-Dans accounting office-

The echoes of clicking keyboards danced around the office, playing an all too familiar tone. Even Gregory’s grunts of anger sounded off from the back corner, a sign of another annoying customer on the other end. The day was just like any other for everyone else, and yet.

My whole world was just shattered.

I stared at my phone, unable to tear my eyes away from the video playing before me. There they were—my wife and my boss—entangled in my bed. Our bed. My heart hammered against my chest, and a knot twisted in my stomach, making it hard to breathe.

Our home, our special place. The place I told her all about work, where I complained about my day, about my boss. The home we raised our kids in…

My phone rang but the sound soon became muffled.

The phone rang, but the sound felt distant, almost like I imagined it. She said she knew him from college. Has this been going on since the beginning? Did I start this by bringing her to the company Christmas party? She said I was enough, didn't she…?

“Oh, Dan, she's always been a liar,” A feminine voice whispered into my ear.

A chill ran down my spine and I frantically looked around, but no one was there. My phone rang again and I looked over to it, my eyes staring intently at the vibrating handle. Right, I'm still at work. I should answer that…

I reached out, and as I did, the soft laughter of a woman echoed out behind me. My whole body froze and a hand gently rested against my cheek. I jumped and looked up, and there she was, the goddess. Her never ending cosmic eyes locked onto mine, intense and unblinking. She leaned in slowly, her cool breath caressing my skin like a fall breeze as she rested her head just beside my ear.

“There you go working for him again. Is that the life you want?” She whispered. “Even after I gave you a blessing, you still haven't looked at it.”

“I-I thought that was a dream…” I stuttered.

“It is a dream, your dream coming true.” She whispered and reached down, running her fingers over my own. “You've been through so much, Dan.”

“B-but, what can I do?”

“Take your life back.” She whispered. “You work to put food on the table, to pay for the dresses your wife wears to meet with him, to give your son a better future.”

My heart suddenly stopped racing. Her words, it was like they connected the dots for me. She heard me, she saw me, everything I said, everything I did.

“You're right…” I mumbled.

“You always drank to solve your problems. You kept your mouth shut for so long. Now it's time you fight back.”

As she spoke, a loud DING! pierced the air, I turned towards the sound and found my boss stepping out of the elevator. He adjusted his tie with a smug grin, clearly entertained. Without a glance in our direction, he strolled down the aisle of desks, completely ignoring us. And then it hit me—he'd spent his lunch break... screwing my wife.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

He walked past me, making a point to glance over at me. As we locked eyes, a smirk played on his lips before he turned away and continued toward his office.

“That bastard,” I growled.

“Are you going to continue this cycle? Sit back and let another opportunity fly right by you?” The Goddess whispered. “You let it go back in college, you let it go everyday, you sat here and took his abuse. Will you continue?”

I looked from her, to my phone. Seeing the frozen frame of her and him together. My heart raced again and a fire burned in my chest.

“No…not anymore.” I said and stood up.

“Good, then go, my child.” She whispered.

I stood up from my desk and stomped down the aisle. Then I held out my hand and summoned my card. The hard material formed in my hand and I lifted it up to look it over again. As I read the words, a smile adorned my lips. This is truly it, I'll win with this ability for sure!

When I arrived at my bosses door I reached out for it, but my whole body froze. My wife and my little boy's face came to mind. I stared at the handle, and the fire inside me started to flicker.

If I go in there, everything is gonna change. For me, for my wife, and for my son…

The image of my boss and my wife came to mind again. And that dwindling flame reignited like a roaring flame. I snatched that handle and yanked that door open. My boss jumped in his seat and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Mr. Jennings? What're you doing here?” He demanded.

I walked inside and slammed the door behind me.

“Sir, I need to talk to you about an important matter.” I insisted.

“Mr. Jennings, I am far too busy to speak, why don't you make an appointment?” He said dismissively.

“Sir It's-”

“Jennings, no offense. But a simple number cruncher can’t possibly have something that important to say.” He chuckled.“Unless you're falling behind again because you can't count. If that's the issue, just wait till your lunch and come find me then.”

“No, I think you'll talk to me, right now.” I demanded.

He looked from me to the phone. There was a look of shock in his eyes and then he started to laugh. He grabbed the phone and played it, letting the wails of my wife's voice fill the room. After a little he paused it.

“So, what? You gonna report me?” He asked.

“I want to know how long.”

He laughed. “Well, Jennings. How long have you been working at Breaks?”

My stomach dropped. “What…?”

“You know, damn well you didn't have what it takes to work here.” He snarled and glared at me. “Leya called me and asked if I had any open positions and after getting your abysmal resume, I gave her a chance to get you hired.”

My body ran cold and I stepped back.

“S-she wouldn't do that…she believed in me.” I mumbled.

He laughed. “Yeah, believed in you enough to get down on her knees.”

“Shut up!” I yelled.

“And you know what's funny? She liked it so much she called me to come back, again and again.” He smiled and got up from around his desk. “She confided in me, told me how embarrassed she was to be with a man who let himself go, a man who still collects power ranger action figures, she wanted a real man.”

He walked over from his desk and stood inches from me. My body trembled, and tears began to blur my vision. My wife’s smile, her face, her laughter—it all suddenly felt like a lie.

Everything was a lie.

“You're a villian…” I whispered.

“Here's how this is gonna go.” He whispered. “You're gonna go back into that office, sit down and scrape by making your quota. I'll still help push you along, and you won't say a word to Leya about this. It would be a shame if you lost your ability to take care of our son, oh! I mean your son, of course.”

He laughed and turned around, then suddenly the world froze again. Our son, he said our son…

“What did you say?” I mumbled. “Did you say…our son?”

“Yeah, I mean, after all. I don't think blue eyes run in your family, right?”

My son's face came to mind. And then, something snapped.

“Let's get one thing straight.” I whispered and held out my hand.

I summoned the Blue Ranger’s morpher watch and held it out. My boss looked at me with confusion, then started to laugh.

“Is that one of your dumb power ranger watches?” He laughed. “You're so pathetic…”

“Jason is my son!” I yelled.

I strapped the morpher onto my wrist and pressed the button. A blinding azure light erupted from the watch, and my boss staggered back onto his desk

I strapped the morpher onto my wrist and pressed the button. A blinding azure light erupted from the watch, and my boss staggered back, shielding his eyes, before crashing into his desk. Meanwhile, the blue light wrapped around me, swirling and tightening like a living force.

The weight of the suit settled over my body, conforming to me as it grew heavier, but I felt an immense surge of strength. A belt materialized around my waist, and a helmet slid over my head. Then, as quickly as it started, everything stopped.

I was the Blue Ranger.

My boss slowly pushed himself up, still chuckling. As his laughter echoed, I reached for the blaster holstered at my side, drew it, and aimed it at his amused face.

“I quit.” I said and quickly pulled the trigger.

A bright blue blast exploded from the blaster and shot out. As soon as it came in contact with my boss's head, it exploded. A splatter of scarlet covered my helmet and the walls.

I panted hard and my arm started to shake. My boss's body fell limp and dropped on top of his desk. His blood gushing out from his skull, making a small river across his desk.

‘Target neutralized.’ A robotic voice in my helmet spoke.

I did that, I did it. I started to laugh and stumbled back, falling against the door. Slowly I slid down and pressed my hands against my helmet and kept laughing.

“Congratulations, Dan Jennings. Your life will never be the same again.” The Goddess whispered.