| abstract | - Tommy Oliver stood outside the address he had been given. "This can't be right," he muttered to himself. "What would she be doing here?" Tommy was standing in front of a place called Binky Bonkers, it was clearly a strip club. "Maybe she's just a waitress or a bartender," Tommy muttered to himself as he went inside. Inside the club the music was thumping rather loudly. It wasn't too crowded since it was a weeknight. The crowd seemed to be of mixed class, the world's economy had been maintained, however labour laws had been changed enough to practically allow slavery again so the poor were incredibly poor. There were a few of them in here, wasting away their meagre pay checks, however most of the population seemed to be rich folk, who had schmoozed there way into Scorpina's good graces. There was also a middle class, but very few people fit into that class. The Middleclass was made up of two types of people, assassins and bounty hunters, of which Tommy was one of the latter. Between searching for the woman he had come here to find, he tracked down other people. He tended to avoid tracking down people who broke rules he considered unjust and went after murderers and rapists. To avoid being noticed by Scorpina he worked under the alias Thomas Greene. "Excuse me," Tommy said to the bartender. "I was wondering if you could help me find this girl." He slid a picture across the counter to the bartender, a rather large and ugly looking bald man, who took a moment to examine it and then slid it back to him. "What's it to you?" the bartender asked suspiciously. Tommy reached into his jacket and flashed the badge that identified him as a bounty hunter, as well as the silver 9mm Beretta pistol he had in there. "Yeah I seen her," the bartender said. "Fact she's working tonight." "Where is she?" Tommy asked. "She's in that booth over there," the bartender replied. "Just try not to scare away the customers." "I won't make any promises," Tommy said. Tommy walked off towards the indicated booth. Inside the booth a topless woman was grinding up against a middle aged business man who was wearing a black and white pinstripe suit. The woman had light brown hair that was tied in a green ribbon and she wore a green G-string. She had a rather unique tattoo on her back that looked a bit like a Phoenix Tommy thought. "Alright, you get out of here, now!" Tommy ordered pulling out his gun and pointing it at the man. "The girl and I have business." The girl whirled around and Tommy knew immediately that he had found her. The man shoved her off of him and quickly scurried out of the booth. Tommy then trained the gun on the girl. After all these years he wasn't entirely sure how she would react towards him. "Sit down," he said. She sat down in the booth and crossed her arms across her chest covering her nipples. "I figured you would have been doing a lot better off considering how in you were with Scorpina, Kim," Tommy said angrily. "Not that it's any of your concern, but I rather enjoy this job." Kimberly replied. "Yeah I can tell that," Tommy said. "It must pay pretty well. Those looked like they cost a lot." Tommy pointed at her breasts which were a lot bigger than he remembered. "Hey in this business size matters," Kimberly replied. "The bigger they are, the better the pay. Now you just lost me a five hundred dollar customer, you gonna cover that?" Tommy opened his jacket and flashed his bounty hunter credentials. "I've got every right to break it up if I want," Tommy replied. She gave him an evil eye, but otherwise made no reply to that remark. "So why are you here?" Kimberly asked. "I thought that would be obvious," Tommy answered. "If you think I'm going to help you stop Scorpina you're wrong." Kimberly replied. "I gave up being the Green Ranger years ago." "Yeah, just like I gave up being the Yellow Ranger," Tommy said. "Boo hoo, you're making me cry," Kimberly said sarcastically as she wiped away a fake tear. Tommy sighed with frustration. "How do you do it?" He inquired. "How can you live with the knowledge that you're responsible for Scorpina's rise to power?" "I really don't think about it," Kimberly replied. "Ever." "Don't you have a conscience? Don't you regret what you did?" Tommy asked. "No I don't," Kimberly answered. "The way I look at it, all I did was speed up the inevitable. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to get back to work." With that she stood up and walked away leaving Tommy sitting there. This wasn't how he had imagined things turning out. In his imagination she had agreed to help him and they had gotten rid of Scorpina once and for all. Just then Tommy felt his pocket vibrate. He reached in and pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. "Hello?" He answered it. "Is this Tommy Oliver?" the voice on the other end asked. "Who am I talking to?" Tommy inquired suspiciously. "My name is Katherine Hillard," the girl on the other end replied. "Trini told me about you before she died." Tommy was somewhat surprised at the fact that the news of Trini's death didn't shock him more. "How did she die?" Tommy asked. "I don't think you want to know," Katherine replied. "But you should know that she passed on her morpher to me before she died. She told me that I needed to find you and tell you what she discovered." Now that news surprised Tommy. He wondered what it was that Trini had discovered. "What did Trini discover?" Tommy asked anxious to find out. "I don't think I should tell you over the phone," Katherine answered. "Where are you?" "I'm at a place called Binky Bonkers in Los Angeles," Tommy replied. "Is that a strip joint?" Katherine questioned. "Look I work as a bounty hunter sometimes my job takes me into places like..." "I wasn't judging you," Katherine interrupted him. "I was just curious. Anyway I'm in Mexico, I'll be in Los Angeles by tomorrow night. I'll meet you back at that Binky Bonkers place." "No," Tommy replied his eyes were watching Kimberly as she was performing a pole dance for a group of men who were eagerly stuffing bills into her G-string. "I really don't want to be in this place again. Call me once you get into L.A. and I'll tell you where you can meet me." "Alright have it your way," Katherine replied. "How will I know it's you?" Tommy asked. "I'll show you the Power Coin," Katherine answered. "Alright," Tommy said. "I'll be waiting for your call." Tommy closed his cell phone and slid it back into his pocket. He then headed towards the exit, never taking his eyes off of Kimberly the entire way. The woman had captured his heart years ago and even now she still had it. But the feelings didn't seem to be mutual, but try as he might Tommy couldn't make himself move on. Tommy's cell phone rang and he picked it up off the nightstand after the third ring. "Go ahead," he said gruffly. "It's me," came the accented female voice on the other end. "Me who?" Tommy asked suspiciously. "Katherine, who else," the girl replied irritated. "Just being careful," Tommy replied. "Alright, go to the South L.A. Hilton and ask for Thomas Greene at the front desk." The hotel phone rang in Tommy's room, he snatched it up after one ring. "Yes?" he answered politely. "You have someone here to see you Mister Greene," the man working the front desk said over the phone. "Could you please send her up to my room?" Tommy asked. "Yes sir," the man replied. Tommy put the phone back down on its receiver. He then checked his gun in case this was a setup and made sure the door was unlocked. He then sat down on a chair facing the door his gun in hand hidden out of sight. About two minutes later there was a knock on the door. "Come in, it's unlocked," Tommy called out. The door opened and a young blonde woman entered, closing the door behind her. "Let's see it," Tommy said. The woman held out her hand showing him a gold metal coin. Tommy stood up and got closer and examined the coin. It was certainly Trini's power coin. "And how do I know that you didn't kill her and take it?" Tommy asked. "She figured you'd be suspicious of that so she gave me this," Katherine replied. "That should explain everything. If you've got any questions after reading it just ask me." She handed Tommy an envelope and he cautiously opened it up and pulled out the neatly folded paper inside. He immediately recognized the hand writing as Trini's. Convinced he began to read the letter. Tommy looked up from the letter. "So there's another team of Power Rangers?" Tommy asked. Katherine nodded. "Do you know anything about them?" Tommy inquired. Katherine shook her head. "I don't know very much about them at all. They're very cautious and they don't want anyone to know about them since it would put them in even more danger than they are already in. Scorpina isn't trying to keep their rebellion hidden, they are. Scorpina wishes they would be more open because then she could openly commit more forces to combat them." "Couldn't she do that anyway?" Tommy questioned. "She could," Katherine responded. "But she's gotten wise to the whole concept of Public Relations. If she makes herself look like the aggressor that might inspire more rebellion." "Man, Scorpina is a lot smarter about this than Rita ever was," Tommy muttered. "So what do we do next?" Katherine asked him. "Why are you asking me?" Tommy retorted. "Well I've completed my mission," Katherine replied. "I found you. So I'm asking you, what do we do next? You're the one that's been a Ranger longer." "If only that meant something," Tommy snorted. Katherine looked at him oddly. Tommy knew exactly what she was thinking, I can't believe I believe I came all the way here for this. "Alright, we need to find Jason," Tommy said. "He's the Red Ranger right?" Katherine asked. "Yeah," Tommy replied. "Look I'm sure you've got stuff to do, and I've got some stuff of my own I need to take care of first before we leave to find Jason." "Where's Jason?" Katherine asked. "He's in Washington," Tommy replied. "And the only way we'll get in touch with him, is to go there ourselves. So you go do what you need to, I've got things to do. We'll leave tomorrow." Katherine nodded, said goodbye and left. After moment to gather his thoughts Tommy grabbed his gun and stuck it back inside his jacket and then went out. He figured he'd try and change her mind one last time, he owed it to... he wasn't sure who he owed it to. Himself, her, Zordon? Either way he had to try at least once more. He walked into the Binky Bonkers and scanned the place. He didn't see Kimberly anywhere so he went over to the bartender. "You remember me?" Tommy asked. "Yeah I remember you," the bartender grumbled in reply. "Tell me where the girl I was talking to yesterday is," Tommy demanded. "She's on in five minutes," the bartender replied jerking his thumb towards the stage. "If you don't want any trouble I suggest you wait until after she's done." "Well then I think I'll go watch the show," Tommy said. "It's a two drink minimum," the bartender said. Tommy nodded, a drink might be just what he needed. "Give me a rum and coke, and make it a double." Tommy said. The bartender quickly poured Tommy the drink and handed it to him. Tommy slid the man a bill and then went to sit down in one of the leather lounge chairs near the stage. About twenty seconds after he sat down a squirrely little man came along, "Hey buddy you're in my seat," the guy said. Tommy opened his jacket to let the guy look at his pistol and then motioned his head to tell him to move on and find another seat. The guy didn't bother to argue and found a seat elsewhere. Tommy took a sip of his Rum and Coke and then sat it down on the small table beside his chair. At that moment Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics began to play. Tommy watched as Kimberly strutted out to the pole on the stage like a supermodel dressed in a fancy leather body suit that covered her from neck to feet, with numerous zippers all over it. She almost immediately noticed Tommy and she glared angrily at him, but only for a second before she focused on her dance. Tommy watched as she seductively removed sections of her body suit, first the gloves, then the boots, it began to peel away until she was left wearing only a leather bra and thong. Tommy kept his face completely straight as she slowly removed her leather bra and tossed it aside and began to fondle her breasts. He knew she was trying to get a reaction from him, but he wasn't about to give her what she wanted. When she finished the crowd hooted and hollered demanding an encore, but Tommy just politely clipped. She stepped down off the stage as another song came on and another girl came out to a different song. "Don't try and tell me that this didn't get you at all excited," Kimberly said indicating her body as she approached Tommy. Tommy shook his head. "Not in the slightest," he replied coldly. "You're lying," she said as climbed onto his lap. "I bet I can get you aroused." "What are you trying to prove?" Tommy asked her grabbing one of her arms. "I wouldn't touch me like that," Kimberly whispered. "Bruno over there doesn't like it when people are rough with his girls." Tommy followed her eyes to a very large looking man who was glaring back at him. "Not that I can't handle it rough," Kimberly added with a sly grin. "Fine, you've got me at a disadvantage," Tommy admitted. "What do you want?" "Oh I want a few things," Kimberly replied. "But I'm going to earn them." "What do you want and how are you going to earn them?" Tommy asked. "Well I want you to leave and never come back here," Kimberly replied. "I want you to stop trying to find me. I know you have been all these years, and the only reason you found me this time is because I let you. And I'd also like you to pay me for the customer you lost me last night, plus what I'm about to give you." "Oh?" Tommy asked raising an eyebrow. Kimberly replied by grinding her crotch up against his seductively shaking her chest in time with the music. Tommy tried as hard as he could to resist, but his body refused to obey his mind. He could feel himself getting aroused even though he knew this was exactly what she wanted. "Please, stop," Tommy begged quietly. Kimberly only smiled and relented, it was torture and yet he was loving every second of it as well. Finally his body couldn't bare it anymore. "Oh dear, it looks like you've wet yourself," Kimberly commented. "Face it Tommy, you're still just a little kid. You need to grow up and get over your little crush." She stood up and held out her hand, "Now pay up the five hundred bucks for the dance plus five hundred for last night." "I don't carry that kind of cash on me," Tommy replied. "Don't lie to me," Kimberly said, "You've got five grand on you. I counted while you were lost in ecstasy." Tommy sighed and reached into his jacket and pulled out his roll of bills. The elastic band that had been holding them together had come off. He counted out ten hundreds and reluctantly handed them to her. She stuffed the bills into her thong and then with little wave over her shoulder and a smirk she headed into the backstage area. As Tommy turned to leave he saw Katherine standing there. "So who was that?" Katherine asked. "Someone I thought I knew," Tommy replied. "But I guess everything that has happened has made people change." Kat nodded knowingly although she had a suspicion that there was more to Tommy's answer than that. She decided that now was not the time to push the issue. "Why are you here anyway?" Tommy asked suddenly snapping back into reality. "We've got to leave now," Kat replied. "I ran across someone. I'm pretty sure they didn't see me, but if they did we're both in big trouble so we'd better get out of here while we can."
|
