They were met with more Guardians than Tommy had ever seen in one place. While he was sure that Cameron and Axel could cause them problems as well, he was shocked that Abdalon thought this was necessary for him. He hadn't connected with his powers in nearly two years and he was not sure that they had gotten this much stronger.
"Really?" Tommy asked as Abdalon walked over to him and he gave him a skeptical look. "This is necessary?"
"I had to turn away more than this. You underestimate how powerful you really are," Abdalon whispered and Tommy just shook his head. This seemed excessive.
"We're just…they didn't even account for us," Axel joked as Tommy looked over at him and laughed. He was fairly sure that Axel and Cameron were more than capable, but he'd let the Guardians believe that he was the only threat. "That's fine."
"C'mon…let's go. I've already spent more time away from home today than I want to," Tommy said as he motioned that he would follow after Abdalon. They filed into the stairwell and he looked back to see Axel and Cameron had been separated from him, as well as, each other. So much for them thinking that the two of them were no threat. He felt it getting colder and colder and wondered just how far down they were going.
"We may have used some of our…skills…to make this place less hospitable," Abdalon said as Tommy just nodded. He was glad to hear that Ivan and Anise were not living it up in the lap of luxury right now. "I do not expect them to cooperate with us."
"And I will not be leaving until we know what we need to know," Tommy stated as Abdalon barely nodded before he opened the door into their holding room and Tommy noted how comfortable Ivan and Anise looked. Aside from it being cold, the Guardians were not doing much to them. He glanced back to see that Cameron and Axel were equally perturbed. "Ivan, Anise."
"We have nothing to say to him," Ivan stated as Abdalon approached him and Tommy walked over to stand next to Anise. "And he can do nothing to us."
"You think all of them can stop me?" Tommy asked as he watched Abdalon and the other Guardians freeze. "If I really wanted to- this would be a major inconvenience, but not a problem. So maybe we can all drop the charade. What's your price?"
"Our price?" Anise asked as Tommy looked over at her and shook his head. "You think we can be bought!"
"I think that you may want to go home to your families and that result will only happen if Kimberly wakes up," Tommy said as several of the other Guardians started to move towards him. "Keep them in line, Abdalon- I'm only stating what all of us have thought. The longer this coma goes on, the more likely we are to make a decision without her. So again I ask- what is your price?"
"You can't pay it," Ivan said as Tommy quirked his head and waited. "That was our father you killed."
"I didn't notice you there helping him. You knew it wasn't right, but you also hoped none of us survived so that you would never have to face this. You'd never have to face me," Tommy stated as he stood toe to toe with Ivan. "Name your price for the information I want."
"Two on one, winner takes all," Anise said and Tommy jerked his face over to her. Were they serious? He had barely survived Atlantis. "Are you scared, Dr. Oliver?"
"I've wanted a chance to go against the both of you since the beginning. Obviously- it's not to the death- although we would all love that. Loss of consciousness? Tap out…" Tommy trailed off as he looked around at the other Guardians and saw the shock on their faces. "Anyone else have an idea for fair terms?"
"We're going to let this happen?" Rebekah asked as she glanced between Abdalon and Roberto and they both nodded. "They could kill each other, no matter what terms we put in place."
"It's unlikely that he'll kill them and if they kill him…well…that will seal their fate," Abdalon said as he locked eyes with Ivan and then Anise and saw how much that changed their mood. "I'm fine with loss of consciousness or tap out- whichever comes first."
"They can't turn off their powers…so can I…" Tommy trailed off as they all stared at him and Abdalon reluctantly nodded. Tommy let down the wall he always kept up for his powers and felt that his eyes might be glowing as he looked up to address the room again. "I hope you're right about how strong this room is."
Abadalon walked over to Anise and Ivan to release their cuffs as the remainder of the Guardians lined the walls, pulling Cameron and Axel with them. Tommy flexed his hands as he locked eyes with Roberto who barely nodded. He let himself sink deeper into his powers and watched as Anise and Ivan staggered back from him and he smiled. It felt so good to connect with his powers again.
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Anise whispered as the light swirled around Tommy and she glanced over at Ivan, but it was too late as he threw her across the room and the other Guardians scattered. Ivan tried to defend himself, but Tommy quickly shoved him into the wall and began cutting off his air flow. Cameron and Axel broke away from the Guardians and each grabbed an arm as they watched Ivan try to tap out, but it was obvious that Tommy did not feel it.
"Dr. O. Dr. O! You got them. You got them both- that's enough," Axel growled in Tommy's ear as they pinned him against the wall and he looked around to see that the Guardians had moved Anise and Ivan to the side, but were otherwise not going to interfere. "Dr. O!"
"I need her to be safe. As long as they can hurt her…she won't be safe," Tommy groaned as Cameron and Axel re-doubled their efforts and hoped, against all hope, that Tommy would calm. It seemed like the longer they held him, the worse it got and as they looked around- they could sense the Guardians were getting worried.
"There's someone heading down," Rebekah muttered as Abdalon looked over at her in shock. "He's throwing off a lot of energy, it's bound to attract…"
The door was thrown open as Kimberly walked into the room and went straight for Tommy. Axel and Cameron let go of him as she wrapped her arms around him and they all watched as his powers slowly settled. Kimberly closed her eyes as she concentrated on soothing his soul. She had no idea how long she had been out, but if he had done something like this it must have been a long time.
"I'm back. We don't need the fireworks right now, save those for Kiros," Kim whispered as she kept running her hands up and down his arms, funneling the excess energy out through her body where she could. The light around them slowly dissipated and Tommy crashed back into his body as he realized who was holding him. The sobs hit him as he clung to her and Kimberly quietly rocked him back and forth. "Baby, it's okay. I got you."
"How did you wake up?" Tommy whispered as he pulled back to meet her gaze and she looked down. "Kim?"
"The Command Center woke me, somehow, it just said that I needed to bring you back to you," Kim whispered as he let out a long sigh and clung to her even tighter.
"She's awake…the deal is off," Ivan said and they both jerked around to face him and Kimberly let Tommy storm past her and he grabbed Ivan by the neck and pressed him against the wall. "Kill me…it'll be easier."
Tommy suddenly let him go and glanced back at Kimberly before she moved to squat down next to Ivan. Something was not adding up and they both knew it.
"What is Kiros holding over your head?" Kim asked as Ivan spat in her face and she shook her head as she wiped it off. She was not going to rise to his bait and Tommy seemed to be calm enough now to not rise to it either. "Why do you want to die so badly?"
"I've been alive for nearly 2000 years- I just want to rest," Ivan said and Anise nodded as well. They were some of Atlantis' first children and they were so tired of being here. "I just want to have my duty end."
"Then help us this last time and it can end. We won't ask anymore of you and the Guardians will let you retire," Tommy said as he looked up at Abdalon and he barely nodded that would be possible. "Where is he?"
"He has a few hide outs he favors, we'll make you a list," Anise said and Tommy nodded as he stood up and pulled Kimberly to her feet. "Tommy- you're strong, but you're going to need her."
"I know- that's why I was willing to do anything to get her back," Tommy stated as he looked over at Kimberly and she smiled up at him before he leaned down to give her a kiss. He soon felt that the both of them were being teleported and was shocked when they landed in their apartment. He chuckled as he realized that their rangers must have thought they would need some time alone. They weren't wrong, but he really wanted to get about planning how to take Kiros out.
"You can plan stuff later…baby you need rest," Kim whispered as she ran her fingers through his hair and gently tugged at the beard. "And I'm here with you now- so you can rest, really rest."
"The other shoe is going to drop, Kim…I can't let it," Tommy whispered as she wiped his eyes and he finally let the sobs overtake him. He had missed her. He felt like such a shell of himself when she wasn't here with him. He couldn't go through this again- no matter how much she thought he was strong enough, he knew that he couldn't. Tonight though- she was right and he felt her moving them towards their bed and he let his emotions overwhelm him. Everyone thought he was so strong, what they didn't see was how lost he was when she wasn't with him.
AN: We're getting towards the end of Time of the Yogen-sha and the 5th story in this series is still 'Working Title- The Academy'- so I'm asking for some idea generation. If you've got an idea for what the title of the next story should be- drop it in the comments or DM me.