes.
As he continued to look at the letter, Tommy did some quick calculations in his head and a thought struck him suddenly; this was Day No. 1800 since…that.
Tommy nodded and knew he was far from finished, but was aware that at every one of those milestone dates since that fateful day, he had taken all of the necessary steps so far.
On Day No. 250, October 21, 1996, he and his Rangers had managed to destroy Mondo…the first time, although he would come back later only to be thwarted again.
On Day No. 500, June 28, 1997, he had decided that he would completely give up his racing career and embark on the journey he was currently on.
On Day No. 1000, November 10, 1998, Zordon had sacrificed himself to save the universe, but Tommy had come to terms with his sacrifice and the journey he was now making.
On Day No. 1500, March 24, 2000, he'd visited the Power Chamber ruins and begun to lay the groundwork for continuing the legacy. And he knew in his heart of hearts that he would be needed; it was not a matter of if, but a matter of when.
And today, Day No. 1800, January 18, 2001, he had obtained his ticket to MIT, once he finished at A&M.
Boston, MIT and as much as she didn't know it now, Hayley Ziktor would never be the same.
Monday, August 6, 2001
5:30 p.m.
Boston, MA
It was hard to believe, but just 72 hours into his time in Boston (he'd just finished moving in to his apartment Friday night), Tommy had, he believed, very possibly just met the woman that could play a large part in realizing his dream.
At first glance, Hayley Ziktor, a redhead native of New Zealand who had just finished school at Stanford University didn't look like much. But Tommy knew better than to go simply off anyone's looks.
And when Tommy had met Hayley at MIT orientation earlier that day (school was still two weeks away at that point), he immediately had a strong sense that she was very possibly the person who could help him take that next step. She was super smart, just sarcastic enough, and she was beyond a technical whiz.
The only thing was, he knew the code. Tommy knew better than anyone that you simply couldn't let a civilian know about a legacy she never, ever dreamed about, no matter how much of a whiz Tommy thought Hayley was.
They'd already spent a lot of the day together and talked some about each other's dreams, but Tommy at the moment had left out that whole Ranger thing. However, they had agreed to meet again later that evening and had exchanged phone numbers.
Tommy, however, remembered the message Zordon had given him right before he'd gone home to Eltar and Dimitria took over. That if the situation deemed itself correctly, that Tommy could inform a civilian of his past, but he advised all Rangers to use extreme discretion.
Suddenly, right there in the middle of his apartment, Tommy froze.
'Yes, Tommy, you can trust her with that secret. I visited her last night and while she had no clue what was going on, she was informed that very soon, you would tell her something very shocking that would have to be kept a secret at all costs, and she agreed.'
The voice in his head sounded like Dulcea, but Tommy couldn't be 100% sure of it.
'Who are you and how did you get in my head?' Tommy thought.
'To those who possess the Great Power, all things are possible, my Falcon. Some day, you will find out. But for now, take the next step with Hayley; I am certain that if you put your faith in her she will get you where you need to go.'
'By the way, Tommy, one last thing, you'll find out tonight that this isn't the first time Hayley has had a connection to someone with supernatural powers.'
Tommy searched for the voice in his head, but found nothing.
"That must have been it," Tommy thought as he grabbed a CD disc (narrated by Zordon himself) which had information about him, his Ranger days and his quest on it should he ever need to tell a civilian. It appeared, he suddenly realized, that this would be another seminal moment in his development on yet another milestone day since the curse began.
Because it was now 2,000 days and counting since…that.
And as Tommy dialed the number Hayley had given him, he knew that this seminal moment was upon him. The other thing he pondered as he waited for an answer from the other end was this; the name Ziktor sounded familiar to him. He tried to put his finger on it, but he couldn't figure out why. Could it possibly have something to do with that last part about the supernatural powers thing?
"Hayley…Yeah, this is Tommy. Listen, you know we agreed that we'd meet tonight. Can I come over now? There are some things we need to talk about. OK…see you in a few," Tommy said.
Tommy felt extremely fortunate that Hayley was in his same apartment complex. Ideally she'd have been a roommate but this was just as well. He was also super glad that his days at A&M had knocked his high school knack for being tardy out of him.
15 minutes later
"Tommy, good to see you," Hayley said as the two shared a quick embrace after Tommy entered Hayley's apartment. "I can tell this is not going to be a pleasantry meeting though."
"No, it isn't," Tommy said with a stern voice that sent a brief chill up Hayley's spine as he produced the CD and walked over to Hayley's computer. "Tonight, I'm going to lay all my cards on the table and we're going to determine whether we'll have a future helping ourselves grow. There are things you need to know about me. When I hit play, pay attention; this is the most important information you will ever hear. This was taped in 1997."
Hayley's face widened with interest as what looked to be a small, stout man robed in all white (including hair) appeared on screen. Tommy knew who it was immediately though, though he'd never seen the man outside his warp.
"To whomever I am speaking to, if you are viewing this recording, then it is obvious that my leader Thomas Oliver has chosen you to help continue a legacy that defies description; the legacy of Earth's Power Rangers."
Hayley's eyes widened; having spent most of her childhood years in California, the stories of the Rangers' heroic deeds were far and wide. Something was afoot here…
"To start with, it's important that you know who I am. My name is Zordon, and I am an interdimensional wizard from the planet Eltar, which in many ways is a lot like the planet you live on," Zordon continued. "In fact, I was part of Eltar's very first team of Power Rangers and later became the leader of a very elite team known as the Ninjetti, whose powers were created by our mentor Dulcea. With her guidance and the spirit of my five teammates we fought off every evil we faced."
"Unfortunately, as time went on, our team fell victim to the forces of evil and in particular at the hands of a cruel sorcerer named Master Vile and his wife Adrianna Repulsa. Vile knew he couldn't beat us together so his only alternative was to capture our teammates and corrupt them," Zordon said. Hayley wanted to take her eyes off the screen but found that she couldn't. This hit too close to home for her and Tommy would find out why later.
For his part, Tommy bristled at the name Adrianna Repulsa. Something felt weird about that name.
"And that's exactly what he did. In a series of battles, he captured my Eltarian teammates Zedd, Rita, and Selena, as well as Rita's friend Finster and corrupted all four of them. He also cast two spells on my other two teammates, Ninjor and Dulcea," Zordon said as a side by side of Ninjor and Dulcea came up on screen. "For Ninjor, he cast a spell which does not allow him to remove his mask or his protective armor, lest he age and for Dulcea, her spell does not allow her to leave Phaedos, lest she age as well."
"In the years following, I battled Rita and her forces almost endlessly. It broke my heart to fight a friend, but it was my life's mission to help those who might be helpless, so I did what I had to do," Zordon said. "During this war, I came into possession of five power coins with the powers of the Triceratops, Saber-toothed Tiger, Pterodactyl, Mastodon and Tyrannosaurus, with Rita garnering the sixth, which held the powers of the Dragon."
Tommy briefly stopped the video at this point. He was briefly shocked by the notion that Finster wasn't always evil, but he kept his focus.
"This isn't the end, but just for future reference, I have a connection to that sixth Power Coin, which still has emotional affects on me today. You'll see why in a moment," Tommy said as he went to hit play, Hayley silently nodding.
"In the last days of the war, I won a coin toss which banished Rita and her minions, but in retaliation she banished me to a time warp, which I have for the most part remained in till death. I eventually took up residence on Earth, in what was known as the Command Center, then the Power Chamber," Zordon said, a quick pictoral of the Power Chamber coming up; now it was Tommy's turn to have his eyes mist. "I knew she would eventually come back, so in the Earth year 1993 when she did come back I was ready for her. With my five warriors, Jason Scott, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, Kimberly Hart and Billy Cranston we fought her off initially. Then, in came the wild card, Tommy Oliver."
Hayley looked at Tommy and said, "Can you stop the video for a second?"
"Sure, what's up?" Tommy said.
"I think I'm smart enough to figure out what comes next," Hayley said. "Were you the Green Ranger…the evil Green Ranger who attacked California?"
Tommy nodded, Hayley was smart indeed.
"Yes I was, but there is much more that you need to know than just my history. There's an even deeper history involved which is fueling a personal quest," Tommy said as he started the video again.
"Not long after Tommy moved here from Phoenix, I kept a very close eye on him. Unfortunately, Rita had a close eye on him too, and chose him to be the wielder of her sixth power coin," Zordon said. "With Rita already possessing Ninjetti magic, she was powerful and her influence made Tommy that much more dangerous as he pushed my Rangers to the brink of extinction. Fortunately, Jason defeated him in a last battle, breaking the spell and beginning our relationship with him."
"With our sixth Ranger, we were that much more powerful. And though Tommy would lose his Green powers twice thanks to various spells, he became a permanent fixture around the team as he later became the White Tiger, White Falcon, Zeo Ranger V and the Red Turbo Ranger," Zordon said. "However, perhaps even more importantly, he forged a relationship with my Pink Ranger Kimberly which went beyond comprehension and, quite frankly, kept my team together even in some of its darkest hours. Their belief in each other was unbreakable and such, so was the team."
Hayley had to admit her eyes misted over a bit as she watched a brief montage of Tommy and Kimberly together that Zordon had assembled; she'd always wanted a significant other like what Tommy and this Kimberly shared, but had never been able to attain it.
One thing that clicked in her mind almost immediately was that the chemistry the two shared was unlike anything she'd ever seen. She had family problems throughout her childhood with certain people, and as such her family was a very volatile family to be associated with. These Rangers had, and maybe still were to a degree, a family; in large part due to these two.
She also knew there was a very good chance she would never be more than friends with Tommy; that he still held Kimberly in higher esteem than anyone else. And she was fine with that.
"Even as Jason, Zack and Trini were replaced by Adam Park, Aisha Campbell and Rocky DeSantos, the team kept winning. However, events began to take place. They were events which began to spell the end for not only Kimberly as a Power Ranger, but her relationship with Tommy as well," Zordon said. "In 1995, shortly after the team gained its Ninja Powers, Rita recruited an Australian named Katherine to steal Kimberly's Power Coin. The resulting events forced me to sever Kimberly's connection to the Morphin Grid, which powered the Rangers themselves. These events almost cost Kim her life."
The tears began to form on Hayley's face; she almost knew that what she was about to hear was going to be worse than bad. She couldn't have been more right.
"In the end, Kimberly left to compete as a gymnast in the 1996 Pan Global Games, and parlayed that into an appearance in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Katherine was the one that eventually took her place, and she became a very good Ranger," Zordon said. "But even more importantly, the unfortunate event that splintered the team, known as the Dear John Letter, sent in Kimberly's name, occurred in February of 1996. Much as the team tried to heal those severed wounds, even after Jason briefly returned, they never could."
"What is not known to most of the team, except to Tommy and Kimberly themselves, was that Kimberly received a similar letter in Tommy's name at almost the exact same date in 1996," Zordon said. "It is my understanding that Tommy had no idea of this until Dimitria informed him of this some time after I left. It is also my understanding that Tommy tried to come to terms with Kimberly shortly after she returned in 1997 and was captured by the space pirate Divatox, but it wasn't to be."
Tears were now not only racing down Hayley's face, but anger was boiling up inside of her and she fought to maintain control. If Tommy was to be believed, and after meeting him she had little doubt he was telling the truth, then both he and Kimberly had been screwed over badly.
"At the time of the Dear John Letter, Rita and her husband Lord Zedd, known as the Emperor of Evil, had been banished to Gamma Vile by the Machine Empire, who had also set their sights on Earth," Zordon said. "The Rangers were able to thwart these attacks also, despite the team not being what it was. Then, after the Machines were foiled, a space pirate known as Divatox attempted to lay claim to Earth, but her efforts, and her marriage to Dark Specter's brother Maligore, were foiled."
Tommy stopped the tape briefly. Hayley watched his expressions. Much to her surprise, his emotions were largely unchanged, which surprised her.
"If you're expecting me to cry again after this, I'm way past getting too emotional. I hate it, but I have to be a lot more professional, handle things better and not let myself come off the rails," Tommy said. "Does it hurt seeing that again, yes; does it make me want to cry, yes it does. But that was my weakness back in the day and that's why all these evils tried to exploit us, because they knew I'd go through heaven and Earth to get her back. I still do, but I handle this a lot different now."
"Tommy, I'd be pissed if all that shit happened to me!" Hayley said. "You had a family beyond my comprehension and you got screwed!"
"I know I did, but we'll talk about that in a moment. There's more," Tommy said.
"Eventually the Rangers fought Divatox as well as they could, but their destinies, for the moment, had almost ended. As such, I went home to Eltar and Dimitria, a dear friend who I trust, replaced me," Zordon said. "The Rangers, subsequently, passed their powers on to four teens who exemplify the legacy as well as anyone."
"I leave you with these final thoughts as my capture draws near; Tommy told me 24 hours after he received the Letter that he promised he would fight to get her back; that he didn't build a relationship with her just to lose it on a letter. He also believes that she is innocent, that she didn't send it," Zordon said. "To whoever is viewing this, you must swear never to reveal the identities of any Power Ranger. To have these identities revealed would lead to catastrophic events."
"I swear, Zordon, from the bottom of my heart, they will never be revealed to anyone," Hayley said quietly, nodding her head as she did so.
"And I have one final thought; chances are if Tommy is having you view this, then I am sure he thinks you can help carry on the legacy of the Rangers and also play a part in helping bring Tommy and Kimberly, and my team, back together," Zordon said. "Goodbye, and may the Power protect you."
Hayley sat quietly a few moments after the video ended, in stunned silence. In some ways, she felt relieved; there were times growing up when she felt no one had it worse than her. She had been proven more than wrong.
And without doubt, she couldn't say no to Tommy.
"I have a few questions, if you don't mind," Hayley said. "First of all, who is Dark Specter?"
"Dark Specter is, or was, the leader of The United Alliance of Evil, an organization which included all of the evil beings we fought," Tommy said. "With the help of his servant Darkonda, he also corrupted the sister of Andros of the planet KO-35, who I am very close with."
"What happened to Zordon?" Hayley said.
"Sacrificed himself to save the universe in the midst of a last attack on the Universe by Specter's servant, Astronema, who is Andros' sister's evil alter ego; his sister earned her freedom with Zordon's sacrifice," Tommy said. "This attack happened 1000 days after the Letter, in November of 1998. I remember it well because I was at A&M and kept getting calls that day."
"The Power Chamber, still going?" Hayley said.
"Nope, dead and gone," Tommy said. "It was destroyed in a final attack by Divatox after I left. I went back there last year at the end of spring break, in March, 1500 days after The Letter, to get some specifications of the building. In my grandest vision, I'll have my own Power Chamber someday."
"What of Rita and Zedd, and Finster, and Selena?" Hayley said.
"Rita and Zedd are purified, got their coveted Ninjetti powers back and are living just outside Angel Grove," Tommy said. "As for Finster, Dulcea recreated him from what I understand; he has a human form now and lives with Rita and Zedd. Selena is a total wild card; she became the villainess Scorpina, but I have no clue where she went."
By this point, Tommy was starting to break down; he wanted to be more professional as he said, but this was even too much for him to take as finally tears rushed down his cheeks. Much to his surprise, Hayley embraced him.
"If all that shit happened to me, I'd bawl my eyes out too," Hayley said. "You and that ex girl of yours have gone through more shit than most people can take in their entire lives."
"I know, and I'd still go to the ends of the Earth for her, but it just looks really bad crying about your ex who's been gone for five years and maybe will never come back," Tommy said, trying to fight back tears.
"Under normal circumstances I would agree, but these aren't normal circumstances, Tommy," Hayley said. "Sometimes, it's OK for boys to cry. I'm crying and I don't even know any of your teammates. But what you had was a family, which is something I wish I had. Some of my family members completely embarrass me."
"We had the greatest of times," Tommy said. "Best years of my life were those two years in California; just pure bliss. It's something I may never experience again."
"Tommy, never say never. I'm no stranger to weird things and you two getting back together wouldn't be the weirdest thing ever," Hayley said. "I'm all in with you, 100 percent."
Tommy gratefully managed a smile as more tears came out. On Day No. 2000 since The Letter, he had found the woman who maybe, just maybe, would give him a chance to get his Crane back.
"Now, there is one more reason that I am all in with you, besides the fact that I'm pissed you and that girl of yours got screwed and the fact that I see so much talent in you. There is yet one more reason I'm all in," Hayley said pointedly.
"What's that?" Tommy said.
"Redemption, and my family's good name," Hayley said. "How much do you know about Crossworld City and the VR Troopers?"
"I know a little bit, and I admired what they did but we never crossed paths with them," Tommy said.
"Well, my step-father, a man who caused a lot of turmoil within my family within his regular life alone, was named Karl Ziktor, the head of a company known as Ziktor Industries," Hayley said. "But his alter ego was Grimlord, the VR Troopers' archenemy. He invited me into his office one day and accidentally transformed into Grimlord when he didn't know I was still in the room, and I was stuck on his base for a long time. He probably doesn't know, and I'd never tell him to his face."
"That must have been extremely difficult," Tommy said.
"The most difficult thing I've ever had to keep in," Hayley said. "I was so happy when I started at Stanford, away from the family. I was fortunate because when I told Ryan, Kaitlin and JB, they understood and helped care for me until I left for college. The one more reason I'm all in is redemption. To help my family's good name because God knows it needs it."
"Thank you for listening to my plight, Hayley," Tommy said. "So, we're both legal age now. When do we go get drunk to take our tears away?"
Right now," Hayley said as they both headed out.
TBC…