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The first time Tommy fights a squad of Putties on his own, without powers, it’s a swift awakening.
Yes, he is a black belt, and a damn good one at that. But in willingly giving his powers to Jason, the strength he’d come to rely on as a Ranger abandons him. Every blow is a struggle and he hates himself more and more for it. Anyone else would have run for shelter or call the Power Rangers for help.
In his mind, Tommy is still a Ranger. So he still fights like one.
After the battle, he limps his way home to crawl into bed. Bruises form all over his body. He tapes up his bloody knuckles and thinks of the Command Center, of jumping back into the fray and fight another, bigger monster. Only now the monster is the demon in his own mind, the one that constantly reminds him that he’s never been invincible. Ranger abilities only make him think that he was.
No one notices when Tommy doesn’t go to class the next day. He can’t sleep this feeling off, but fuck if he doesn’t try.
To their credit, the other Rangers do keep in touch with him. He and Kimberly go out on a few dates, and Tommy relishes in every one. Jason and Zack spar with him in the park, and Billy and Trini trade class notes with him when he forgets his things at home, which is often.
But sooner or later, it always happens. A communicator beeps. Eyes shuffle towards the door, making sure no one but them heard. Small, shy smiles and nods as the Rangers rush off to face the next monster. To the Rangers, it’s a relief not to have to explain themselves or come up with an excuse on the fly. They can take off, go where they’re needed, and save the world.
Tommy’s own communicator stays silent. It’s always in his pocket, a token of what he once was. Every time he hears one go off, he runs his fingers over its face and swallows his tongue.
To Tommy it’s like a knife through the chest. He stops watching the news. He doesn’t mention anything about Ranger life or ask after Alpha or Zordon. He is outside of that life now. The more he’s around them, the deeper the wound becomes.
They’re all his friends, but sooner or later, they all run out of things to talk about with him.
He doesn’t know when he stops hanging around the Rangers so much. He sees them at school, of course, and he isn’t shy about saying hi or shooting the shit. But after that is a different story.
The Juice Bar brings back memories of happier times - and of worst ones, too. Ones were his eyes glow green and Kimberly runs away from him in fear. Tommy doesn’t want to relive all of that. He can’t.
So he spends more time working out at his old dojo in Stone Canyon. When he signs up for karate competitions, he does a quick scan of the roster to make sure Jason isn’t signed up too. It’s not that he doesn’t want to fight against his friend, he’d love nothing more. But the sight of Jason in red on the other side of the mat is more than Tommy’s heart can handle.
Winning a match doesn’t compare to the high of defeating one of Rita’s monsters. It’s a rush Tommy can’t stop chasing, like an addict needing his next hit. He doesn’t know when this feeling will go away.
If he’s honest with himself, he’s not sure he wants it to.
He finds time to study at home, leaving a million sticky notes on his desk with reminders about due dates and test days. His grades improve, but his mood drops.
His adoptive parents ask him if something’s happened at school. Tommy smiles, and the lie slips out easily.
“I’m fine. Just going to work out at the dojo to clear my head. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Leave it to Kimberly to figure out something’s wrong before everyone else.
It’s not like they’re technically dating anymore - they haven’t been out together in weeks, and Tommy’s heard enough of the news to know the Rangers have been busy. Kim has other priorities now, and he will not stand in the way of saving the world.
“Hey,” she says, leaning against his locker.
“Hey.” Tommy manages a smile. Kim brings light wherever she goes, and it’s not just because her shirt is a shade of neon pink that doesn’t exist in nature. “What’s up?”
“I was just thinking, well… we haven’t seen you in a while.” She fiddles with a lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear.
He smiles. “You’ve seen me in class.” Where he sits in the back, and only talks when he’s called on, but he doubts Kim is aware of that.
“But like, that doesn’t count.” She pokes his green notebook. Even being without the power for a couple months now, Tommy can’t bring himself to pick a different color. “You haven’t been around the Juice Bar lately.”
He keeps a straight face. “I’ve been helping out at the dojo. Keeping busy and all of that.” It’s mostly the truth. He’s busy by being anywhere except where the Rangers are.
He’s gotten better at lying. So much that it’s easy to lie to himself, now.
“We miss you,” she says. Unlike Tommy, Kim doesn’t lie. She means every word she says to him.
It’s not the same, he wants to say. I want to go fight with you, and I’ll just get hurt. All the black belts in the world and I’m still useless against a slew of Putties. I hate it, and I hate myself, and I’ll only hold you back.
Instead he smiles. It’s easy to reassure Kim. Even when she can see right through him, Tommy knows she just wants her friends to be happy. She won’t be the one to pull the trigger. He’ll have to do it for her.
“I miss you guys too,” he says, and means it. “You have lots of things to take care of, though.” Like saving the world.
“I know, but that’s not all the time.” Her eyes light up. “Oh! It’s Parents Night on Friday! You should come!”
“Kim.” She knows about his home life. How he’s never met his birth parents, and doesn’t even have their names. The Olivers love him and he’s grateful for them, but Tommy also knows that they aren’t around as much as they could be. He’s learned not to invite his parents along to events like this one.
“Please? I know it’s a lot and I’m trying to get both of my parents to come too and…” The words rush out of her, and Kim stares down at her shoes. “It would be nice if I knew you were going to be there too. Please? For me?”
She knows how to wrap him around her finger, she always has. “Yeah. I’ll try.”
“I’ll remind you about it on Friday.” The bell rings. Kim stands on her tip toes to kiss Tommy’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, okay?”
Kim bounces down the hallway towards class, a blur of pink in an otherwise colorless world. Tommy watches her go, sighing.
Parents’ Night sounds miserable, but he can’t run from the Rangers forever. Sooner or later, he’ll have to face them. Tommy can manage for one night.
After all, he’s done it every day so far. He can ignore his heart breaking time and time again if it makes Kimberly smile.
Come Friday, Tommy runs late.
It isn’t on purpose, but he stays a little longer at the dojo to demonstrate some moves for a class of yellow belts. He’s sweaty and gross afterward, but his muscles are pleasantly sore and his mind is quiet. That is, until he sees the reminder on his desk about Parents’ Night.
For a second, he contemplates skipping it. But knowing Kim, she’s already told the rest of the team that he’s coming, and Tommy hates the thought of disappointing her. He doesn’t have to stay long. An hour, two at most, and he can retreat to his house and the punching bag in the basement.
He grabs a quick shower, slicks his hair back into a ponytail since it won’t have time to dry. Even now, he picks out a green striped button down and black jeans. He fingers the fabric, wondering if he has anything else he can wear. There’s a white shirt all the way in the back of his closet, but the sleeves are torn off, and everyone’s parents will be in attendance.
Everyone’s parents but his, that is. They’re in Los Angeles for the weekend, giving him free reign of the house and money for pizza if he wants it. Maybe he’ll drown his feelings in pepperoni and cheese later, but it isn’t really his style.
He can’t stall any longer. Grabbing his keys, he heads out to the Juice Bar. The banner out front says, “Welcome to Parents’ Day!”
Tommy grits his teeth as he heads inside.
Though the parking lot is full, the building is quiet. Too quiet. Plates litter the hallway, some still with pieces of half-eaten food. A fallen sign with “Welcome Parents!” written in bright blue marker hangs lopsided from the doorway.
A shiver goes up his spine. One fist clenches, preparing to meet an unseen enemy.
When he reaches the main room, where he used to train with his friends and spend his afternoons, it’s abandoned. Streamers drape over the railings. The buffet table looks as though someone flipped it in anger. Popcorn and baby carrots and globs of veggie dip cover the once clean floor.
Something’s going on. Something big. And the only one here is Tommy. A fallen Ranger, one who cannot fight.
He draws a breath and straightens his shoulders. If his friends aren’t here, then he’s going to have to do what he can to get to the bottom of this.
“What’s going on here?” he asks into the silence, and his communicator beeps. It’s the only warning he has before the tingling feeling of teleportation overtakes him, and Tommy beams away from the Juice Bar.
Jason drops the Green Ranger coin in his hand. “Welcome back, old friend,” he says, like Tommy never left in the first place.
The Command Center looks the same as Tommy remembers. There’s always a sense of urgency here, with the flashing lights and constantly flickering images from the Viewing Globe. Alpha twittering about doesn’t help, either, but there’s something reassuring to it as well.
It’s like he went on vacation and he’s coming home to an empty fridge, but this is still his home. The other Rangers smile at him.
Jason explains it all as quick as he can. One of Rita’s monsters, Dramole, has kidnapped all of the parents in Angel Grove. The Rangers, desperate to get their parents back, trade their power coins for their parents’ lives - and Goldar doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain.
Tommy resists the urge to roll his eyes. Of course Goldar wasn’t honorable. Of course Goldar wouldn’t give their parents back. What did they honestly think would happen?
But now the Rangers are without their powers, and they only have one coin left: the Green Ranger coin. Tommy’s fingers curl around it, running over the three-toed footprint. In their most desperate hour, the Rangers come to him for help.
“Alright, I get the picture,” Tommy says. “Look, I’ll do anything I can to help, but how? How can I without my powers?”
They don’t know about his bloodied knuckles, his bruised pride. They don’t know the jealousy he fights every time someone mentions the Power Rangers around him. They don’t know how much he wants to jump back into the fight.
“I believe,” Zordon says, his voice booming throughout the Command Center, “that the only way possible is to infuse Tommy with an enormous amount of my own energy.”
That thought should have scared Tommy. It doesn’t.
“But Zordon!” Billy protests. “That can be extremely dangerous! For both you, and Tommy!”
“I agree with Billy,” Jason says. “What happens if these temporary powers give out in the middle of a fight?”
“We can’t ask Tommy to take that risk,” Kimberly adds.
Tommy doesn’t care. It’s a way to be a Ranger again. A way to help his friends. A way to save their parents. Doesn’t that make it worth it?
“No,” he says, and the other Rangers fall silent. “No, this is a risk I’m willing to take.” He has to. There isn’t another way.
He turns to face the other Rangers. Trini chews on her thumbnail, a habit she’ll never admit to, and something she only does when she’s worried. Zack bounces from foot to foot, a nervous energy that betrays his feelings. Billy hovers by Alpha, eyes big behind his glasses. Jason crosses his arms and stares him down.
And Kimberly’s lower lip wavers. Tommy knows she doesn’t want to see him hurt. But he’s stood on the sidelines for too long now. It’s time he went back to doing what he does best.
Tommy looks up at Zordon, drawing a breath. If Zordon is willing, then Tommy will deal with whatever comes next.
“Where do we begin?”