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New Year's Celebrations by Smittysgirl
The pizza delivery urchin took in the abrupt change of scenery with little more than a squeak. Mesogog had to admire the boy's resolve. So few of the mammals had made it through molecular teletransportation with their wits about them.
"I, um, have a delivery for a Terrance Smith," he stammered. "Five extra-large. One with no cheese, one with no sauce, one with extra anchovies, a super-deluxe, and one Valvoline Special."
"Zeltrax," Mesogog ordered, "Give this young human his appropriate... compensation."
Zeltrax bowed. "Of course, my liege." Turning to face the human, the cyborg found a stack of pizza boxes thrust into his arms. The delivery boy stumbled backwards, triggering the still-active invisportal and rematerializing in Reefside.
Mesogog shook his head in disgust. "Humans."
Zeltrax shifted the stack from arm to arm, trying not to expose any sensitive parts of his superstructure to the greasy cardboard. "We were supposed to get free crazy bread an order above thirty dollars."
"You should be lucky he didn't drop the pizzas upon seeing your ugly mug," Trent said, appearing from out of nowhere.
Zeltrax bit back an open snarl of contempt and instead thrust the boxes into Trent's arms. "Why don't you make yourself useful and set these out in the conference room."
"Get one of the Tyrannodrones to do it," Trent snarled. "I'm not your lackey."
Zeltrax cocked his head in vague contempt. "We are all subjects of the great Mesogog, and you should show your loyalty by ensuring this celebration goes off without a hitch. THAT is a sworn duty of the second in command."
"Catering is not in my job description," Trent sneered, handing the stack of pizzas to one of the waiting drones. "Unless... don't tell me the great Zeltrax was a caterer in a former life."
Zeltrax's hand tensed. "You are intruding on the festive spirit of the season, whelp!"
Trent's form shimmered. "Who are you calling a whelp, third in command?" He turned towards the Tyrannodrone. "Take those to the conference room and set up the punch!" The creature nodded, departing towards the lair's main entrance.
Mesogog shook his head with something approaching mirth. "While your... Perssonality conflicts hold some appeal to me, I expect the two of you to enjoy yourselves tonight. This regime rewards loyalty. Consssider yourselves -- off the clock."
"Yes, my lord," Zeltrax said, bowing deeply.
Trent's form shimmered back from armored to civilian. "Right." He sneered at Zeltrax and headed in the directions the Tyrannodrone had taken.
.
.
.
The mood inside the base was somewhere between angry and festive. Zeltrax wasn't entirely certain which extreme he'd say it leaned most heavily towards. Trent was quiet and sullen, which was an improvement over his usual loud and arrogant. Carb Carnivore, one of their most successful mutations, was lecturing Tyrannodrones on improving their diets. He himself had taken refuge behind the Genome Randomizer with his valvoline pizza.
He digested a cup of fluid that a Tyrannodrone gave him, feeling pleasure in the slight buzz. Elsa was muttering something, probably cover-related, to one of the more intelligent mutants, one that looked like a cross between a school implement and a mushroom. And his master was enjoying his pizza, the one nobody touched because it was Mesogog's.
Minutes felt like hours before Mesogog turned on his handheld microphone and began dispensing his belated Christmas gifts to his subjects -- praise and thanks for hours of dogged work destroying the Power Rangers. Zeltrax's chest swelled with pride as his master began to run down the litany of things he had accomplished this past year when suddenly warning klaxons began to sound.
Elsa abruptly handed her drink off to the mushroom, cursing. She started hitting controls.
"What iss it?" Mesogog asked. "Have the Power Rangerss dared to attack my stronghold?"
"It's, um..." she blinked at the readouts. Trent stepped to the controls, pushing her out of the way.
"It's a monster! Not one of ours, I mean. It's --"
Elsa shoved him back, resuming her post. "The genus of the monster is indeterminate, sire. What are your commands?"
"Zeltrax, Trent, capture this being and bring it here," Mesogog commanded. "Elsa. See if you can find anything out about it." A look of barely contained contempt passed between the two as they made their way to the nearest invisiportal outside.
"Great, now we have a cross between one of those exotic mammals and the cat in the hat," Trent complained, glaring at the monster. The monster giggled.
Beneath his armor, Zeltrax's eyes widened. "By Dezu. It's Chipper Chupacabra!"
"Who?" Trent muttered cluelessly.
"A fairy tale villains tell their offspring at night..." Zeltrax's sword clattered uselessly to the grass. "Morph, you fool! Morph before he ensnares your very essence!"
Trent snorted, and morphed. "Right. This looks as dangerous as a rabid squirrel."
The creature chittered happily, its dual-lidded eyes snapping open and pulsating with a liquid luminance. Trent's knees began to buckle. "Aaargh!" Trent screamed. He shuddered, and then vanished into thin air.
New Year's Celebrations by Smittysgirl
The pizza delivery urchin took in the abrupt change of scenery with little more than a squeak. Mesogog had to admire the boy's resolve. So few of the mammals had made it through molecular teletransportation with their wits about them.
"I, um, have a delivery for a Terrance Smith," he stammered. "Five extra-large. One with no cheese, one with no sauce, one with extra anchovies, a super-deluxe, and one Valvoline Special."
"Zeltrax," Mesogog ordered, "Give this young human his appropriate... compensation."
Zeltrax bowed. "Of course, my liege." Turning to face the human, the cyborg found a stack of pizza boxes thrust into his arms. The delivery boy stumbled backwards, triggering the still-active invisportal and rematerializing in Reefside.
Mesogog shook his head in disgust. "Humans."
Zeltrax shifted the stack from arm to arm, trying not to expose any sensitive parts of his superstructure to the greasy cardboard. "We were supposed to get free crazy bread an order above thirty dollars."
"You should be lucky he didn't drop the pizzas upon seeing your ugly mug," Trent said, appearing from out of nowhere.
Zeltrax bit back an open snarl of contempt and instead thrust the boxes into Trent's arms. "Why don't you make yourself useful and set these out in the conference room."
"Get one of the Tyrannodrones to do it," Trent snarled. "I'm not your lackey."
Zeltrax cocked his head in vague contempt. "We are all subjects of the great Mesogog, and you should show your loyalty by ensuring this celebration goes off without a hitch. THAT is a sworn duty of the second in command."
"Catering is not in my job description," Trent sneered, handing the stack of pizzas to one of the waiting drones. "Unless... don't tell me the great Zeltrax was a caterer in a former life."
Zeltrax's hand tensed. "You are intruding on the festive spirit of the season, whelp!"
Trent's form shimmered. "Who are you calling a whelp, third in command?" He turned towards the Tyrannodrone. "Take those to the conference room and set up the punch!" The creature nodded, departing towards the lair's main entrance.
Mesogog shook his head with something approaching mirth. "While your... Perssonality conflicts hold some appeal to me, I expect the two of you to enjoy yourselves tonight. This regime rewards loyalty. Consssider yourselves -- off the clock."
"Yes, my lord," Zeltrax said, bowing deeply.
Trent's form shimmered back from armored to civilian. "Right." He sneered at Zeltrax and headed in the directions the Tyrannodrone had taken.
.
.
.
The mood inside the base was somewhere between angry and festive. Zeltrax wasn't entirely certain which extreme he'd say it leaned most heavily towards. Trent was quiet and sullen, which was an improvement over his usual loud and arrogant. Carb Carnivore, one of their most successful mutations, was lecturing Tyrannodrones on improving their diets. He himself had taken refuge behind the Genome Randomizer with his valvoline pizza.
He digested a cup of fluid that a Tyrannodrone gave him, feeling pleasure in the slight buzz. Elsa was muttering something, probably cover-related, to one of the more intelligent mutants, one that looked like a cross between a school implement and a mushroom. And his master was enjoying his pizza, the one nobody touched because it was Mesogog's.
Minutes felt like hours before Mesogog turned on his handheld microphone and began dispensing his belated Christmas gifts to his subjects -- praise and thanks for hours of dogged work destroying the Power Rangers. Zeltrax's chest swelled with pride as his master began to run down the litany of things he had accomplished this past year when suddenly warning klaxons began to sound.
Elsa abruptly handed her drink off to the mushroom, cursing. She started hitting controls.
"What iss it?" Mesogog asked. "Have the Power Rangerss dared to attack my stronghold?"
"It's, um..." she blinked at the readouts. Trent stepped to the controls, pushing her out of the way.
"It's a monster! Not one of ours, I mean. It's --"
Elsa shoved him back, resuming her post. "The genus of the monster is indeterminate, sire. What are your commands?"
"Zeltrax, Trent, capture this being and bring it here," Mesogog commanded. "Elsa. See if you can find anything out about it." A look of barely contained contempt passed between the two as they made their way to the nearest invisiportal outside.
"Great, now we have a cross between one of those exotic mammals and the cat in the hat," Trent complained, glaring at the monster. The monster giggled.
Beneath his armor, Zeltrax's eyes widened. "By Dezu. It's Chipper Chupacabra!"
"Who?" Trent muttered cluelessly.
"A fairy tale villains tell their offspring at night..." Zeltrax's sword clattered uselessly to the grass. "Morph, you fool! Morph before he ensnares your very essence!"
Trent snorted, and morphed. "Right. This looks as dangerous as a rabid squirrel."
The creature chittered happily, its dual-lidded eyes snapping open and pulsating with a liquid luminance. Trent's knees began to buckle. "Aaargh!" Trent screamed. He shuddered, and then vanished into thin air.