A slim figure slipped through the foggy docks of Angel Grove, California. Staying hidden in the shadows, the figure trailed a man who was dressed more for a night at the opera than for a cold, rainy night on the docks. Making no more noise than the mists that surrounded him, the figure screwed a silencer onto the gun he carried and slipped the safety off.
"Excuse me, sir." The figure hissed. The voice was asexual, neither male or female, and, barely audible. He tapped the man on the shoulder.
"Who's there?" The man demanded. He squinted into the thick fogs.
"Are you Jarrid Sams?" The figure asked. "Owner of Jolly Jarrid's Jumbo Palace?"
"Of course I am!" Sams snapped, irritated. "Why do you want to know?"
The figure clicked back the hammer of his gun and aimed it in between Sams' eyes. "You have been found guilty of crimes against the Innocent." The figure answered. Sams backed away.
"What are you talking about?" Sams babbled. "And, you must be punished." With that, the figure fired one bullet into the man's head. Sams slumped to the ground. The figure took out a spray can of red paint and drew a skull on the man's chest. Then, he hoisted the body over his shoulder and, keeping in the shadows, carried the body to the edge of the docks. Then, he tossed the body in. The rain washed away what little blood had spilled. Before leaving, the figure bowed and said: "Sayonara."
The figure ran to a large, nineteenth century farmhouse on the outskirts of Angel Grove. Evading the alarms with ease, he climbed up to a bedroom window and opened it. Then, he crawled in. Once inside, the figure dialed a number on his telephone. When a voice answered at the other end, the figure said: "Target eliminated, Leader."
"Very good, child. You shall receive the usual payment for your work. I will have it deposited in your regular account. Good bye." The voice on the other end said. It too had been disguised.
The figure hung up the phone, then stripped off his uniform. He folded it and hid it in an old sea trunk. Long, brown hair flowed down past his shoulder blades reaching to his waist, framing a pair of large brown eyes and exotic, almost androgynous, features. The boy stretched out his tall, lithe figure. A red Chinese dragon encircled his throat, then trailed around his left shoulder blade, on to his left breast, then looped around his arm, with the head resting the back of his left hand. On his right arm was a black, winged unicorn with the horn, hooves and wings delicately highlighted. A white tiger with jewel blue eyes curved around the boy's slim waist. The body art rippled as his muscles moved underneath it. Two gold hoops shone in his ears, one winked in his nose and, the boy sported the only nipple ring in Angel Grove.
"Ah!" The boy yawned. "Now for a hot shower, a cigarette, and a good night's sleep!" He said. Just then, he became aware of the sound of his shower running. Grabbing his gun, the boy creeped towards his private bathroom. Some one was definitely in there. He eased the door open, and snuck in. "FREEZE!" He yelled as he jerked the curtain aside. A petite girl with light brown hair and gold brown eyes screamed and fell to the ground.
"Tommy! What is wrong with you?" She snapped. "You nearly scared me to death!"
Tommy lowered the gun with a crooked grin. "Sorry, Kimmie." He helped her up. "I wasn't expecting to find you in my shower tonight." Then, he kissed her. "But it is a pleasant surprise. Did I ever tell you how lovely you look wet and naked?"
Kimmie swatted Tommy, then smiled. "Okay, you're forgiven." She laughed.
Tommy looked at her with his infamous "power pout." "But, I wanted to make it up to you." He slipped out of his jeans and climbed into the shower with his girlfriend. Tommy kissed Kimberly's pink lips, his tongue exploring her mouth. Kim wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his hard member pressing against her stomach.
"Make it up to me, then, big boy." She growled when their lips parted.
Tommy lathered a washcloth with Kim's fragrant soap, never taking his eyes off her expectant face. He squeezed the washcloth over her shoulders causing frothy bubbles to slide down her chest. His avid gaze following the bubbles' path. Tantalizing glimpses of her hardening nipples caused his erection to grow painfully tight.
"Tommy please...." Kim begged.
Tommy smiled wickedly as he continued to torture Kim, running the washcloth down her chest, barely brushing her sensitive nipples. Bubbles collected in the dark hair concealing her womanhood and trickled into the cleft between her legs. Kim moaned in torment imagining Tommy's touch there. Tommy chuckled with pleasure as he continued to build the sexual tension. He dropped the washcloth and replaced it with his hands. He slid his hands along Kim's soap lathered body, circling, but never touching the areas most in need of attention.
"Tooommy...." Kim pleaded, going out of her mind, her body strung tight with tension.
Tommy pushed Kim against the shower wall, their bodies sliding wantonly together, their open mouths meeting, tongues dueling. Then, Tommy suckled softly on her neck, biting a sensitive spot. Kim moaned as he moved lower and took one firm breast into his mouth. His strong hands kneaded the other one. Her pink nipples hardened into buds. Tommy trailed kisses from her breasts to her flat stomach and lower. Kim ran her fingers through Tommy's silky hair as his tongue probed inside her. Suddenly, Kim threw her head back and shouted.
"Tommy...." Kim murmured into his chest. She kissed the tail of the dragon that rested on his Adam's apple. Just then, her chin brushed against a patch of skin that felt different from the rest. It was on Tommy's collar bone. It was a piece of tape dyed to match Tommy's dark skin. Kim peeled it off, exposing a birthmark shaped like an eagle or falcon. "What is this?" She asked.
"Just a birthmark. It annoyed me as a child, so I covered it up with that tape. I guess I just got in the habit of doing it." Tommy said.
Kimberly smiled, then grabbed Tommy's swollen manhood. He winced. Kimberly often forgot how strong her hands were from all the gymnastics she did. "Now, where were we?" She whispered. She pushed Tommy against the wall, straddling his hips. Kim whimpered as her slim body went down on Tommy's member. She gripped his shoulders as she rode him. Her sharp nails dug into Tommy's flesh as the pace increased.
"TOMMY!" Kim screamed as she and Tommy exploded together in a world of passion.
The lovers held onto each other in the aftermath of their love making. The now cold water of the shower washed over them.
"Am I forgiven?" Tommy grinned wickedly.
"Hmm...I'm not sure yet." Kim laughed. She ran her hands through Tommy's long hair. "I love your hair long. If you ever cut it, I'll get that Red Skull guy after you." She purred.
"I'll keep that in mind." Tommy laughed, then picked her up and carried her to his bedroom. He laid her on his rosewood bed, then stretched out beside her. He was still hard.
"Maybe this will sway you." Tommy growled in her ear, then thrust into her. Kim arched her back, raking her nails down his tanned one.
Later that night, Tommy watched as Kimberly slept peaceful in his arms. He kissed her forehead once, then fell asleep himself. Immediately, he began to dream....
tommy saw himself as a young child. he was with a couple who looked like him. they were on a picnic in the country. tommy chased a little squirrel around the tree, trying to catch it so he could take it home as a pet. the couple (his parents?) laughed at the young boy.
suddenly, their laughter turned to screams of terror as they were surrounded by a gang of masked thugs. the leader tied up the lady while the rest of the thugs shackled the man. tommy, who was hidden in some near by bushes, watched in horror as the leader ripped off his mother's clothes. the leader exposed his swollen member.
"no! don't touch her, you bastard!" tommy's father yelled. one of the thugs slugged tommy's father in the stomach, then held his father's eyes open so he could watch what was about to happen to his wife. tommy bit his lip as his mother screamed. tommy couldn't turn away as the leader violated his mother.
"mama." tommy whispered. he couldn't stand to hear his mother's sobs. he gathered up his strength and rushed the leader. the leader was thrown back by the small boy's attack. the leader grabbed tommy by his neck and tossed him into the tree. as tommy laid stunned, the leader assaulted tommy with his large fists and feet. tommy weakly fended off the blows.
"stop it!" tommy's mother cried. "leave him alone! he's just a little boy!"
"shut up, bitch!" the leader snarled, then slit her throat with a katana blade, decapitating her.
"mama!" tommy cried helplessly. the leader turned to him and swung his katana blade towards tommy's head. tommy jerked aside. the flat of the blade smashed into his right temple. tommy slumped to the ground, motionless. the last thing he saw was a strange symbol carved on the blade of the katana.
"no! no! my son!" tommy's father wailed. the leader walked over to tommy's father. before he disemboweled him, the leader took off his mask. tommy's father cried out in dismay. "now, brother, you will join your family in hell!" the leader spat. he ran the katana, already stained with the blood of two innocent people, through the other man's stomach.
sirens sounded in the distance. the leader made one of his thugs position tommy's mother so that her legs were spread, exposing herself to the world. then, the dead father's member was loped off and it was stuffed into his mouth. before the not-yet dead tommy could be similarly degraded, a thug sounded an alarm.
"the cops are here!" he yelled. the gang ran from the scene.
deep in tommy's mind, he could hear his parents calling out his name: "akira!....akira!....akira!" then, a man with blonde hair and frost blue eyes came to tommy. it was one of the first paramedics on the scene. he cuddled the injured boy. he and his wife were childless and this tiny boy was now parentless. as the tiny boy clung to him, he whispered his new name:
"tommy...tommy....tommy..." the voice became younger and higher pitched....
"Tommy! Tommy, wake up!" Kimberly yelled. "Tommy, you're having a nightmare!" She shook her boyfriend awake. Tommy clung to her, resting his head on her naked chest. He sobbed as Kimberly held him. "Poor baby." She cooed. Finally, Tommy quieted down and fell back asleep. He didn't dream the rest of the night.
The next day, Tommy and Kimberly strolled into Angel Grove High School together. Their friend, Aisha Campbell, ran towards them.
"Kimmie!" She squealed. The two friends hugged and walked towards the girl's bathroom, chatting the entire way. Tommy laughed, then joined his friends at their lockers. They were talking about the discovery made in Angel Grove Bay that morning.
"....And, they said that there was a red skull painted on his chest!" Billy Mitchell exclaimed. He pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down in his excitement.
"I wonder who this Red Skull guy is?" Rocky De Santos asked. "I mean, why did he choose Angel Grove?"
Adam Chung shrugged. "I dunno, but with him in town, the number of violent crimes has fallen. So, maybe it's good that he's here. He only goes after the real creeps." Adam fingered his necklace.
"Hey, guys." Tommy said. "What'cha you talkin' about?"
"They found the body of the owner of those fast food restaurants in Angel Grove Bay early this morning!" Billy informed his best friend and leader. "And, it was done by that Red Skull guy!"
"Oh, really?" Tommy opened his locker and took out the books he needed for the day. He made sure the Red Skull tattoo on his right wrist was covered by his white, watch-like Communicator.
"Yeah!" Rocky said. "And, the police don't a clue either!" Tommy grinned to himself.
"Oh, Tommy, did you remember your katana?" Adam asked.
"Yeah. I let Mr. Kaplan know that it was in my locker." Tommy said. He and Adam often sparred together at the Youth Center. Then, Tommy looked at his watch. "We'd better get to homeroom before Miss Appleby has our hides."
At the Youth Center, later in the afternoon
After warming up, Tommy and Adam picked up their katanas and bowed to each other. Then, they bowed to Rocky and Billy who stood on either side of the mat, acting as spotters. Rocky and Billy returned the bows.
"Commence." Billy said.
"What?" Rocky and Tommy said together.
"He said: Begin." Adam translated.
"Oh." Rocky said.
Tommy made the first attack, going in low. Adam blocked, then aimed a kick to Tommy's knee. Tommy jumped over the kick, launching one of his own into Adam's shoulder. Adam ducked. Tommy landed and rolled up into a sitting position. Adam spun around. Tommy jumped up. The two boys continued to spar, neither being able to get the upper hand. Suddenly, Adam swung his sword towards Tommy's head. The bright sunlight flashed off the steel blade, blinding Tommy and triggered part of his nightmare from the night before. Tommy found himself paralyzed with sudden fear. In his mind's eye, he was a tiny boy again, helpless to stop the ruthless slaughter of his parents. Adam realized at the last moment that Tommy wasn't going to deflect the blade. He turned it slightly so that the flat of the blade would strike his friend's head, and not the instantly lethal edge. The flat of the steel blade smashed into Tommy's right temple. Tommy fell back onto the mat, unconscious.
"TOMMY!" Adam screamed. He kneeled at his friend's side. Tommy was bleeding heavily from a wound on his temple that stretched into his hair. Adam yanked the black handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it on Tommy's head. "Oh, God! Call for help!" Adam yelled. With people distracted, Adam palmed Tommy's Morpher and Communicator and gave them to Billy, who was now in charge of the Power Rangers.
Ernie ran towards the phone and placed the call. Then, he gave Ritchie, his assistant, the first aide kit. Ritchie rushed it to Adam. Adam wadded up some gauze and replaced the blood soaked handkerchief with it. The pristine gauze soon turned crimson with blood.
After only a few minutes, the paramedics came and put Tommy on a stretcher. They rushed him to Angel Grove Memorial Hospital.
Angel Grove memorial Hospital ER waiting room, evening
The Rangers gathered together in a group. Tommy's parents were talking to the triage nurse.
"I can't believe I hurt him!" Adam sobbed. "I mean, he's my best friend! How could I do this to him!" He buried his face into the red handkerchief that he borrowed off Rocky.
"Adam, it was an accident." Aisha said, putting her arms around the distraught Black Ranger.
"No!" Adam pushed Aisha away. "I should have noticed that something was wrong!" He wailed.
Billy, now the temporary leader, grabbed Adam's shoulders, forcing the boy to face him. "Adam, listen to me. It was an accident. There was nothing you could do about it. Don't blame yourself. I'm sure Tommy'll tell you the same thing when you see him." Billy said.
"See him! How can I see him when I almost killed him!" Adam reached into pocket. He handed Billy his Morpher and his Communicator. "I think you'd better find some one who won't hurt his best friend to replace me." Adam cried. Then, he ran out of the hospital. He bumped into Tommy's adopted father, John Oliver.
"Adam, where are you going?" John asked. "I'm sure Tommy'll want to see you when he wakes up." Adam opened his mouth, but he couldn't talk. Instead, he dodged around John and hurried out of the hospital, sobbing.
"Uncle John." Billy greeted his uncle. "How is Tommy?" Billy's uncle and aunt were childless, so when a young Tommy lost his parents, the Olivers took him in and adopted him.
"He'll be fine. It was an old injury that was aggravated. Nothing too serious." Oliver said. "What's wrong with Adam?"
"He's feelin' rilly guilty about what happened to Tommy." Kimberly said. "C'n we see Tommy?" She asked.
"He's not awake yet. The doctors are admitting him. But, you can visit him, if you promise to be quiet." John Oliver said.
"Okay." Kimberly spoke for the group. The Rangers, sans Adam, followed John Oliver up the stairs and into a private room. A bed was in one corner. On that bed was a pale, but alive Tommy Oliver. His long, brown hair was stained auburn by his blood. A bandage covered the injury. The White Ranger was in a deep sleep, a mix of drugs and exhaustion. Kimberly gently kissed his full lips, then whispered: "Get well soon, Tommy, and I'll give you a special treat when you get home," into his ear. Then, she kissed the ear she had just spoken into. Billy, who was right behind Kimberly, nervously cleared his throat. Kim blushed, then stepped aside.
"Lucky." Billy whispered in Tommy's ear. _But, how lucky is he if he lost his parents so young?_ Billy thought to himself as his mind wondered back to the day he first met Tommy as his new cousin.
billy mitchell was seven years old when his father picked him up from school early. mr. mitchell was excited over something, an unusual occurrence since his wife committed suicide a year ago.
mrs. mitchell had battled cancer since right after billy had been born and when she learned that the cancer had returned after four years of remission, she decided to end her life rather than die horribly from the cancer. unfortanately, it was a six year old billy who found his mother's body.
"what's wrong, father?" billy asked mr. mitchell as they drove along the chicago streets.
"you have a new cousin. his name is tommy oliver. your uncle john and aunt jan adopted him. his real parents were killed in a car accident and tommy was hurt pretty badly too. they are staying for the summer, hoping that maybe with a companion his own age with him, tommy'll recover a lot faster." mr. mitchell explained to his son.
billy nodded his head. deep inside his soul, he felt an empathic bond with this new cousin whom he'd never met before. he too had lost a parent to violence.
at the mitchell residence, billy met a tiny boy, shorter and slimer than he, with dark curly hair and bright brown eyes. tommy was in a wheel chair and a large bandage encircled his forehead.
Billy sighed as he looked at his sleeping cousin. Tommy had changed so much in the ten years since their first meeting that when Tommy moved to Angel Grove, Billy almost didn't recognize his friend, despite all the letters and phone calls exchanged between the two over the years.
Just then, Tommy opened his eyes. He looked around, his vision blurred. All he could make out were fuzzy shapes. He closed his eyes and swallowed. Bile rose up in his throat as he remembered the last time he opened his eyes to a simular scene.
"You okay?" Kimberly asked quietly.
"Yeah." Tommy tried to sit up, but a sharp pain sliced through his head. Mr. Oliver pushed his son down.
"Take it easy, kiddo." Oliver advised. "You got hit pretty hard by that sword."
"Oh, no!" Tommy moaned. "Poor Adam!" He sighed. He wondered how his shy, sensitive friend would handle this mess. "How is he?" Tommy asked worriedly.
"He is blaming himself for this whole mess." Rocky said.
"He turned over his Morpher and Communicator." Billy whispered when John Oliver left the room to talk to the doctor. "He was so upset when he left here. He just ran out!"
"Damn." Tommy whispered. "Alright, um, just leave his things with me. I'll look after them. I won't be getting any sleep tonight anyways." Tommy sighed when he heard a man across the hall screaming in pain. He could also hear the nurses offering him pain medicine, which the man refused.
Billy smiled sympatheically at his cousin. He handed Tommy his Communicator and Morpher, along with Adam's. Just then, the nurse peeked in and told everyone to leave. "Just beep me if you can't sleep, couz. I'll be awake." Billy hugged Tommy good night.
"Arigatoo, tomodachi." Tommy said. He had lived with John and Jan Oliver in Japan since he lost his natural parents ten years ago and spoke Japanese better than he spoke English most of the time.
"Bye." Aisha gave her leader a peck on the cheek.
"See ya." Rocky hugged Tommy. "Smuggle me home a cute little nurse, will ya?" Rocky winked. "Maybe that little blonde number, Jeanne, I think her name was."
"Chikan!" Tommy laughed.
"What did he call me?" Rocky asked Billy, who was laughing.
"A pervert!" Billy howled, then left. Rocky blushed and followed him. Aisha winked at Kim, then left also.
Kim leaned over Tommy. He could see down her shirt. "See ya tomorrow, Handsome." She kissed his lips. "Remember that special treat when you get out of here." She purred.
"I won't forget." Tommy growled. "Sure you can't stay the night with me?" He asked, giving her puppy dog eyes.
"I wish I could, baby. Then, I'd really make sure that you got no sleep." She whispered. Then, she kissed him one last time, slipping her tongue into his mouth. "To tide you over." She purred, then left.
Tommy laid back on his pillow. He was about to close his eyes when the man across the hall wailed again with pain. _That guy had better shut up soon or I'll strangle him with my IV tubing!_ Tommy thought.
Ko's Garden, late that night
Adam sobbed in front of the Buddha shrine in the middle of the garden. He couldn't even form a prayer in his mind. Over and over again he repeated: "Forgive me. Oh, please forgive me."
"Forgive you for what, Adam-san?" Ko asked as he laid a tray of tea down.
Adam turned around. He stood up and bowed. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Ko-sensei."
"You did not disturb me. I was awake, fixing this tea. Would you please join me?" Ko indicated a soft cushion.
"Doomo arigatoo gosemasu." Adam bowed again, then sat at the low table. Ko poured the fragrant tea into two small saki cups.
"Bonzai." Ko held up his cup. Adam clinked his cup against Ko's.
"Bonzai, Ko-sensei." Adam responded then sipped the hot tea. It was hot and burned his tongue, but the caffine cleared Adam's mind.
"Now, Adam-san, what is wrong? Why are you crying alone so late at night?" Ko asked gently.
Adam sighed. "Oh, Ko-sensei! I hurt my best friend, Tommy. I almost killed him!" He wailed. Ko reached over and patted Adam's shoulder. "We were sparring with the Katanas and I hit him on the temple with the flat of the blade. He just froze up during the match! I couldn't stop the blade either! I tried, Ko-sensei, honestly I did! It was just too late!" Adam sobbed.
Ko put his tea down and comforted the boy. He let Adam cry out his pain, then handed him a handkerchief. "Now, feel better, Adam-san?" Ko asked.
"I guess so." Adam sniffed. "I just feel so bad about what happened to Tommy."
"Where is Tommy?" Ko asked.
"In the hospital. I don't know how he is doing, though, Ko- sensei."
"Why don't you go to him and talk to him. Ask him for forgiveness, if you feel that is necessary." Then, Ko lifted Adam's chin so that the Korean boy was looking at him. "But, Adam-san, it was an accident. I'm sure Tommy will tell you that. Go to him, Adam-san, and put your mind and soul at peace." Ko said, then left the garden. Adam stared after the man then left himself.
Angel Grove memorial Hospital
Adam crept into the dark hospital. He glanced at the computer and found Tommy's room, number 223. It was a private room, so he didn't have to worry about someone over hearing their conversation. Using the stairs, Adam found Tommy's room. Across from his leader's room, he could hear a man moaning with pain.
Adam winced, then entered Tommy's room. It was dark.
"Hello, Adam." Tommy said. "I was wondering when you'd come here."
Adam fell to his knees beside Tommy's bed. "I'm so sorry I hit you, Tommy!" Adam sobbed. "I never wanted to hurt you!" He wailed. He looked up when he felt Tommy's gentle hands on his shoulders.
"It's okay, Adam." Tommy whispered. He held out his arms and pulled Adam into a tight embrace. "It's okay." Tommy whispered again, as the Black Ranger cried in his arms.
Adam wiped away his tears with his sleeve. Tommy handed him a tissue from the box on his nightstand. Then, Tommy handed Adam his Morpher and Communicator.
"Welcome back, Adam." Tommy said. "Don't ever run away from us when you have a problem, Adam. We care about you." Tommy looked at the door to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation. All the nurses and doctors were in the room of the man across the hall. The man had finally stopped his moaning. The police lead away a girl with short, blonde hair and glasses. One was carrying a piece of IV tubing. Tommy shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "I guess some one got to him first." He snickered, then sobered up. "Adam, you're a Power Ranger. We always take care of our own." He added.
"Thanks, Tommy." Adam said. He said in a chair by Tommy's bed. The two boys talked until they both fell asleep.
The Oliver house, early morning
John Oliver leaned back against the chair in his den. He took a sip of brandy and picked up the phone. He dialed a number. The same number Tommy dialed after he had killed Jarrid Sams. When a disguised voice answered, Oliver said: "Leader, he's starting to remember."