A/N: Part I of my new series, entitled Project Phoenix. As a disclaimer, this series is inspired by Kctimes2's The Adoption (one of the best stories I've ever read here) which is going to become more evident later. It will be a Tommy/Kim/Jayden series eventually.

A/N 2: In the meantime, this part of Project Phoenix is what I think should have happened with Kim at the Turbo movie and afterward. This Kimberly was never brought back by Lerigot thanks to some decisions she made and now she is a cruel, violent, vicious conqueror. On we go with the next part of the story...Miami, which in large part sets the table for Kimberly's corruption. Yes, this includes The Letter. There is a death in this chapter, for the record.

A/N 3: Usual disclaimer. Power Rangers doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 2 – Dreams Turned to Dust

May 2010

Eltarian Capital City

Eltar

Upon reflection, Kim remembered that in the days and weeks following Jayden's birth, life had become hectic and in some ways, heartbreaking.

She remembered in particular the day she passed her powers to Kat, so she could chase her dream of representing her country as a gymnast. It was something she'd worked for all her life. Unfortunately, as she vividly recalled, not all lifetime dreams could become reality.

After she had passed her power coin on to Kat, Tommy had kissed her goodbye, helped see her onto a plane, and she'd left for Miami, where she fully expected to take the next step in her development as a person, possibly have a run where she could compete for gold medals, and possibly come home some day where she could see her son again and have a lifetime with Tommy.

Instead, Miami had become a house of horrors for her and was a place she never wanted to go near again for as long as she lived...The moment she stepped on that plane was the end of her two year blissful dream and the beginning of a nightmare that would span close to two decades...

Flashback

January 1996

Miami, Florida

As the newcomer for the Pan Globals tryouts went through her routine, those who watched her perform stared at her, half in awe, and half in blatant trepidation.

Where had Coach Schmidt found this newcomer? Better yet, why bring her in now, when so many of the athletes who were already competing were not only at the top of their game, but so close to realizing their dream?

But the more and more the occupants of the room watched her routine, particularly the girls, fear crept into all their hearts. Not only was this newcomer as good as anybody they'd seen, she was without question good enough to send someone home and crush her dream, which otherwise would not have happened had Coach Schmidt not brought Kimberly in.

Kimberly hadn't missed the jealousy-filled stares directed her way either. Being a Power Ranger for two years (of course, unknown to every single one of the occupants in the room, including her coach), her senses were trained to know when trouble was brewing. She wasn't concerned quite yet but her guard was very much up.

Kim obviously didn't know it at the time but this was why a future Ranger for many years down the road would ditch a spot at swimming in the 2016 Olympics. The world of international sports was a cruel place, particularly swimming and women's gymnastics. That Ranger would also be part of a team that changed history but that's for another time.

The one thing she'd figured out pretty quickly was that this wasn't a family...not like her old "family" back in California was. She wasn't surprised though, she knew for many years that women's gymnastics, of all the summer Olympic sports, was possibly the most cutthroat of them all.

Every single one of the girls in the room (and guys for that matter) had been training for this all of their lives just as Kimberly had. A spot on the Pan-Global team could be parlayed, potentially, into a spot in the Olympics down the road.

Kimberly knew good and well that even though she had the opportunity to realize her dream, that her competition would do anything to break her. While everyone lived together, and had a friendly facade, in the gym, anything could and usually did go.

End Flashback

Unfortunately for Kimberly, as she continued to flourish early on in her new environs, the fear continued to grow and grow among her competitors. She was good enough to make Pan-Globals and eventually the Olympics, and she knew it. So did her competition as well.

Thus, it wasn't long before the insults started coming. They started a few weeks after she arrived in Florida, and then they just went nonstop as those who were trying to make the team started trying to break Kim mentally, since they couldn't do it physically.

"Hey Angel Grove girl, can you make me a monster?"

"Hey short stuff, did Coach Schmidt have to fight through the Power Rangers to find you?"

"Hey short stuff, that ponytailed freak has nothing on me. I could beat him in my sleep!"

The male gymnasts got in on it too, often challenging her to a sparring match, and betting who could beat her the quickest.

Looking back, that hadn't bothered her so much. Men were men, and Tommy, Rocky and Jason had successfully taught her how to defend herself.

What they said about Tommy didn't bother her either; she laughed as no one really knew him. Quite frankly, she knew they were fortunate he was in California.

The Angel Grove stuff, however, had hurt her very much as Kim reflected on it. Kim did her best to not show it, but deep down it hurt her. It was as if those who were commenting on the Power Rangers and monster stuff really had no idea what they were talking about.

As someone who not only knew about it, but was in the middle of it, in her heart she was deeply hurt, then and now.

And oh, they all knew about Tommy too and they threw insults about him in Kim's face as well. Kim hadn't been shy about saying she had a boyfriend back in California; they'd all seen the photo. Kim then remembered her roommate Jacqueline, who had been one of the only girls to stand behind her. Kim had poured her heart out to Jackie and Jackie felt for her but she also knew as did Kim that this was a mental ploy.

In Jackie's opinion, Kimberly though a new arrival lived up to the billing. She was confident, fluid and knew what she was doing every time she performed. She was Olympic material but her competitors were pissed at not only her but Coach Schmidt that he'd brought her in so late.

Kimberly did quite well for a while, but as the days and weeks went by, and the catcalls and insults started to pick up with rapid steam and the competition got hot and heavy, she felt a lot of pressure.

It hadn't helped that things on the other side of the continent were quite hectic as Tommy and the Rangers had been busy with Master Vile (and nearly lost to him) and then King Mondo and his Machines on a daily basis. She knew she had spiritual support from Tommy, but things were so busy that she hadn't heard from him in a long while.

It got to the point that one brutal Friday after hours and hours of mental torture and training, Kimberly's mind was frazzled. Every one of the girls save for those who were in her corner had razzed her all day, trying to get her off her game. The pressure was mounting and she knew she had to do something to alleviate things.

That Friday night, when she and Jackie had gone out to the movies in Miami had been when her life began to change. Jackie had brought along her best friend Alex, who was a swimmer trying out for the Pan-Globals and Alex and Kim had hit it off immediately.

Kim then remembered those days, those excruciating days where she had thought and thought and thought some more about her new situation, which led her to make another decision that she wished she could take back...

Flashback

Kim sighed glumly. This was going to be the hardest thing she ever had to do in her life.

But she knew there was no other choice.

She'd tried calling Tommy for advice before and after she met Alex, but every time he called was the same old thing. Not home. This Machine Empire thing had to be worse than Zedd and Rita combined if Tommy wasn't answering her phone calls...Not to mention he still had school...

She still loved Tommy with all her heart. But she knew she couldn't continue to lean on him at all hours of the day. To a great extent, he was in her past and Alex was now her present. Thanks to Alex, she'd gotten back on track mentally and it seemed as if there would be no stopping her from her path to Pan-Globals. Every one of her competitors seemed to be resigned to that too. The more and more she trusted Alex, the better things became again.

Then she had another factor to consider; her sweet child Jayden, who she hoped was in good hands. The last thing she needed was for any villain, current or future, to know about her child and his true heritage. If she was honest with herself, the best thing she could do right now was sever all ties with the Rangers for the time being...to protect that child.

And that included no more Tommy. At least for the time being.

In her heart, she trusted Kat a great deal too. She'd take care of him as best she could.

This wasn't the ideal way to break up with the boy she loved first, but it would have to do since he was nowhere to answer his phone these days...

Silently, she took out a piece of paper and a pen and began to write the words she would regret forever...

'Dear Tommy,

Everything is going great in Florida...'

Every word she wrote after that cut her like a knife. But she knew in her heart that it had to be done. If she was going to realize her dream, then she had to let the past go. At least for the time being. Alex for the time being was her future as was being the best in the world at her craft. This was a dream she'd worked for all her life.

A few hours later, she sent the letter off. The deed was done...

End Flashback

Unfortunately, the relief Kimberly got was to be temporary even though she would flourish for the next several months. As the tryouts were nearing their end, Kimberly was almost a sure lock to make the 1997 Pan-Global team. Sponsors were crawling all over her and she was America's new gymnastic sweetheart. However, while she was about to realize her dream, somebody else's dream would come crashing to a halt.

It was also well-known that Kimberly was going out with one of the swimmers and had been for a while. She really hadn't missed a beat since she'd broken up with that Tommy guy, and Alex had been a large reason for that. While Tommy was great, Alex, an import from San Antonio, had been there for her in ways others couldn't mainly because he understood her situation.

Like Kimberly, he'd been insanely talented when asked to come to Florida and try out but in the world of swimming, he too had to scratch and claw for every inch he'd gotten.

Both appeared ready to realize their lifelong dreams of representing their countries...until four days before the participants were announced when tragedy struck.

Flashback

February 1997

Kimberly's face, one moment jovial, had turned white as a sheet.

One moment, she had been enjoying the movie she was watching with Alex.

Then the next moment she heard two gunshots and instinctively ducked.

There was no doubt there were two bullets in the side of Alex's head. There was no question in her mind that Alex was dead.

The man she counted on to protect her post-Tommy, who had done a superlative job in that regard, was now gone.

Almost one year to the day after she'd sent Tommy the letter, karma had kicked her in the ass for the first of many times.

The only thing she could do was cry a million tears.

End Flashback

From there, things had begun to careen downhill for Kimberly. 24 hours later, she had one of the worst routines she'd ever done in her entire life and it was as if the stress and catcalls all came rushing back. She was fortunate she hadn't suffered a physical injury that day, although her mental injuries were apparent.

This time, she had nowhere else to turn.

She realized after that day that it just wasn't worth it to pursue her dream. The world of professional gymnastics was just too cutthroat for her, and it hadn't been worth it to get on that plane.

She suspected then, and suspected now that whoever had shot Alex and killed him was angry at not only Kim, but also the coaches. She also suspected that whoever was behind it was on the verge of being cut.

24 hours after that awful routine, she called Jason who had recently got back in the Ranger world then nearly lost his life helping Trey of Triforia. Jason immediately knew something was wrong and knew that he had to get his 'Little Sister' out of Florida before anything else happened.

That very day, she announced she was leaving the team, which sent shockwaves throughout the Pan-Global community. Coach Schmidt had been taken back a bit, but not surprised considering all that had happened. Kimberly had been his prized talent that he'd brought in to make the team better and the team hadn't responded well to it at all. He understood, and hoped that some day, Kimberly would be a coach of the sport.

Looking back on it, Kimberly thought that her hell was over with her departure from Miami. Oh but it was just beginning...

Meanwhile, Kimberly's possessed body had just woken up the first morning after her conquest. For Flammia, this had been as proud an accomplishment as she ever had.

She'd captured a few small planets, Edenoi and Inquiris being two of them. Those had been good planets to conquer, but as Flammia understood, those were not that significant for the Earth Rangers. Inquiris was where Dimitria was from, but to her understanding Tommy's Turbo team hated Dimitria. She'd conquered Edenoi, and the Masked Rider was her prisoner, but Alpha was long gone before she could capture him.

This was the first salvo that Lady Flammia intended to wreck all that Zordon's Rangers held dear...If Eltar didn't get their attention, then maybe KO-35 or Aquitar would...

She then pressed her hands to her forehead...

"Scorpina," Flammia's voice boomed.

"Yes, my Lady?" the half-scorpion humanoid said.

"Have you heard from Vipera yet?"

"Yeah, it's going to take her quite a while. Apparently this planet is loaded with monetary value. We are going to get some really good weapons and/or soldiers from this."

"Good. Tell her I want every last bit of monetary value from this planet, even more so than usual. In the meanwhile, I have a mission for you."

"And that would be?"

"Take a detachment of the army to KO-35 and add it to my collection. Do not fail me," Flammia said.

"It shall be done, my Lady."

Review box is at the bottom. Please review/follow/favorite if you wouldn't mind. Thanks.