Six pairs of eyes stared in horror at David's statement. Why had that not occurred to any of them? However, considering the tyrant's history with pets and collars, he would be very aware of the significance of claiming one's possession.
Jamie blinked several times without speaking. Unconsciously, his hand moved back towards his own throat, rubbing at the remembered cool weight that encircled him for twenty years. Unbeknownst to the others at the table, the Red Omega's fingertips traced the black braided adornment he was currently wearing.
Tommy was the first to break the heavy silence.
"A master? You mean someone is sending that thing out in search of Jamie? Who is it and why him?" he snapped, ignoring the firm grip of Jason's hand on his leg.
David glared back at him.
"Again. Fuck. If. I. Know," he hissed. "I'm merely pointing out what should be obvious."
Jamie swallowed nervously.
"Why haven't we made his acquaintance yet?" he started before catching himself and raising a hand to cut into David's snarky answer. "Fuck if you know, sorry I forgot."
David settled back in his chair as Billy turned more pages. Strange star drenched landscapes, mazes, weapons. Nothing depicting what could be interpreted as the hound's master. Then there was a large intricately detailed portrait of the Obsidian Fox Ranger impaled through the chest from his back by an unknown attacker. The force of the impalement lifted the Ranger off the ground, his boots dangling limply.
The blade protruding from just under his breastbone was an undulating metal, instead of a straight edge.
This detail quickly caught Skull's attention as he ultimately became responsible for a large regiment of Red Sentries while under Lord Drakkon's reign. He swiftly turned the image towards himself, silver eyes narrowing as he studied the weapon.
"That blade is familiar, Kim. Look, does it remind you of anything?" he whispered, nervously.
The Ranger Slayer leaned in closer and squinted her eyes. She slowly shook her head.
"It's a Serpentine blade, or rather a Flambard. Mostly likely it's a rapier from what I can see of the hilt and possible length," the former Sentry continued. "The waves were more of an aesthetic feature with no real advantage over a straight blade. They were the flamboyant toys of the wealthy and appearance obsessed."
He couldn't help but lift his eyes to where David sat, staring impassively back.
"I'm almost sure you had a similar style weapon at one point."
Kimberly gasped in recognition.
"Yes, it's still at the palace. It was packaged in a black velvet box under Drakkon's bed. I had it removed and destroyed, like much of everything else in there!"
Hazel eyes widened at the implied accusation.
"What are you saying? That I'm the one doing that? Because that's utter bullshit!" he snapped venomously. "I had one commissioned, yes. It was going to be a gift for Red. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to present it to him before my 'departure.' Skull was probably present when the craftsman delivered it to me."
Jamie studied David's face, everything inside telling him that the tyrant was speaking the truth. Knowing the man as intimately as he did, if he really wanted his former pet dead, he would have found any number of off-the-wall, stealthy ways to have pulled it off already. Not to mention the conversation they shared before tracking Jasper down in the storm.
Why go to all the trouble and embarrassment of openly sobbing, admitting such painful yearnings as wanting to be with Jamie as a couple in a blissful domestic life of simplicity?
"I believe you," he murmured much to everyone's surprise, including David's.
Even Billy was nodding in agreement with the sentiment.
"I concur with Jamie," he stated. "That energy is not truly the Black Dragon coin, just a more powerful copycat. This sword is a copycat of one David ordered to be crafted. And it's targeting someone that David had every opportunity over the course of two decades, and now even recently, to kill. But that never happened."
Jason frowned.
"So whatever or whoever this entity is behind the scenes, it seems to have some type of tie to David, or Drakkon? I'm not sure how all these other pieces factor in though," he muttered.
The Blue Ranger nodded in agreement.
"There's still much to factor in. If the past is any indication, the canine will return here, especially if it's truly after Jamie."
Now Kimberly spoke up; something was bothering her although she wasn't sure why it grated on her so harshly.
"Jamie, what happened to its eyes? When it attacked the palace, it had regular ones. But today, the eyes were that weird red plastic."
Skull shuddered at the memory.
"Damn thing looked like a stuffed animal with those shiny peepers," he grunted.
Jamie was still staring at the picture of himself skewered with the ostentatious sword.
"I blinded it during our first battle. My Ranger weaponry includes Shuriken and I sent a few straight into its face as it chased me into a wooded area. I thought it would be an advantage if it couldn't see me. Obviously, I realize now its more scent oriented, but I was sort of grasping at straws at the time," he explained. "As for how it ended up with those odd craft eyes, I have no idea."
David stared at him like he was ridiculous.
"The master made some repairs to his damaged property. Of course, I couldn't explain how he physically did it, but he was covering up the damage. Don't you remember the times I had you treated after your fights, Jamie? Particularly the one that required me to use my combined coin to bring you around," the mad man argued.
Tommy growled under his breath.
"That's sick."
"What's sick? I could have let him bleed to death on some strange, distant planet instead of caring for him and bringing him back home," David hissed.
The White Ranger shook his head in disgust.
"The whole fucking thing was sick. Keeping a human being for a pet, fighting him like some deranged pit bull, talking about him as if he really were an animal. Were you that insecure that you felt that was the only way to keep someone in your life?"
David crossed his arms, struggling to keep his temper in check if only for Jamie's sake.
"You would know, wouldn't you, you little shit?"
Now, the White Ranger's face was beginning to redden, wanting nothing more than to vault over the table and knock the asshole's teeth down his throat.
"Guys," Skull broke in. "This might be a productive conversation at some point, but not right now. We've got bigger fish to fry.
No one had noticed that Jamie's eyes were squeezed tightly shut, memories overwhelming his nervous system despite Red's ardent attempts to snap them out of the air with his teeth like flies before they could land.
All the talk of the fights, the blood, his injuries were triggering ghosts. He could literally hear the raucous cheering and gloating of the audience as they sipped fine wines and liquors and ate exotic dishes while they watched the combatants. The air was filled with the coppery scent of blood and sizzling flesh that had landed on the electrified cage.
His heart was pounding too fast, sweat beading his forehead.
Bloody, gory hunks of unidentifiable muscles and limbs were strewn over the ground like loose bales of straw. Red's adrenaline was coursing wildly through his veins, eyes wide, tracking various potential attackers. His sharp white teeth glistened under the smeared blood coating his mouth, some of it his, some of it not.
Lacerations burned and pulled under his ripped uniform as he paced back and forth waiting for a challenger to become brave enough to attempt a strike.
Lord Drakkon gazed down at him in the arena, a chalice in his hand that was merely decoration as he didn't imbibe in front of potential adversaries. A rush of adoration flushed Red's cheeks; he wanted nothing more than to please his master.
Mark approached the table with a tray of icy beverages and noticed Jamie's predicament.
"Hey, Jamie? What's wrong, friend?"
The tensed man could only whimper.
Quickly, Mark deposited the tray down on an empty table and timidly placed a hand on his friend's back. He was very mindful of the 'Red Rage' he had overheard and the possibility that the alter just might pop out at them.
The two aggressive men ceased their bickering, looking at their companion with concern.
"Perhaps you should take him for some air, Mark," David suggested, also keenly aware that Red could bound out at any minute. "I think he could do with some breathing room right now."
But when Mark took Jamie's elbow to guide him up from the chair, the panicked man shook his shaggy head.
"No… Alone…" he ground out, stumbling quickly away from the table and out the glass doors.
Cool air brushed his clammy skin, the day growing darker as the sun approached the horizon. His breathing remained fast and shallow, the thudding heart pounding painfully. Vision swimming, Jamie darted around the corner into the dim alleyway.
One hand caught him from falling against the crumbling brick wall. The tactile changed under his fingertips helped to ground him in reality somewhat.
'Focus, focus, have to calm down,' repeated in his head like a mantra.
Knees buckling, Jamie curled into an upright ball, leaning against the brick. A soft whine reverberated in his throat as he rocked slowly.
'Why is this happening? I've had these intrusive memories before,' he moaned inside his mind.
'It's all catching up to us. Even me,' a disembodied, growly voice responded. 'I told you to run away from them, but you decided not to listen.'
Jamie's breath hitched at the strange sensation.
'Red?' he thought to himself, unsure how one was supposed to communicate with another person residing in their psyche.
A breathy huff came next, the sound from a frustrated canine.
'I suppose I should formally introduce myself now that you are aware of my presence,' the alter sighed.
Anger flared across Jamie's system.
'Now you decide to start talking to me! When everything starts going to shit, you have to spring this whole other dumpster fire on me?'
Red growled indignantly; Jamie could faintly hear the firm thump of a heavy tail striking a ground of some sort.
'It's because everything is headed to shit that I had to come out. I'm merely doing my job…' he started but the smaller alter cut him off.
'Protecting me? By making me look fucking insane?' he shouted at the mysterious presence. 'How much more do you think I can fucking handle? Because I'm literally at my wit's end!'
A sharp bark of retort echoed in his brain.
'And I'm not?' the voice bellowed. 'I'm doing my best right now!'
Abruptly, Jamie's fist swung out and he punched the brick wall forcefully, making him cry out.
Red gasped in horrified shock; he hadn't meant to take control of the body. Obviously, his temper needed to settle.
'Sorry about that. It wasn't my intention,' he apologized contritely.
The pain laced up Jamie's wrist and forearm. He could feel the broken skin and the blood welling. Now, tears collected in his lashes; one slowly rolled down his cheek.
'Now, what? Where do we go from here? Since I'm aware of you?' he managed forlornly, hugging his injured hand to his chest.
Red shrugged with a sad exhalation, also at a loss.
'Is Jason going to wake up now?' Jamie worried when the larger alter was silent. 'Are we just supposed to fade out when he does?'
The canine persona sniffed, a thick wet tongue licking his muzzle.
'Little one, I'm merely a palace pet, a dog. Not an expert on psychiatric issues despite everyone seeming to think I am. There's no explanation or clarification I can give. I'm not entirely show how exactly I created you, to be honest,' Red murmured sadly.
Both voices were silent a moment; Jamie and Red 'sitting' quietly together in the alley.
A hand dropped on his shoulder and a new voice spoke.
"Jamie? Are you alright? What happened in there?"
Craning his head around, he looked up to find Kimberly standing over him, her expression tight with worry.
Shaking his head, he allowed the Slayer to assist him to his feet.
"I'm not too sure what happened but yes, I'm ok," he whispered as she wrapped comforting arms around him. "Too many bad memories, I think."
The smaller woman nodded in understanding.
"I get it. You've had more than your share of trauma. It's not fair."
The both stood in silence, letting the cooling air calm their frazzled nerves and emotions.
Back inside the store, everyone stared towards the door where first Jamie and then Kimberly had disappeared through. Mark managed to pass the drinks around, knowing there was little else he could do to help besides assist Jamie's companions.
Tommy and David glanced at each other sporadically, both feeling guilty that their tempestuous emotional entanglements had finally driven Jamie over the edge. It seemed they just could NOT help themselves in poking and prodding the other, their jostling for position continually coming to a head at the expense of others.
Propping his head up with one arm, David's focus turned to the others seated with him. Being too busy acting the ass, he'd failed to fully appreciate all the minute changes each individual had undergone in his absence.
Billy had been a surprise. The Blue Ranger had a more confident air about him, easily guiding the others in more productive directions when things went sideways. He still had a healthy fear of the tyrant but nothing like before. His body was also more muscled, the blue t shirt clinging easily to new bulges under the fabric.
Skull, too, had changed physically, becoming a more muscular yet leaner man. He still had his calm nonchalant attitude as always. In the palace, Drakkon and Red had rather enjoyed his witty commentary. If asked, David would admit that it was one of the main reasons he kept Skull around as long as he did. When everyone was falling to pieces, the former Sentry was the voice of reason; he as a soothing balm to frayed nerves.
Tommy didn't deserve much more than a perfunctory once-over, in David's opinion. It would puzzle others how much one could despise themselves. Weak and arrogant. However, he had apparently toughened up and claimed the little Red Omega.
That was an interesting turn of events. David would have loved to discover the details of their emotional confession to one another. How sickeningly precious!
That left the darling Omega to be studied. Jason was still quite muscular, his dark hair and eyes almost black. The red cotton fabric of his shirt vividly stood out, like a scarlet flag. David gazed at his luscious full lips and delicious throat, wondering if Tommy was aware of his boyfriend's neck-grabbing kink.
Something flashed brilliantly catching his eye as Jason reached out to pick up his glass of soda. It was small, a detail that might not have jumped out at first considering the absolute shit show going on.
David's eyes widened in wonderment. It was in the proper place and couldn't possibly have any other meaning. That was clearly a band on his left ring finger. Now, he looked to Tommy's left hand which was currently bare.
Hmmm…. He turned his attention back to the Red Omega's hand.
Jason placed his glass back on the tabletop as he waited for Kimberly and Jamie to return. He was frustrated that the aggressive bickering had driven the older man into an episode. The Ranger Slayer was the best to handle him considering her history corralling Red in the palace.
An odd sensation made his flesh shiver and his hair stand up. Turning his head, he noted that David was staring rather intently at him. Or more accurately, his hand still encircling the cold glass. Then the hazel eyes were locked with Jason's dark ones as the tyrant gave him a sly feline grin.
"It appears congratulations are in order, Jason. I wasn't aware you tied the knot. Or are you just engaged?" he teased playfully.
Oh, fuck…..