When Trent awoke he couldn't remember where he was. His brain was foggy and nothing about his
surrounding was even remotely familiar.
He looked at the cheap, perfect, walls for advice but nothing was registering.
"You blacked out pretty hard," Eric Myers said with a chuckle. "You'd have thought you drank more than a couple of beers."
"Oh yeah…" Trent mumbled as everything came back together.
"I have a meeting at ten," Eric said as he buttoned up his uniform jacket in the bathroom, "Wanna go get breakfast before that. My treat."
"Yeah," Trent said, finding his spirits momentarily lifted. "That actually sounds pretty good."
Conner walked down the street with a grin on his face. He had ditched the red t-shirt and jeans for a black combat uniform he had swiped from Drakkon. The old Conner would think his new threads were tacky, but he could now see the practicality of the outfit.
Plus he kinda liked black.
He closed his eyes and let his senses guide him. The connection was faint, muddled by the fusion between the two personalities, but it was there nonetheless.
Conner casually looked towards the civilians as he passed. They were all anxious, still shaken from the previous battles and the ever changing status quo. This brought him some inner satisfaction, he craved chaos and the power it provided.
He moved on, growing more and more excited with each step. Soon enough he would grab destiny by the tail and drag victory towards himself.
The world would belong to him.
"When I offered you breakfast I expected us to eat somewhere a little more… fancy," Eric looked down at his sliders with a conflicted expression.
Trent shrugged, "White Castle is kinda my comfort food."
While eating the White Ranger had found his hand-drawn to the pen in his pocket. For weeks artist block had plagued any sort of creative endeavor.
But now things were seeming to fall into place.
Lines formed on the back of their paper placemat. They were swift and shaky as if his fingers had to be acquainted with the tool. It was slow work, feeling more like a sculptor having to physically carve his creation into existence.
"What are you working on over there?" Eric asked in between bites of food.
Trent just shrugged, he wasn't even sure yet. At first, he had thought it was a superhero, that been his obsession his entire life. But as the muscular build began to evolve further things became more complicated. Instead of a red flowing cape, Trent found himself drawing wide, feathery wings, and instead of a look of heroism and justice, there was nothing but aggression across his square jaw.
With a strange sense of satisfaction, Trent realized he had drawn a fierce angel. He soared through the air with a sword of pure fire.
"That's pretty good," Eric said, "Maybe after all of this Ranger stuff you could be a comic book artist or something."
Trent blushed, "Yeah, maybe." For the first time since this nightmare started Trent found himself lost in a sea of possibility.
The looming threat of Drakkon melted away and Trent envisioned himself as an adult, stress-free and a successful comic artist.
A smile spread across his face as he looked down at his illustration, imagining it as the precursor to some big break.
It was then that the doors burst open like a drunk had just slammed into them. The thud echoed around the restaurant, causing a silence to follow.
Everything else in the world stopped as Trent watched him step inside of the building.
Conner smiled, it was a smile of friendliness, so convincing it only furthered the rage building in Trent's chest.
"Long time no see," Conner said as he approached the duo. He lifted Trent's cup up to his mouth and took a sip. "How's it going?"
"What are you doing here?" Trent asked, trying his hardest to hold back.
"Can't I just stop by and say hi to a friend?" Conner asked with a smug smile.
"Last I checked we weren't friends, and that's before you started working for that psychopath," Trent hissed.
"I think you're just jealous," Conner said, moving his face only a few inches away from Trent's, "I had the guts to do what you were so scared of." His eyes seemed to almost glow, "I killed your daddy."
Conner wasn't prepared for what came next. His head flew back as Trent's fist connected with his cheekbone. The teen fell into the next booth. Trent's drink exploded against Conner's chest and drenched his black shirt in an ugly dark stain. Shock quickly shifted to anger as he pushed himself back up.
"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Conner asked. "Why don't you try that again?"
Trent leaped out of the booth but was immediately restrained by Eric.
"He's baiting you," The Quantum Ranger said, "Don't give in."
"Oh, so you're letting your boyfriend call the shots now?" Conner asked. "That's cute."
Trent shook Eric off and stepped up to Conner. "Let me ask you again. What do you want?"
"What do you think I want?" Conner asked. A gold-hilted blade materialized in his hand. "I want a rematch." There was a look of pure malice on the boy's face, something that was so familiar to Trent it almost hurt, but he couldn't quite place it.
Trent didn't back down, instead, he leaned forward and moved his hand over his morpher.
"Hey, guys," Eric said and stood up himself, "I don't think that brawling it out in the middle of a White Castle is going to do any good."
"Not only is your boyfriend a geezer," Conner said, "But a pussy too."
Trent stopped and looked around. Despite all of their ruckus, no one had even made a move towards the door. "If you wanna fight I won't back down, but there's no point getting innocent people hurt."
Conner chuckled darkly to himself, "Like that's stopped you before." Before Trent could even deliver a reply Conner grabbed hold of his morpher and said, "Tyranno Slayer!"
Trent jumped moments before the crimson-colored Ranger swung his sword down, slicing the booth they had been sitting at in half.
It was then that chaos erupted in the restaurant. Before it had all been fun and games, just two teen boys duking it out, but now that a Power Ranger had joined the fray nobody wanted to stay and watch.
Trent rolled to his feet, grabbing his Morpher in one hand. Alright, you've given me no-"
"Quantum Power!"
Trent watched as the Quantum Ranger jumped at the Triassic Slayer with his own sword drawn.
A line of sparks exploded from the Triassic Slayer's chest as Eric stood between Trent and the evil Ranger. "If I'm such a geezer why can't you catch up?" Eric asked.
The Triassic Slayer roared with frustration as he charged forward, but the Quantum Ranger easily dodged each of his advances. While Triassic Slayer arguably had more power at his disposal the Quantum Ranger was trained soldier with years of battle experience.
They clashed blades with an explosion of sparks and actual wisps of concentrated energy. Triassic Slayer managed to shove the Quantum Ranger backward and send him crashing through the wall of the building.
For a second there was silence.
"It's only a matter of time before you tire yourself out," Triassic Slayer said as he approached the hole in the wall. "It might be in your best interest to quit while you're ahead."
A blast energy hit the crimson Ranger and exploded violently against his armor.
"I'm just getting started," Eric said with his sword now in its blaster mode. "And don't worry, I can go all day."
"I'd stop while you're ahead," Triassic Slayer said as his sword began to glow with golden energy, "Before I have to do anything rash."
"I can take anything you throw at me," The Quantum Ranger replied. His body moved back and forth as if he were charged by a live wire.
The Triassic Ranger just laughed before launching the wave of golden energy.
The Quantum Ranger was ready, his body bent forward to either dodge or even deflect the attack.
But the attack wasn't aimed at him.
Trent gasped as the golden blast exploded against a nearby building, causing what appeared to be a gnarly gash across it. There was a tremendous shaking before the structure collapsed to rubble.
"Lucky that building was empty," Triassic Slayer said smugly, "But that luck won't last forever."
"I guess I'm going to have to speed this up," Eric muttered, "Mega Battle, Activate!"
In a rush of flames, the Ranger's Battlizer formed around him.
"Just when I thought your suit couldn't get any gayer, you had to add giant roller skates!" Triassic Slayer exclaimed.
The Quantum Ranger drew his blaster and fired several shots into the evil Ranger.
The red colored energy was easily swatted away by the golden blade. "Real cute…" Tyranno Slayer muttered. 'But I'm tired of playing games with you."
The Quantum Ranger paid this no notice and instead sped forward, a blur of motion with his blade drawn.
His sword swung like a sideways guillotine towards the Ranger's head.
But the Tyranno Slayer jumped right over it.
There was a faint chuckle from the evil Ranger and he plunged his sword forward.
Pushing it right through the Ranger's chest.
Eric looked down at the blade as it slid out of his body, one word escaping his lips before his armor escaped him.
"Fuck…"
His body fell to the ground.
Trent was running before he had a plan.
"White Ranger, Dino Power!"
The White Ranger slashed his blade against Tyranno Slayer's thick armor. As he ran past and then broke into a roll to turn himself around.
"So now you've got some fight in you!" Tyranno Slayer howled. "I've been waiting for this."
The White Ranger fought with a ferocity that surprised even himself, using his enhanced speed to blur his blade into a relentless block of motion.
All of which were deflected by the evil Ranger.
"I know all of your moves," the evil Ranger said, parrying with ease. "I was there when you learned them!" With a powerful spin kick, the White Ranger was sent flying backward. "But I've only been getting stronger."
The White Ranger pulled himself back to his feet, his body shaking with rage. Here was the man who had killed his father, mocking him and spinning around the blade already wet with the fresh blood of another victim.
He needed to end things here.
Trent closed his fists together, feeling his body pulse with a ravenous energy.
"You're going to pay for what you've done," Trent growled.
"Ohhh I'm so scared," Tyranno Slayer teased, "You're going to need a better one-liner then that!"
It was like a savage beast, clawing relentlessly at its cage. Using every ounce of its strength to get free.
And Trent finally let it.
Suddenly the White Rangers armor began to glow with a bright golden energy. He tilted his head back and howled.
"Super Dino-Mode!"
In a flash of pure morphin energy, Trent's suit began to shift. The black edges of his suit began to sprout into long spikes, extending up to his chest armor with two spikes extending down from his wrists.
In that moment thought completely disappeared from the White Ranger's mind. His body became a weapon, a force of nature.
He moved towards the Tyranno Slayer with an animalistic charge.
The two engaged in fresh combat. Trent had abandoned his sword and instead lashed out with his twin spikes, using them like claws. While Tyranno Slayer seemed to use every ounce of concentration just parrying against the opposing Ranger.
Somewhere buried deep in the Ranger was satisfaction in watching his opponent pushed to the very edge if his limits.
And Trent still had a hell of a lot more to give.
With a satisfying thud and a rush of bright sparks, the White Ranger got his first hit in. His spike flanked the Tyranno Slayer side, catching the evil Ranger off guard and letting Trent get another blow in.
With his enemy stunned the White Ranger went all out, screaming and swinging his arms as sparks fluttered around like snow during a blizzard.
And when Conner's armor exploded, and he was left defenseless with a trail of blood leaking down his mouth,Trent couldn't help but grin from under his helmet and raise his arm for the finishing blow.
A clap echoed around the battlefield.
"I knew you had it in you!"
Trent froze.
"I told you before, we aren't that different."
Trent turned away from the beaten Conner and towards the man standing cooly by himself, a sideways smirk on his face.
"Rage is power, Trent Mercer," Drakkon said with an outstretched hand.
The White Ranger lept in the air and swung his spike towards the villain, but Drakkon quickly ducked and punched Trent in the chest.
Even with the protection of his suit, Trent could feel the air get knocked out of his lungs.
"I could make you stronger," Drakkon said, "I could help you ascend."
Trent caught his breath, the blow having let him regain some of himself.
"Go fuck yourself…" The White Ranger barked.
Drakkon shook his head. "The world doesn't service the weak. It's only matter of time until you understand that."
The Dr.O from another world approached the unmorphed Conner and lifted him into the air.
"Absolutely pathetic…" he muttered and stepped into an invisiportal.
Trent jumped towards the villain, but the portal disappeared moments before the White Ranger could make contact with hit the ground and slid across the concrete, alone in the silent street.
Back at his island Drakkon smiled as his hands curled around his new toy. Collecting the Quantum Morpher hadn't been a part of his original plan, but it was certainly a nice treat. The Ranger could feel the energy leaking from the device. It held potential far greater than even the Quantum Ranger himself had realized.
Maybe more then even it's creators had realized.
"And how are is the project progressing?" Drakkon asked Finster as he waddled down the hall.
"Very smooth sir!" The white creature snapped, "The structure is nearing completion."
Drakkon smiled, looking down at his newest prize. "What about the other project?"
"Slower..." Finster admitted, "Finding a new power source has proven difficult."
"Well, what about this?" He asked and revealed the morpher.
"That would be perfect," Finster said and took the device.
Drakkon laughed, but something still snagged inside himself. Despite his wealth of fortune since arriving in this world the Ranger from another world couldn't shake a disturbing feeling in his stomach.
He needed to win fast before anyone else could enter the board.
"I want that morpher completely reverse engineered, every bit of useable tech salvaged," Drakkon felt a joy rise to his chest. With things so close it was time to enact the next phase. "Activate the portal, bring the castle over."
"It shall be done," Finster said and waddled off.