Chapter Six: Convergence
Strands of dark hair fell haphazardly around her face as she leaned over the table, furiously wiping disinfectant across the table's surface. Though Milo wasn't on shift today, she found herself offering a hand to keep busy. It was her day off and Ceres offered to take her shopping, she was running a bit late though. According to Ceres, evil was taking a break and there was nothing wrong with them having a day out on the city either. Ceres and Naomi, over the past month, they had become her closest friends. If it was your fate to fight evil, why not do it with some of your best friends. Milo smiled at that sentiment, standing up and walking into the back with her cleaning rag in hand. There was that other man too, they hadn't seen him since that day. She didn't want to admit it, but she fancied him when she laid eyes on him for the first time. Often enough, her thoughts would find their way to him. Milo remembered the way he walked up to that golem in such an aloof fashion, transforming in mid stride. What had he transformed into? Some armored beetle warrior? That anonymous man was so confident and strong. They needed someone like that on their team, yet he didn't seem too interested in joining them either. Milo set the cleaning rag into a bucket by the sink, blushing. Why was this man in her head so much?
She stepped up to the soda fountain and held her glass to it, allowing the Diet Cola to pour into her cup. Enough had been done, she'd wait out front for Ceres to come pick her up. Knowing Ceres, she'd want a cup of coffee anyway, there was lots of time. Sometimes, Milo had a tendency to walk around without looking where she was going. Today was one of those days. As she walked out from the kitchen, toward her chosen table, she collided with someone. Milo staggered back after crashing into what felt like a wall of muscle. The contents of her cup were now all over this man's shirt and dripping down to the floor.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, grabbing a handful of napkins from the nearest table and forgetting all personal boundaries. When her mind was occupied, things escaped her. "I'm so sorry," she said, patting the shirt down with napkins.
"For spilling your soda on me? Or invading my personal space?" asked Virgil, staring down at her, blankly.
"Huh?" she pulled away, looking up at Virgil. Oh no! Milo thought, blushing and stepping away from him.
"Don't worry, I kind of liked it," he chuckled, putting his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans.
Her brow furrowed and she fumed, feeling utterly embarrassed and now harassed. It was him, the guy who showed up and finished off that monster they struggled with. Today, he had shown himself. There was a sudden lump in her throat, she was too nervous to speak. Milo's hands felt cold and clammy. She took a good look at him. He was wearing a silver button down shirt, a black muscle shirt, form fitting blue jeans, and his hair was a little shorter than before. Other than looking like he hit the gym even harder over the past month, he looked the same to her as he did a month ago.
"Hey, I was wondering," he began, stepping in closer. "I think now would be a good time to talk."
"About what?" asked Milo, barely getting those words out, her eyes widening as she backed away. Ceres was approaching, angrily.
"You know what. Can we talk, or not?"
Not more than a few seconds ago, the door flew open and Ceres stood in the doorway, noticing Milo and some guy talking. From where she stood, it looked like this guy was giving Milo some trouble. That wouldn't do at all. Poor Milo, always getting grief from boorish men that liked her looks. She'd show that jackass what was what for getting up in her friend's personal space. The Amazonian woman stomped toward them, noticing Milo back away with wide eyes.
"Hey, Dickhead," she snarled, grabbing Virgil by the shoulders and spinning him around to face her, "FUCK OFF!"
Ceres coiled her arm back and sent a fierce strike toward his jaw. With a sickening noise upon impact, Virgil was sent sprawling across the tiled floor. He slid a few feet and writhed uncomfortably for a few seconds. She flashed her silver eyes over to Milo, locking with the young woman's golden eyes.
"Milo," she started, "you all right?"
"I appreciate it, Ceres," stammered Milo, looking over to poor Virgil, "but he wasn't doing anything."
What? But? God damn it. Ceres felt her tongue graze over her teeth before she cocked her eyebrow and said, "Oops."
"Agh," grunted Virgil, hissing painfully through his teeth as he rose to his feet slowly. "God, what the hell, Lady? You hit like a man."
"It's the general idea, pal," Ceres retorted, crossing her arms, still not recognizing who this person was. "So, if you weren't harassing my friend, what were you doing?"
After a pause, it clued in for Ceres and she grinned.
"Hey," she drawled, walking in closer, "you're that 'Henshin' guy," she said, really dragging on with the word 'henshin'.
It all made sense now, he was approaching Milo about what happened last month. He wasn't trying to force his way into her pants. No, he was just trying to make contact. After all, they had all seen one another transform. Maybe, he was finally ready to meet everyone. Ceres did feel a flicker of remorse, but people had to be conscientious of how their actions looked. She was far from sorry.
"Yeah," Virgil said, slowly, expecting an apology that obviously wasn't coming.
"Okay," said Ceres, indifferently, walking past Virgil who was checking out the woman's muscular frame beneath the black dress shirt and dark blue denims. Regardless of the masculine attire, there was still a pervasive amount of femininity. The tawny woman sat down at the bar, in her usual spot, getting her daily fix of caffeine.
"Wait!" he exclaimed, pursuing her. "You hit me on an assumption, ask me about what I am, and then walk away after saying: 'Okay'?"
"Mmhm," she hummed, taking a sip of the coffee that Milo poured into a cup for her.
"Bitch," he muttered, shaking his head, sitting down beside her. Milo set a cup down in front of him, poured some coffee into it, and disappeared into the kitchen to resurface with a bag of frozen peas. He graciously took the bag and held it to his jaw.
"That's right," she said smugly, setting her mug down. "The name is Ceres. She's Milo," added the powerfully built woman, gesturing at Milo behind the counter. "And you are?"
"Virgil," he replied, raising his coffee cup to his lips.
Milo could not help but chuckle at the way Ceres spoke to this guy. Yet, here she was, so nervous and intimidated by his good looks. Granted, she knew that she was quite the looker herself. Maybe, she'd just get the tension over with and ask for his number. That didn't seem like such a bad idea at all. Yet, as she drew her cell phone in order to initiate the formality of the number exchange, a flash of pink light exploded in the tree lines of the Angel Grove Park. When she pointed out the window, Ceres and Virgil turned around to see what was being pointed at.
"I'm not an expert," sighed Milo, pocketing her cell phone, "but that looks like our cue."
"Azrael," repeated Naomi, the name had such power in itself when she repeated it. "Are you the one who started those fires and created that rock monster a month ago?"
"I might have," replied Azrael, smiling sheepishly even though his face could not be seen beneath his hooded robe. "What of it?"
Naomi felt her teeth grind with anger as she heard such a simple reply that implied so much. Her hand still coddled her wounded shoulder, this was bad. Still, she found the bravery to fix her eyes upon him and yell, "People are dead because of you! You are a monster!"
"Yes, their souls, extinguished like pathetic insects," he sighed, remaining stationary. "The end always justifies the means, does it not?"
"No!" Naomi screamed, waving her good arm in an aggressive motion to amplify the power in her words. "Life is valuable and must be preserved at all costs. We exist to stop things like you! I will see to your end right here and now!"
"Oh?" Azrael responded, meeting the young woman with an inquisitive stare.
With one arm, Naomi drew her morpher from her pocket and held it out before her. Though she was injured, she had to make a stand. Didn't she? She swallowed hard, clutched the morpher, and cried out, "SABRE-TOOTHED TIGER!"
The pulse of yellow light engulfed and caressed Naomi, alleviating the wound upon her shoulder with its gentle touch. The tingling euphoria of infusing with the light was all that she could feel now. Naomi stood, clad in the tight fabric, as the helmet took form over her head. The Yellow Ranger now stood proudly, looking to the Pink Ranger who nodded back to her. They'd work together and take him down.
"Let's get him, Naomi!" Violet called out, enthusiastically, conjuring an arrow of pink energy and taking aim upon Azrael.
Twin daggers materialized in Naomi's hands as she sized up the situation. They were in the flower beds, there was open space, and they were dealing with someone capable of summoning fierce monsters. It also appeared that he was capable of teleportation which made luring him into an enclosed space absolutely useless. No, fighting him in this open space ensured the best chance of survival.
Violet released the arrow and watched on as it screamed toward Azrael. He leapt above the arrow and began to levitate in the air, materializing his scythe before him and taking it into his hands. Behind him, there was a brilliant flash of pink light. The arrow made impact with a tree, shattering it, the area of impact, into splinters. The tree fell to the ground, making a loud crash. Violet missed, Naomi had expected that, through no fault of her aim. He was fast and definitely more capable of fighting than the creatures that he summoned. Was he toying with them this whole time? Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the glisten of light on the blade of Azrael's scythe.
"Get down, Violet!" Naomi called out, watching him swing the weapon from afar. Violet leapt down onto her stomach, laying as close to the cobblestone path as she could. Razor-like shimmers of air passed over her and mulched the flowers into fine petals that scattered into the air, raining upon Violet as she stood up.
"Clever girl," muttered Azrael, locking eyes upon Naomi.
Now that I have warned Violet of his retaliation, I fear that he will attack me from behind, thought Naomi , staying on guard.
As Azrael disappeared and reappeared behind Naomi, she was ready. The Yellow Ranger spun around, leapt over the wide, sweeping, motion of Azrael's scythe, and kicked off of it to leap higher into the air. She performed several back flips before landing onto her feet, further away.
"You were ready for it," Azrael began, utterly fascinated, "most impressive."
"It is easy to anticipate the actions of a coward," hissed Naomi, holding her daggers tightly. Had she not had her wits about her, she would surely be dead already.
Azrael laughed derisively, letting go of his scythe as it began float in front of him and spin rapidly. Dozens of fireballs formed and volleyed towards Naomi. Every single one struck upon her and exploded, sending the unfortunate Yellow Ranger into the air.
"It would appear as though your good fortune has expired, my dear," said Azrael, taking hold of his weapon once more.
Pain ripped through her and she could feel the full heat of his attack as she landed. Though fortunate that she was protected from harm, she still felt all of the pain attached. He is too powerful, thought Naomi, coming to her feet, slowly, I cannot win.
"As you and the other Ranger played so well with my Revenants," he said, holding his left hand into the air, charging it with a pulse of energy, "I shall summon fifty more!"
The dark purple matter scattered everywhere, implanting into the ground. Approximately fifty spots on the ground were shedding a violet hue as more of the skeleton monsters began to rise from each location. Before long, Violet and Naomi were staring down a horde of Revenants and Azrael. The present outlook seemed hopeless. Azrael leapt high into the air, choosing the top of a high tree as his vantage point. Watching the Revenants tear the two girls asunder would prove amusing.
As Violet created another arrow and drew the bowstring back, Naomi clutched her daggers tightly. They were both prepared to fight until their last breath. For them, the silence was deafening. In that instant that they resolved to die fighting, the silence was shattered.
"CLOCK UP."
He was a fair distance away, yet close enough, to see the skeletons rise out of the ground and surround the two Power Rangers up ahead. They transformed in a back alley, knowing they'd be facing some threat. Virgil was happy with their intuition. The time it would have taken to 'Henshin' here might have cost them the advantage. Yet, in this moment, time was on his side. Everything around him had ground to a halt. Ceres and Milo, everything, slowed down but him. Virgil broke into a run towards the Revenants, noticing that his 'clock up' adversely affected them. This would be like shooting fish in a barrel. In a flurry of kicks and punches, defenseless Revenants shattered while their bones suspended in midair due to the slowing of time. Virgil was intent on leveling the playing field the best he could. From the look of the Pink and Yellow Ranger, they were in the midst of fighting Azrael. Before his 'clock up' expired, Virgil had managed to take out over thirty of the Revenants.
"CLOCK OVER."
As soon as Naomi heard the electronic voice, she saw the White Rider from before standing in the midst of the Revenants while over thirty of them suddenly collapsed, defeated. What had just happened? It had to have been him, saving them. Just how powerful was he? She had noticed Ceres and Milo run up beside her and Violet, morphed. The flashes of Violet's arrow must have given away their location. That was lucky.
"Whoa," said Ceres, admiring Virgil's handiwork, "way to go Virgil!"
"That is his name," muttered Naomi, realizing that he must have appeared out at the Diner. Everyone was slowly coming together, this was good. The skeletons now marched upon all of them. They were together, they were ready, and they were strong.
In the hands of the Red and Blue Ranger, the Power Sword and Power Lance materialized. The two women charged upon the Revenants. Milo slashed, struck, and impaled while Ceres swept her weapon in circles, smashing skeletons to bits. Naomi ran in, punching and slashing at the monsters with her daggers. Violet fired her bow into the crowd of Revenants, after holding onto the arrow for as long as she did. A shockwave of pink devastation took out several of them. Virgil was also in the fray, punching and kicking at these creatures. Altogether, the group had whittled down the crowd of Revenants. Only their bones littered the ground now.
"Aw," said a familiar voice, feigning a pouty tone as he walked down the pathway and joined the other Rangers, "I missed the party."
Behind the visor, Violet's eyes lit up. He came! He was here! All was well in the world. She happened to be standing beside Naomi when she whispered, "Don't you just love how moody and cool he is?"
"RYAN!" yelled Violet, not giving Naomi a chance to say anything at all.
"Oh god," he grumbled, not expecting Violet to suddenly run at him and tackle him. As they fell to the ground she hugged him tightly.
"I missed you! I didn't know if I'd ever see you again," she said, standing up and helping him to his feet. "I was on my way to pick up lunch for you and come visit you! But then I was attacked, by that guy!" she yelled, pointing at Azrael in the treetops. She turned to face the other Rangers and said, "This is Ryan. He's my boyfriend."
"I AM NOT!" he yelled, flushing beneath his helmet. Thank god that his face was hidden right now.
"Oh, silly," she said, mistaking his 'I AM NOT' as denying his name. "There's no need for secret identities here! We all know each other! We're all friends!"
"Violet," Ryan hissed, gravely, feeling faint.
"Wow," said Ceres, stifling all laughter. "I love her 'Ryan'," she chuckled, really taking the time to emphasize his name. "You need to bring her around more often."
"Aw!" squealed Violet, looking at Ceres. "I like you too!"
"Enough!" yelled Azrael, pointing down towards Violet. "This one sickens me!"
This was a reminder that the danger wasn't eradicated just yet. They might have defeated the Revenants, yet Azrael was still a present, and ominous, threat. His scythe began to float in the air, spinning, while all of the bones from the fallen Revenants coalesced into one large mass. There was a flash of violet light and a loud roar. When the light subsided, a large skeleton monster stood at a height of twenty five feet. The creature had long, powerful, limbs and two large horns protruding from its skull. If Revenants had a ruler, this thing would be their king. Azrael took the scythe back and looked down to the Rangers who were looking up at this monster. This monster easily stood higher than the tree that he perched himself in. Violet let go of Ryan while everyone else huddled closer together, all thinking of some way to defeat this thing.
"Live or die, Rangers," Azrael yelled down to them, "it's all in your hands now."
"Let's thrash him, everyone!" Violet yelled, feeling confident in herself, also attempting to impress Ryan, charged an arrow into her bow while she ran headlong into danger, knelt down, and aimed it at the giant skeleton's skull.
Milo saw what Violet failed to see. The creature was drawing its arm back and preparing to strike. Her heart raced, she knew that she had to do something. All of this time, she felt like she was failing as the Red Ranger and leader of the team. She didn't know how to guide anyone, or conduct herself in battle. And now, she was faced with an epiphany. Someone on her team was about to die and, suddenly, she now knew what to do. Violet, though behaving recklessly, had to be saved at all costs. Even if it meant sacrificing her own life. That was the duty of the leader: to lay your life on the line if it meant saving another teammate.
They will all learn to take me seriously, thought Violet, releasing her arrow. A grim expression of dread formed behind her visor. Violet saw her most grievous error as the large hand of the monster was closing in on her, she was going to be crushed. She closed her eyes, not wanting to accept her fate. Out of nowhere, a pair of hands clutched her shoulders and threw her out of harm's way. As she rolled, she saw the monster's hand come down and crush Milo.
"Milo!" cried Ceres, feeling terror grip her heart as the monster performed its fatal attack upon the Red Ranger. Violet's arrow exploded upon the creatures shoulder, causing it to stagger backwards.
Milo laid in the grass, her golden eyes staring vacantly into the vivid blue sky. The attack was more than her suit could withstand and she had reverted. Blood ran down the corners of her mouth and every bone in her lifeless body was broken. Milo Jenners had bravely sacrificed her own life in the name of the team that she wanted to protect. She was gone.
End of Chapter Six
