1992 Valencia Rd. - Saturday, Early Afternoon
One thing that Dr. Thomas Oliver has learned in recent weeks is that as exhausting as Ranger duties can be (and no one is more qualified than he is to talk about that), attempting to control a crowd of rowdy and sugar-buzzed teenagers can quickly become ten times as bad. Normally such inappropriate, rambunctious behaviour would have landed the
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He runs a hand back through his short hair, the wayward spikes promptly deciding to stick out at funny angles afterward. God, there's so much to explain, so much that goes into the single reason he didn't say anything.
"For Rita, I was disposable. I wasn't going to be any use to her once I eliminated you and the others; hell, I don't think she would have been interested in letting me live after that. She wasn't what you would call warm and compassionate, y'know?" Tommy sighs. "I wasn't disposable to you, though. You weren't trying to kill me on that beach, you were trying to save me. You helped me up and offered me friendship and a place on the team. You didn't accuse me, you didn't blame me. You made me see that there was somewhere that I was needed because of my powers and offered me the option of joining up with you guys, rather than forcing it on me.
"All of that, all of the good that I did then and have been able to do until now... That's all because of you, Bro, because of a choice that you made. I'd rather lose my Power all over again than hurt you on purpose."
He gives Jason a little look that silently says, "Are you with me so far?" It's going to be a long explanation, and it's a lot to absorb.
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But he's not ready to say that yet.
"You're still as long winded as ever," he comments. But this is accompanied by a brief smile - apparently he's ready to tease, at least.
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"Yeah, well... Some things never change. But seriously, when Zordon made new Powers for me, I never asked to be a leader. God, when you left, I freaked out so much you would have laughed. Yeah, I may have been the leader, but you were still the one who was qualified for the job. I felt more comfortable taking your orders than giving my own. I trusted you more than myself, then; you know how hot-headed I can be."
Oh, boy howdy. Impulsive, too.
"Anyway, back to the point, when Trey gave you the Gold Power back when we were the Zeo Rangers, I thought I was gonna die, I was that happy. But when I saw what it was doing to you, saw it failing and killing you in the process... Y'know, I think I know what you went through, when you had to choose between either me or the Green Power. I hated it, but I realised that I'd rather give up fighting with you than give up you. I mean, it was hard losing my Powers, but I'd preferred you and the others over them. It's hard to be friends with someone when you've been destroyed, after all.
"So... yeah. Um. When I found the Gems I wanted to tell you, Jase. Really. But I was afraid, Bro, because while you didn't seem to have any adverse long-term effects from using the Gold Powers, or the original Red Powers that one time when we all went to the Moon, I didn't know. The Dino Gems bond with you, you don't just draw on them. They bond with your DNA and become a part of you. You... may have noticed that. I knew that if I told you, let you in on things, one of the Gems might bond with you, and I didn't know what would happen if it did. I couldn't risk that. I wanted to fight beside you again, but I was happy when the Gems bonded with my studets. It was safer that way."
Tommy looks down at the floor and shakes his head. "And I was afraid that you'd be mad at he," he continues quietly. "I mean, you're probably still a bit bitter about Zordon turning leadership over to me, without asking you. But he didn't ask me, either. One second I'm by the lake, the next it's 'Beam me up, Scotty' only it hurts like hell. No by-your-leave.
"I know how hard it was for you to lose the Red Power, and then the Gold... And then the Red agian, even though you knew you'd only have it for one battle. When the Black Gem bonded with me, I think I sort of expected it. I can never seem to escape the Power for long, so it was no surprise. And I think I kinda wanted it, because it's been a part of me so many times. If I can still do good, I want to do it. And I wanted to protect the kids, something I couldn't do only from the Lab.
"But I really didn't want you to be mad because I got Power and leadership again, and I didn't want to risk you getting hurt. Mostly the second. Because I'd rather have you never want to talk to me and hating me than see something bad happen to you again. Not after the Gold incident. I couldn't risk it."
What a round-about way to make that simple point.
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But then, he leans forward in his chair, and curls his hand into a fist. Reaching out, he knocks his fist into Tommy's forehead - in a friendly sort of gesture.
"Idiot," he says, fondly.
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"Ow," he complains jokingly. "Keep that up and I'll get dumber. Kinda hard to believe I actually managed a doctorate, especially after all the knocks I took to the head in high school."
He smiles warmly, more grateful than he can really say. "I glad you know now, really. It didn't feel right, not telling you. I mean, even after I found David, you've always been my best friend and the brother I didn't have growing up. Even just saying nothing felt like lying."
The smile turns into a grin. "I should probably show you the Lab, since no one's going to be around to freak out. It's really Batman-esque. Secret entrance and everything, and a hidden exit for the bikes and ATVs. Swear to God."
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He ca imagine some of the details Tommy would put in. And even if he's wrong, well -- it's certainly going to be interesting.
Jason pauses for a moment, though. "I'm sorry," he says. It just... needs to be said. Because Tommy is his best friend, and he got so pissed off at him, and doubted..
Yeah. Apologies are in order.
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Besides, in a week the shiner will be gone! It'll be... interesting explaining it in the meantime, but hey. He's had to explain away worse before.
"Anyway, the Lab makes the old Command Centre look beyond outdated." Plus, eccentric decorating to boot! Tommy gets up and crosses to a table upon which a model tyranno skeleton sits, pulls down the lower jaw, and...
"It's so obvious that only the truly stupid would think of it," he says as the hidden door in the floor opens. It would also, he thinks to himself, explain why Conner found it. "Mesogog employs lackeys, but they're a far cry from the Putties we use to take out by the truckload."
He sighs and shakes his head. "I guess I should take the blame because I helped create them, even if Mesogog did make improvements once he recuited them to his side. They were never meant to be used for evil. But," he continues, brightening, "everything is down here."
Tommy gestures broadly to the door, inviting Jason to go down first and get an unobstructed view.
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Except that saying so really wasn't pretending at all, was it?
Anyway, he takes the offer, and starts heading down. When he sees the place, the only thing he can do is... well, gape.
It's a commentary in its own right!
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"You like?" He grins. "It was hell to build, but fortunately I had Hayley to help me out with a lot of it. Bio-robotics, biology, chemistry, the lab sciences, those I understand. It's the basic technology that confuses me sometimes."
As usual.
"It was Hayley who constructed the latest Morphers," he continues as he walks down into the large room. A massive footprint inlay dominates the floor, and Tommy stands in the center of it as he gestures around him. "She also designed a lot of the technology and equipment in here, as well as our vehicles. Anton Mercer worked with me on the Zords, but I still did most of the work. They're real beauties this time around."
He sounds proud of that, and rightly should be. "They're fusion-powered, with a brain, if you will, cultivated from dinosaur DNA. They're in a sense independent and sentient, but also bound to us through the power of the Gems. We can summon them as we did the first ones we ever used, though there are only three primary ones. The rest are auxiliary, save Brachiozord."
Here Tommy grins. "He's the Carrier. I'm sure you remember that pleasant little episode from the good old days, when we were at each other's throats and Zordon sent us to cool our heels and have one of those weird male bonding experiences by getting those weapons... Remember the one that attacked us, Titanus? Brachiozord is like that, except he's black and gold." Tommy pauses. "And has yet to almost kill me."
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"You're -trying- to bluescreen me, aren't you?" he finally manages.
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"Fatherly pride, I guess you could call it."
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