"What…what was that?" Mitchell asked as he stormed into Theo's office later that day. Thomas was resting in a spare dorm room and they had managed to pacify Kimberly by saying that there was a condition that only affected some Truehearts and it looked like Thomas had it. None of them had been willing to tell her that the 'condition' was that she was his soulmate and that he had been fighting it for nearly a year. It was another thing that showed how strong Thomas was that he had been able to fight it for so long. "You let him connect to her?!"
"It was either that or put him in isolation for weeks or months until he settled. We chose the less painful option," Theo stated as Mitchell growled at him. He had been determined that Thomas would never have a chance to connect with his soulmate and they had gotten in his way. "Neither of them know what it means, but it does mean that you'd be stupid to continue to put any restrictions on them seeing each other."
"He has no powers. She has not activated- this is impossible," Mitchell said as Theo gave him a look and Mitchell quieted. While he hated his oldest son, he knew just how important he was going to be. He knew that the look on Theo's face indicated just how stupid he had been. "What…what happened?"
"He only laid out every instructor at that field today- five times," Theo said as Mitchell stared at him. That was unheard of, except in some of the oldest prophecies. "You need to tell David that he isn't the one that will be taking your position and you need to do it soon."
"You don't order a Trueheart…" Mitchell started as Theo glared at him and Mitchell felt the power ripple through him. Theo had always been stronger than him, the only thing that had stopped him from acting on it was how much Theo cared about his sister. The thing that motivated him now was how much he cared for his nephew and that was quickly pushing him to directly challenge Mitchell. "He should be taken home."
"He is home. It's safer for everyone, but especially for him," Theo stated as Mitchell shook his head. "It is my job to keep future rangers safe- maybe you should focus on the current ones like you've been tasked to."
"What happened?" Thomas croaked as he woke up and looked over to see Robert and Theo were seated at the end of his bed. He looked around and quickly realized he was back at the Academy, but in a slightly different room than his normal one. It suddenly came crashing back as he remembered sparring with Kimberly and then feeling the worst pain of his life. "Kimmie. Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's fine. Thomas- we need to explain some things," Robert said as Thomas looked between the both of them. How was it possible that she was okay? He had felt like powers were being ripped out of his body and he knew that she had been extremely close to him for at least one outburst. "Normally this would happen when you're older, but…"
An alarm tore through the room and the three of them exchanged a glance. Theo pressed his earpiece and then let out a groan. Robert stared ahead as whatever news was relayed to him and he then stood up and sprinted from the room. Theo placed his head in his hands and then shook his head. He had warned Mitchell what would happen and now it was happening. They had to get someone else in his position or this would continue to happen.
"Uncle Theo?" Thomas whispered as Theo glanced up at him, tears streaming down his face. "What…"
"Three rangers are dead. Your brother and Candice have been severely injured," Theo stated as Thomas' eyes widened. It had been a long time since almost an entire ranger team was taken out. He actually couldn't remember it ever happening in his lifetime. "Damn it. Thomas- stay at the Academy…we're still waiting for you to fully settle, but feel free to call your friends to come spend the afternoon. Especially Kimberly. The afternoon session is canceled. I've got a mandatory appearance with the Guardians now."
"You'll…you'll tell me…what happened…" Thomas stuttered as Theo nodded. They most definitely could not afford to keep Thomas in the dark any longer after everything that was happening today.
"Call your friends. Call her. I'll come back and tell you everything as soon as I can," Theo promised as Thomas nodded as he laid back against the bed and he heard Theo leave. He was supposed to be the spare. He was not supposed to be the next Power Ranger mentor. He was now starting to understand that his uncles had seen and known something that no one else in the family would admit for a long time.
"Take some fucking responsibility," Theo growled as William held him back and he strained to get to Mitchell. He heard Sally crying, but he could not temper his anger at his brother-in-law anymore. He would be thrown out as a mentor or Mitchell would step down, one of those things was going to happen today. "You put someone in charge that should have never led a ranger team and it got them killed. He got them killed."
"Theo," Atlantis warned as Theo let out another growl before he pushed William away and walked to stand against the wall. He was furious and he just hoped that Amelia would be able to find something. They needed some sort of out when it came to a Trueheart being in control of the ranger academy. "How are they, Robert?"
"Candice came through surgery just fine. They're still patching together David's bones as well as they can," Robert forced out as he glared down the table as well. He could see the pain in his brother's eyes, but his arrogance and hatred of Thomas was what had gotten them here. "You need to step down, Mitch."
"This is my job. My legacy…how dare you…" Mitchell seethed as Amelia, the chief prophetess, walked into the room. The room stilled as she placed a few papers on the table and then looked up at all of them.
"I've found four prophecies that appear to relate to this situation. He stays in his job. As much as we all hate it, he stays," Amelia said as Theo and Robert both stared at her in shock. "For other things to play out- he has to stay. That is all that I can say. There are ways he could be relieved, but the conditions will have to be met."
"That is thin fucking comfort to the families of the rangers that he got killed," Theo forced out as he stalked around on the far end of the room. He loved his wife, but they desperately needed something to get Mitchell out of that seat. "Can we pull Thomas out of his home, permanently?"
"What!" Sally yelled as she stared at her brother. She had been so focused on what had happened to David that she had barely paid attention to them telling her that Thomas' soulmate connection had been opened. "You can't be serious."
"You let him abuse him- and only him- for years. We did everything we could and you sent everyone away that could have saved Thomas from all of that pain. His soulmate connection has just been opened up. With all the shit Mitchell has put him through- your home is not safe for Thomas. Especially now, we don't need him fractured. With how strong he is, we cannot risk it," Theo countered as Sally quieted and she looked down at the table. She knew how important it was to foster the soulmate connection, she had seen it with Mitchell's parents. She had never experienced it herself. "Lassy- I'm sorry, but we have to keep Thomas safe until he gets powers. And that includes keeping him safe from his own father."
"You can't let this happen," Sally appealed to Atlantis and William and they exchanged a glance before nodding to Theo. Sally let out an anguished cry as Theo and Robert just nodded. "He's my baby."
"Maybe you should have thought of that all of the years that you just stood by and wouldn't let any of us interfere," Robert said, coldly, as Sally and Mitchell stared at the both of them.
"And two brothers shall stand against them all- to protect the future of the Power Rangers," Amelia quoted as she smiled over at Robert and Theo. "Well done. Now he can be forced aside."
"What!" Mitchell yelled as Atlantis motioned for Theo and Robert to leave. They exchanged a final glance with Mitchell and Sally before they walked out of the room, in unison. They both were glad that this had finally come about. They could now set the Power Rangers back on the right path.