CH 2.
"Stop right there, Archerina." Tommy shouted, and his team dropped into a fighting stance. "Your brand of evil will never win!"
"I already have! Cogs attack!" Archerina cried, and they did. The Zeo Rangers dove into battle with them. With karate yells, they soon fought their way through the foot soldiers and engaged with Archerina.
"My cogs!" Archerina cried incredulously.
"Your cogs went off-line," Tommy said. "And it's time for you to leave too."
"I suppose I have to destroy you myself!" Archerina hissed, drawing her bow and fired pink energy arrows. With a shower of sparks, the Rangers were all thrown off their feet. Then the mechanical enchantress was among them, attacking hand-to-hand.
"Adam! Look out!" Tommy cried. Too late.
Adam was kicked in the chest and fell back into a pile of crates. The evil Android swept Tanya and Katherine off of their feet. She then landed a solid punch to Rocky's gut. She tore through the Rangers almost too quickly.
"SEI! HUYAH!" Tommy yelled, and charged. Archerina punched him rapidly in the chest, throwing him back with a shower of sparks.
"You guys holding up okay?" Tommy asked, as everyone struggled to their feet.
"We're hanging in there." Adam answered. "But I don't know how much more we can take."
"And it only get worse!" Archerina chastised. "Kneel before Princess Archerina, and I will promise you a swift destruction."
"We would never kneel before you!" Tommy said, wincing in pain.
At The Power Chamber. . .
"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha cried. "The Rangers are losing the battle with Archerina. She has never been this strong before."
"I would afraid it would come to this Alpha." Zordon said. "The situation is deteriorating faster than I thought it would. Adjust the morphing grid and contact Kimberly."
"Right away Zordon."
Elsewhere at the Pan Global Games. . .
Kimberly's communicator beeped in her duffle bag. She answered it.
"I read you Zordon." Kimberly said into her communicator. "What's the news?"
"We have an emergency." Zordon said. "We'll teleport you to the Command Center immediately."
"Standing by." Kimberly said.
Kimberly teleported to the Command Center.
"Welcome back, old friend." Billy hugs her tightly.
"I missed you too." Kimberly said, and squeezed back. "You guys, what's going on? What the situation?"
"It's worse than you know Kimberly." Zordon told her. "Your friends have been battling the evil Archerina."
"What's an Archerina?" Kim asked, her voice shaky.
"Observe the Viewing Globe." Zordon said.
She whirled around to the images of destruction that flashed on the globe. The ruined warehouse district was twinkling in the distance. A mechanical being strode into view.
"The being before you is the evil Archerina." Zordon said. "She is a proven warrior of the Machine Empire. Left unchecked, she could wreak havoc across Angel Grove."
As Kim watched, her hands curled into fists.
"She's back, stronger than ever." Billy said. "I've been monitoring the fight so far. The Zeo Rangers haven't had much luck against her. Only Tommy has been able to resist her advances."
"Then I gotta do something." Kimberly said, incredulously. "Powers or not, I just can't stand by and watch my friends be destroyed. Tommy can't hold out much longer on his own."
"But Kimberly." Alpha protests. "It's much too dangerous."
"I don't care." Kimberly said, flatly. "These are my friends and my responsibility. I'm a Power Ranger until the end."
"I commend you for your courage and your loyalty Kimberly." Zordon said. "I can see that there is no other alternative. The time has come for you to accept the powers of the Ruby Zeo Crystal."
"But Zordon, Ruby Zeonizer hasn't been tested." Alpha protested again. "The circuitry is too powerful for any ordinary human."
"If its power could hold the answers to our problems." Billy said. "then I'd say it's worth the risk."
"Billy's right." Kimberly agreed, her heart racing. "Let's get this over with."
Meanwhile on the Machine Moon Base. . .
"Everything seems to be going according to plan." Queen Machina said, laughing deeply.
"Archerina is making mincemeat out those Do-Gooders." King Mondo said.
"She'll put an end to the Power Rangers indeed." Clank chimed in.
Back at the Power Chamber. . . .
There were two silvery oblong objects were waiting on the central console. Kimberly stared at them in disbelief.
"These are your Zeonizers," Billy told her. "They will allow you to morph and call upon your powers as the Ruby Zeo Ranger. Value them and protect them as you did your Morpher and Power Coin."
Kimberly took a step forward and took the Zeonizers, strapping them to her wrists as she stood in place. They felt cold against her skin.
"Please be careful." Billy said and touched his friend on the shoulder.
Kimberly heard and nodded. Then stood ready. "It's morphin time!"
Kimberly felt the Zeonizers illumine on her wrists. Holding them up to the sky, she united them as one.
"Ruby Ranger Power!"
Ruby light flashed from her Zeonizers, letting the power engulf her body, and caressed her smiling face.
Then, as the lightshow ended, the form of Kimberly was gone, replaced by a being clad in a ranger suit, with a helmet masking her face. The white and gold lined upon the chest of her ruby suit glistened in the lights of the Power Chamber.
Through a black visor, she saw Zordon smiling back at her.
Billy's jaw dropped.
Kimberly couldn't believe it. She had morphed into the Ruby Zeo Ranger.
"The power of the Ruby Zeo Crystal now resides within you." Zordon said, proudly. "How do you feel?"
"Incredible!" Kimberly exclaimed, looking down at her white gloved hands in shock. It all seemed so surreal.
"Remember Kimberly." Zordon informed her. "The Machine Empire are efficient fighting machines, but they are only just machines. Your heart and mind are greater tools than anything that could be manufactured."
She smiled to herself.
The klaxon sounded in the Command Center.
"The others need your help, Kimberly." Billy urged. "Good luck and let the power protect you."
"Right." Feeling the power of the Zeo flowing through her, she grasped her belt buckle. "Back to action!"
Shafts of light from above enveloped her in a teleportation wave and sucked her out of the Power Chamber and crawled across the blue sky. . .
Moments later at the warehouse district. . .
Tommy was kicked solidly in the gut and thrown back into a pile of boxes.
"Tommy!" Katherine cried.
"Accept defeat, Red Ranger!" Archerina growled. "It's only a matter of time before Angel Grove falls to the iron will of the Machine Empire!"
"I'll never give up!" Tommy said, collapsed on one knee.
"Good bye Red Ranger," Archerina said, aiming her bow on Tommy.
"Look, guys!" Adam breathed, pointing to the sky. "Up there!"
Ruby glory erupted through the air and out dove the Ruby Zeo Ranger like a ruby missile.
"Heads up, Archerina!" Kimberly shouted, soaring through the air.
Archerina was kicked in the chest and fell back into a pile of crates. The robot then rolled to her feet, pissed at being interrupted.
Kimberly landed on her knee with arms outstretched between Archerina and Tommy. "Hey Bolt-Brains! You're gonna pay big time for messing with my friends!" She said, with hands on hips.
"Kimberly?" Tommy breathed. "Am I glad to see you."
"Likewise," Kimberly said. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, but we gotta help the others." Tommy said, but he wasn't even strong enough to stand up.
"Stand back." Kimberly said and dropped into a fighting stance. "I'll deal with Rosie the Robot."
Archerina growled, slowly rising. "You're all talk Ranger."
"And you're all through," Kimberly shouted, and pounced into sky like a jungle cat.
"Kimberly! Be careful!" Tommy cried out.