The tyrant's brows knitted together as he closed the flaps of the book.
"I assure you I know my coin inside and out. There's no way that anything is able to access it's power," he muttered, eyes settling intently on Jamie's. "And why would I be trying to kill you, darling? I just got you back and I'm over the moon about it."
Nodding his head back towards the bedroom, his expression grew solemn.
"Apparently, my 'episodes' were occurring long before I knew you were alive. At least according to the documents in my old chart you had tucked away. I had plenty of time to peruse my medical records while you were out," he added.
Jamie settled into a chair across from David and sighed, spreading his arms in exasperation.
"So, is everything we've been trying to tell you still bullshit? No one even knew who you really were so there was no reason for anyone to lie about you," he exclaimed.
David's eyes slid back to the assembled visitors standing awkwardly in the doorway. Out of the group, Tommy's expression was the most venomous as he stared David down.
Interesting.
"I'm guessing they know everything as well. That I'm 'demented' as they say," he growled, maintaining the unblinking stare with the White Ranger.
"Considering the probability was high that they would run out here and twist your head off, I had to explain why I hadn't already done just that," Jamie explained. "How else was I going to justify you being in my home?"
David shrugged, grinning when Tommy broke their shared gaze.
"Whatever," he muttered, waving a hand dismissively.
Looking over his shoulder, Jamie addressed Billy.
"Can you show him the energy signatures? Or maybe its better if you let me show him," he asked.
The Blue Ranger handed Jamie the readings and spoke to David from where he stood a safe distance away.
"As you will see in the scans, the energy signature from this hound closely resembles the one related to your coin," he began as Jamie passed the papers across the table for David to look over.
"No it doesn't," the former tyrant growled. "Look at these spikes here and here. If anything, whatever this is related to is more powerful than the Black Dragon coin."
"It isn't exact, you're right," the young genius clarified. "It's a close copy. Something powerful is duplicating it but it remains unclear who or why."
David's hazel eyes moved to the printout with numerical data and date/time stamps.
"Is this when it first appeared?" he muttered thoughtfully, pointing a date from two years prior.
Billy nodded.
"It appears so. Or at least that's when Finster's machine first traced it back. Before that, there was nothing. It seems to pop up at random locations and times. Perhaps searching for something?" he answered, before gesturing at the other Coinless. "They feel that when it appeared at your palace, it was after something specific."
The Ranger Slayer bravely moved forward to stand beside Billy. As much as she despised being under David's gaze, she needed to get this information. Her brother's life obviously depended on it.
"That beast tore through the palace just to get to where Red used to live, where I was forced to keep him after you disappeared. We trailed it to the containment room and it acted like it had caught a 'scent'. Since then, it showed up here. Where Jamie is," she hissed. "The only place it has ever appeared more than once."
David stared at her quietly before his eyes lowered back to the data.
"Interesting," he mused. "But I can assure you, I don't know what it could be. I do agree that this creature has taken an interest in my darling and if I were in a better condition, rest assured I would remove it's mangy head."
He gracefully slid the papers back towards Jamie before he backed away from the kitchen table in order to wheel to the stove. Grabbing the ladle, he stirred the delicious smelling soup that no one in their right mind was going sample. David, however, lifted a scoop to better sniff the aroma before smiling beatifically.
Jamie hissed in frustration and annoyance.
"For some reason, I agree that he's telling the truth. He truly does not know. Or he doesn't know that he knows."
He looked up at Billy.
"I have the Latin phrases he was spewing while in the facility. And the staff took pictures of the strange drawings he concocted when the hound first appeared. Maybe they will make sense to you."
Shifting his gaze to David's back, he addressed the asshole.
"You agree with that? That I can show him?"
Tommy snarled angrily.
"Why are you even asking him for permission? You know damn well Drakkon wouldn't ask! Hell, he ran rampant through your mind for two decades, tracking his filth through your head!"
Jason put a hand on Tommy's forearm.
"Easy," he murmured. "Remember we are better than that."
David spun his chair back to face the group. His face had twisted in a petulant scowl.
"That's right, White Ranger! You're BETTER than me!" he snarled, jabbing a finger in the direction of his younger self. "Just ask the little duckling. He's a good judge of character. Right, Jason?"
"Fuck you!" Tommy exploded, taking a menacing step toward David. "You are a sick son of a bitch with control issues and raging insecurity. Whole heartedly…. FUCK YOU!"
The Red Omega slipped in front of Tommy, stopping his forward progress as Jamie jumped from his chair to grab the handles of David's wheelchair. It wouldn't have been in keeping with David's better judgement to attempt a physical altercation with the White Ranger. If anything, he'd relish a tussle, being too enraged and demented to think better of fucking with a younger stronger version of himself.
Jamie struggled mightily to keep a grip on the handles when David suddenly abandoned all decorum and leapt from the chair like a territorial feline; the swift cessation of traction caused Jamie to collide painfully with the edge of the counter behind him. His eyes widened watching the tyrant glide across the floor like a fucked-up Wonderland creature.
Jason bodily shoved his boyfriend out the kitchen door into the yard as the others were yelling back and forth with the crazed man. Bear shoved the pair aside roughly, barking as he ran inside to protect his human companion. Glancing over his shoulder, the Omega's mouth dropped open at the calamity unfolding in the small room.
Drakkon, or David rather, was crouched on the floor yelling at a red-faced Ranger Slayer while Skull and Billy both firmly restrained her by the arms. Jamie was attempting to grab David's upper arms while the mad man appeared to ignore his presence entirely. Bear lunged at the asshole, snarling loudly.
All was utter chaos when a high-pitched scream pierced the air, bringing utter silence. Jasper had been lounging under the wooden table during the ensuing brawl, all but forgotten in the drama of unexpected visitors. A clatter of hooves rapped the floor before she dashed from her napping spot and headbutted the large dog in the side, knocking him over.
She planted her stalk-like legs in front of David and emitted another sharp, painful screech.
"Are you seriously sticking up for him, you little shit?" Jamie snapped. "A few pieces of carrot bought your loyalty?"
David snorted.
"I've bought allegiance for less than that," he boasted.
Kimberly laughed derisively.
"More like you scared people into obeying you! Or put them under a spell!"
Billy caught Skull's attention as he pulled back on Kim's arm again.
"I think a little separation would be beneficial right now, Eugene," he advised. "Tempers are quite heated and hasty decisions could potentially follow."
Skull sighed tiredly and nodded.
"Alright everyone, now that we got the inevitable out of the way, let's take a pause before Jasper here takes us all out," he called in an authoritative voice that even made Kim cease her tugging. "She's aligned with the Carrot King now."
David rolled his eyes, crossing his arms; at least, his aggressive demeanor had abated.
"Carrot King? Really, Skull, that's a little juvenile even for you," he argued.
The former Sentry grinned at the grouchy dictator.
"Well, we could always go back to the classics. 'That Fucking Dick', 'Fuckface', 'the Mad Hatter,' 'Asshole,' 'Sauron,' 'Puss(y) in Boots'. I mean the list is endless really. Take your pick," Skull shot back easily.
Hazel eyes narrowed and David hissed.
"You've got more of a smart mouth than Jason did," he noted. "Perhaps I should have ripped your tongue out as well."
Waving a hand dismissively, Skull chuckled.
"I can't claim all the credit. It was a rather large group project. You know you weren't exactly a beloved leader," he pointed out.
Kimberly laughed evilly.
"Exactly. You weren't Jason," she spit at David's aghast expression.
"You BITCH!" the tyrant thundered even as Skull scooped the Slayer over his shoulder and swiftly exited to join a shell-shocked Jason and pissed off Tommy.
Billy remained behind; he knelt to assess the whimpering canine, who had managed to regain his feet but was hunched in pain.
"Is he alright?" Jamie worried, giving Jasper a look of warning.
"He appears to be fine other than probably getting a bruise," the Blue Ranger answered, his fingers gingerly palpating Bear's side, mindful of the sharp teeth.
Jamie gave a sigh of relief.
"Lucky for you, young lady! I've never seen you misbehave like that!" he scolded the goat, who continued to stand defiantly by David's side.
Snickering, the downed man patted the goat's flank.
"I take back what I said about you being a foolish beast," he cooed. "Red better be careful as I'm about to have a new favorite pet."
He grinned at Jamie who flipped him the finger in return.
"His paperwork is in the bedroom. It's the door just on the other side of the living room."
Billy nodded and moved off to retrieve the documents.
"Are you done now?" Jamie directed at David once they were alone besides the two animals.
"He insulted me first," the asshole pouted.
Maneuvering himself gracefully, David resumed his place in his wheelchair.
"YOU are a walking insult right now. Or more accurately, a rolling insult," Jamie pointed out rudely.
"That was uncalled for."
Not even bothering to answer, Jamie reached down and seized Jasper's collar.
"You come this way. Until I fix your pen, anyways," he growled, tugging the beast off through the doorway into the living room. "You're not starting that headbutting bullshit."
Bear gingerly followed his companion out of the room, leaving David alone in the kitchen. Huffing, he returned his attention to the soup on the stove, by now boiling hot and probably scorched on the bottom. Flicking his wrist, he cut off the heat.
His keen hearing detected the conversations going on out in the yard between the Coinless and the two younger Rangers. Stilling himself, he listened intently.
"Tommy, calm down. We don't have to like him but we need to figure out this hound business," Jason pointed out. "Jamie's life is in danger and possibly others as well."
The White Ranger paced angrily, his model-like features twisted in a snarl.
Skull spoke up from where he lounged against the side of the house.
"Jamie warned us he'd do just this. He's just getting his rocks off provoking us because otherwise he's as impotent as a 90-year-old snail. As 'active' as he was with Red, those balls are probably about to fall off," he pointed out.
Tommy stopped walking and spit into the grass.
"Motherfucker!"
Kimberly rubbed her temples and sighed. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, Skull was only stating facts.
"Eugene's right, guys. I let him get under my skin again too. I should have known better than that," she groaned, hating how easily the asshole had gotten a rise out of her.
She lowered herself to sit on a small bench situated amongst some beautiful yellow blossoms. The sun was starting to move towards the opposite side of the sky, blazing off the lake. The faint quacks of ducks reached her ears. How had the day burned away so quickly?
"I don't care. He's still a piece of shit! Why couldn't he have just died?" Tommy snapped.
Jason stepped in front of the White Ranger, placing his hands on the muscular chest.
"I know, Thom. I understand. But think about it this way," the Red Omega whispered, his hands sliding from the chest to envelope his lover. "If things hadn't played out the way they did, we never would have known how we felt about each other."
At that statement, David's ears perked up, his breath catching. Surely, he had misheard that assertion. Tommy and the little duckling were a couple? He didn't think the White Ranger had the balls to act on his desires; he certainly never had before!
Well, well, well. How very interesting! No wonder the White Ranger was being territorial. He felt that his claim on the Red Omega was being threatened. David didn't fault him as he would have expressed similar sentiments when it came to his Red Ranger.
The conversation had definitely gotten more interesting.
Tommy sighed as he relaxed into Jason's embrace. Better to enjoy it now before they had to restrain themselves in Jamie's presence.
"I know. I'll try to look at it that way but knowing what I do about him makes me want to shove a live grenade up his ass."
Fingers tenderly brushed Jason's cheek as the White Ranger cupped his head. However, the palpable weight of the Ranger Slayer's and Skulls eyes on their open display of affection made them pause. Of course it was still too soon for them to be fully accepting of their relationship.
Tommy dropped his hand back to his side and gave his love a gentle smile.
"Its not going to be easy pretending I don't have these strong feelings for you," he admitted to Jason.
Kimberly cleared her throat, catching their attention.
"Guys, this is all very new and there's so much intense emotion and discovery lately that I don't think we've all been able to process everything clearly. Bulk had a much leveler head than the rest of us did when we found out. But we were all still hurting and grieving our Jason," she admitted.
Skull added to his thoughts on the delicate situation with the new mysterious enemy and discovering that both Jason, in some form, as well as Drakkon were still alive and actually living together like the Odd Couple.
"Its been a roller coaster, for sure. I think we'll get there in time. As far as Jamie goes, I couldn't even guess how he might feel about you guys being together," he explained.
David's eavesdropping was interrupted as the man in question returned to the kitchen, favoring him with a scowl. Without breaking stride, he strode toward the door to the yard. Hooking a finger at the scorched pot, he muttered in annoyance.
"You know no one in their right mind is going to eat anything that's been prepared by you in any form. At least, clean up the mess so I don't have to deal with that too."
Billy was quickly following Jamie's trek to the outside and heard Jamie's comment. He was stuck by the fact that the former dictator appeared hurt, his eyes down cast and welling with tears.
Things were certainly curiouser and curiouser.