The Green Ranger stood on the balcony of the Lunar Palace, silently staring out at the misty blue orb in front of him. Brooding, he stood transfixed as Rita gracefully approached her newest warrior, laying a clawed hand on his arm.
"Just look at it, Tommy. Its ours for the taking," she whispered over his shoulder. "Just imagine. Huddled masses kneeling in subservience, begging to serve me in exchange for their worthless lives."
The emerald helmet turned slightly to stare at the bejeweled hand of his Empress, which clutched his bicep in excitement. He could feel her raw power radiating into him; it was intoxicating. The evil Ranger growled low in his throat.
"Yes, my queen. All for you."
Moving to stand in front of him, her face took a more serious expression.
"Pay attention. This is most important, Tommy."
Her crescent staff swirled slowly in front of them, a kaleidoscope of colors shifting into an image of brightly colored warriors. Their uniforms resembled Tommy's and his head tilted in amusement.
"These are the Power Rangers, puppets of that old fool Zordon. They must be eliminated before I can create my new kingdom on Earth."
"They look like me," he said quizzically.
"No," Rita whispered. "They aren't as strong or as cunning as you, Green Ranger. Those Rangers are bound by rules. And morals. You are free to attack them in whatever way you wish; I won't stop you. As long as they die."
"How do I find them? These Power Rangers?" He approached the subtly shifting illusion and studied it intently.
The witch grinned and again her staff circled. "Let me point you in the right direction."
The image changed to a close up of a petite brunette with hazel eyes. Her pink sundress accentuated her athletic physique.
"Kimberly, the Pink Ranger. She commands the Pterodactyl Dinozord. Preppy and annoying as I'm sure you'll discover."
A sudden shift and a new girl now stood before them.
"Trini, the Yellow Ranger and commander of the Saber-tooth Tiger Dinozord. Smart, I'll give her that but sickeningly helpful and cheerful." Rita rolled her eyes and gagged.
Tommy stood quietly, making mental notes of each teen. He'd seen them around before at the Youth Center; it should make finding them no problem.
"Now if we're talking about smart, this Power Brat trumps them all. Billy, the Blue Ranger. He controls the Triceratops Dinozord."
The sandy haired, bespectacled teen stood in overalls, hands tucked in his pockets.
Definitely a high level target, Tommy mused to himself.
The image shifted to a dark skinned teen with a brilliant, engaging grin.
"Zachary, the Black Ranger who controls the Mastodon Dinozord. Extremely energetic and talks a mile a minute. I'm sure you'll come to recognize his Hip Hop Kido style of fighting."
The Green Ranger merely nodded, a white gloved hand under his chin as he committed each face to its Ranger counterpart.
"Finally, Jason, the Red Ranger. Leader of the Power Rangers and commander of the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord. He's the reason the others took up the Power Coins and joined with Zordon. He is a skilled fighter, almost a match for you, Tommy. So don't underestimate him."
Another priority, Tommy mentally noted even as the image of the dark haired, dark eyed teen jogged his memory.
I remember. The guy I fought in the tournament. He was difficult. But not difficult to look at.
The corner of his mouth turned up as possible scenarios crossed his mind. This could be fun. But first things first.
First Zordon, then Little Boy Blue. From there, Little Red Riding Hood.
Rita turned her evil Ranger to face her. Her lips curled in a pointy grin as if she could read his mind.
"Green Ranger, I want you to go to Earth and destroy Zordon. Decimate their precious Command Center. Your power coin will gain you entry undetected."
She reached up to cup his chin and stared up into his black visor, her grin vanished.
"Zordon will try to turn you against me. He will fill your ears with lies. You must be careful and remember this is for your Queen. I chose you, Tommy, not only because you are a dauntless fighter but because I know when you make a decision, you do not waver. You are my champion."
Her hand trailed to the solid gold shield adorning his chest. It felt almost icy to her fingertips.
"You are my Ranger." She licked her lips as she took him in.
"Whatever my Empress commands, I shall obey. Consider Zordon gone."
"Go, then. Shatter the Rangers' confidence, bring them low."
The Green Ranger nodded and bowed to his Empress before teleporting out in a flash of green and gold fire.
Rita remained staring at the place he had stood, overcome with joy at the very notion of having her own evil Ranger who would only answer to her. Her personal pit bull to guard her, fight for her, kill for her. All she had to do was release him on her enemies. Their fight would be pitiful against him, a true blood bath that would leave them stricken and hemorrhaging.
Heavy footsteps and a low growl caught her attention. She turned, her skirts swishing the marble floor and smirked at Goldar, her oldest warrior.
"You doubt him, don't you Goldar?"
"He has proven nothing to me, my Queen. I've seen no true evil in him, no dark, merciless heart. I want to see him shed some innocent blood before I trust him," he snarled.
Her face twisted in a scowl.
"You're doubting my powers, then. Because I control him. His mind belongs to me alone. I can make him cross lines he never imagined."
Goldar's red eyes widened nervously.
"No, my Queen," he back pedaled. "Those Rangers have proven difficult before; I believe one death would make me believe this time will be different."
In her heart, Rita had some apprehension about this plan. Too many times had they failed to destroy the Rangers. Just when it seemed things were going her way, they would rapidly change.
"This time IS different, Goldar," she insisted, gazing back toward the cloudy blue planet.
In a low whoosh of fire, the Green Ranger materialized in the darkened Command Center. Small pinpoint stars were scattered across the walls as he stealthily approached his target, taking cover behind a large metal console. A high pitched robotic voice punctured the stillness.
"But Zordon..." it protested.
That voice, Tommy grumbled to himself.
Zordon's booming voice interrupted the robot's whine.
"Alpha 5, you must take this opportunity to recharge while I place myself in a meditative state."
The robot started to argue but Zordon was firm.
"You're right, Zordon," he finally relented with a sigh.
Alpha shuffled over and prepared to go offline.
After waiting in silence for a few minutes, Tommy slowly straightened and looked around furtively.
So this is where they hide out.
Various lights on the consoles flashed and beeped faintly. A large white globe was mounted near the front of the room; it was dark and still. Directly ahead of him Zordon's tube extended high into the ceiling which the Green Ranger could not see. Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy spied the little android, slightly bent and powered down.
I've got a little gift for Alpha, he grinned as he softly approached; a multicolored disk was clutched in his hand.
Stealthily, he lifted his arm and then viciously crammed the disk into Alpha's back.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" the robot screamed in a high pitched panic.
Growling, the Green Ranger's white gloved hands snatched the bundle of cords attached to the distressed android and with a mighty yank, silenced Alpha mid-scream.
"Alpha 5, what's happening?" Zordon reappeared before Tommy, his confusion apparent. "How did you gain entry? Only one with a power coin may enter undetected."
The Green Ranger sneered, "And I have that power, Zordon."
He was less than pleased with the lack of fear on the old sage's face. Didn't he realize he was about to die? Tommy growled in irritation.
"So Rita has finally chosen someone to give the green powers to."
The emerald helmet bobbed slightly. "Yes and I'm here to destroy you and your precious Rangers."
"Tommy, Rita has you under an evil spell; I can help you."
Here come the lies.
"You should worry more about what's going to happen your Rainbow Brigade after I send you to another dimension," he laughed cruelly.
"Listen to me, Green Ranger," Zordon started.
"Enough talk," Tommy interrupted. "I don't take orders from a giant floating head! Rita is my Empress and she will rule the earth!"
Swiftly darting forward, his white gloves pried off the metal top of a control console. Digging inside, he violently yanked and tugged every cable, wire, and cord he could spot.
"Tommy!" Zordon yelled as his tube flickered and shifted. "Alpha, wake up! You must warn the other Rangers!"
The Green Ranger moved from one console to the next in rapid succession. Sparks flew, lights flashed and went dim. Smoke rolled in thick clouds toward the ceiling; acrid odors filled the room.
Pausing to assess the damage he had caused, he grinned as Zordon's frightened face began to fade.
"Wherever you're going, old man, won't compare to the hell waiting for the Power Rangers. Know that. And Billy goes first." He drew his finger across his throat.
He barely finished his taunt before Zordon disappeared from view, the tube now filled with an eerie crackle of static.
I wonder how long it will take them to discover something's wrong. Too bad I can't see their faces when they finally get here.
He laughed heartily; they were going to be in for several nasty surprises. Again spying Alpha at his station with no spark of life, the Green Ranger aggressively seized the small robot and threw him across the room into the smoking mess he had created.
Jubilant at fulfilling his Empress's command, Tommy teleported back to the Lunar Palace to receive his Queen's praises and to plan his "big reveal."
Rita heard the flash of teleportation and turned to see her young, new warrior standing at attention. His gloves were spotted black with electrical burns and his chest heaved in exhilaration.
"It is done, my Queen. Zordon is a memory," he boasted.
That first small taste of destruction made him feel as if his soul was on fire. He thirsted for more destruction, more chaos, more fear. The green helmet concealed his bloodthirsty grin as his shoulders rose and fell rhythmically.
The evil witch stood silently for several minutes, drinking in the moment, the one she thought would never arrive. Zordon was really and truly gone? Were her ears deceiving her?
"Green Ranger, are you lying to me?" she whispered, gliding up to him and placing one pointed finger under his chin. "Is it really done?"
Her eyes gazed into the dark visor, her breathing also quickened in excitement.
"You wished it, my Queen, and I obeyed. Zordon is no longer in this realm."
Rita's face broke into a malicious smile; her entire face seemed to glow as she gathered her skirts and turned to race to her telescope. Peering down, she took in the smokey, smoldering ruins of the Command Center.
"Goldar!" she screeched in rapture. "Come admire what my Green Ranger has done!"
The armored alien's heavy footfalls sounded as he brushed roughly past Tommy to join his Empress on the balcony. He too gazed down to Earth and the destroyed base. Then glancing back at the evil Ranger, his snout lifted in a snarl.
"So," he began, stomping up to Tommy, who stood unimpressed by the winged warrior. "You managed to do one task our Queen has asked of you. Not hard to fight someone who can't fight back," he sneered. "Kill a Ranger, then I will have respect for you, pup."
"I only live to serve Empress Rita. Your opinion doesn't mean shit to me, dog breath," Tommy growled softly. "Besides, how many Rangers have you killed? That's right. None."
"I'm about to have one Ranger under my belt, you misbegotten child." The red eyes glowed in anger as he hovered over the teen intimidatingly. The Green Ranger's head tilted slightly in consideration of what he was about to do.
Without warning, he drove his helmeted head with full force into Goldar's snout. A sickening crunch sounded followed by a howl of startled pain. Crimson blood smeared across the top of the Green Ranger's head and dripped down the front as Goldar held both hands to his face, doubled over at the waist in disbelief.
He pointed a gloved finger at Goldar in warning.
"Don't ever get in my face again!" he roared, the sound echoing off the palace walls.
Rita snapped her fingers and several Putties appeared between Goldar and Tommy.
"Green Ranger! Goldar! Enough of this! This is a time of celebration. Without Zordon, those pesky Power Brats are without guidance. Now's the perfect time to draw them out!" She cackled in delight.
The two warriors continued to glare at one another despite the separation.
Flinging blood off his hand, Goldar straightened and pointed his own armored finger at Tommy.
"Rita is right, Green Ranger. For now, we must work together to beat those brats. However, lets make it interesting. Lets see who bags the first Ranger."
"Fine," Tommy hissed. "What's the prize?"
"Respect," he jeered to which the Green Ranger extended his middle finger.
"I'll never respect you, Goldilocks."
"I said enough, you two! You're starting to give me a headache! And I want to savor this moment," Rita marched up to the arguing warriors.
"Green Ranger, Goldar. Go to Earth and take this out on those Rangers.
The two warriors stared each down a moment longer; then in a flash of red and green fire, they teleported to Earth.